-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Let us build Pakistan" has moved.
30 November 2009
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"Let us build Pakistan" has moved.
30 November 2009
All archives and posts have been transferred to the new location, which is: http://criticalppp.org
We encourage you to visit our new site. Please don't leave your comments here because this site is obsolete. You may also like to update your RSS feeds or Google Friend Connect (Follow the Blog) to the new location. Thank you.
"Let us build Pakistan" has moved.
30 November 2009
All archives and posts have been transferred to the new location, which is: http://criticalppp.org
We encourage you to visit our new site. Please don't leave your comments here because this site is obsolete. You may also like to update your RSS feeds or Google Friend Connect (Follow the Blog) to the new location. Thank you.
Please do not donate your charities or animal hide to a potentially militant, terrorist or sectarian organization. Do not offer your charities to political, ethnic, religio-political, sectarian organizations or jihadi madrassahs of any sect.
The best organizations worthy of your donations include Edhi Foundation and other similar organizations.
http://www.edhifoundation.com/
Do not consider donating to Sunni, Shia, Deobandi or Ahl-e-Hadith organizations because they will use that money for sectarian purposes. Do not donate to Jamaat Islami, Imran Khan, Lashkar Toiba etc because they may be passing your money on to support the Taliban movement. We do not want to fund suicide bombing against our own country and our own people.
The Mumbai standoff with the terrorists went into its third day on Friday with remnants of the attackers ensconced in the buildings they had occupied along with hostages, including symbolically the Nariman House Jewish centre. The death tally had gone up to 125 with 9 foreigners killed too. India is jolted and commentators are calling it India’s 9/11, the same way Pakistan called the attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad Pakistan’s 9/11. In the middle of this the Indian prime minister, in a nation-wide address, said that “neighbouring nations would have to face a cost if they allowed their territory to be used to launch attacks on India”, a thinly veiled reference to Pakistan. This shows the domestic pressure he has to face, especially from the BJP and other rightwing groups who have already accused his government of being soft on the Muslims. But the statement does threaten to throw a spanner in the works of the normalisation process. For its part Pakistan has already condemned the attacks and warned that “jumping to a conclusion” won’t help either side.
It is clear that Pakistan has not “allowed” its territory to be used by Al Qaeda. In fact, it is under attack from Al Qaeda and its many affiliate groups. The last time Al Qaeda attacked inside Pakistan was when an Arab suicide-bomber blew up the Danish embassy in June this year. In September, another suicide attack destroyed the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad amid comment that it could have also targeted the Americans staying there. In Pakistan speculation was widespread about the involvement of “foreign” elements, but finally the case was cracked when on November 22, 2008 an arrested Pakistani confessed in a court that the plan to attack the Marriott had been hatched inside Afghanistan in a province used earlier by Al Qaeda for the Danish embassy blast.
The Indian prime minister’s phrase “allowed their territory to be used” brings India into the category where the US leads by holding Pakistan accountable for its lack of sovereign hold over its own territory. Pakistan’s territory was used for the 9/11 action, and today the main bone of contention are the cross-border raids being carried out from Pakistani territory against the NATO forces in Afghanistan. But India should be careful about joining this club as it would take away the option of “cooperating” with the present government in Islamabad on the rising tide of terror in the two countries.
Very thin evidence linking speed boats — and at least two “captured” Pakistani cargo ships going to Karachi off the coast of Indian Gujarat — to the terrorists positioned in the hotels in Mumbai threatens to produce a new bilateral crisis. Pakistan has issued statements from the president and the prime minister in a tone that clearly indicates sympathy and collaboration. President Zardari who took the risk of crossing the traditional nuclear “red line” by offering not to exercise its “first use” option will be put on the backfoot if hostile rhetoric now rising in India takes over. As Indian commentators speculated about Lashkar-e-Tayba and Jaish-e-Muhammad, Karachi in Pakistan was experiencing a deadly standoff between the police and what is known as Afghani Gang in Sohrab Goth, the latter liberally using hand grenades. There are reports of Talibanisation in Karachi that have divided instead of uniting the political forces there.
Pakistan faces the spread of Taliban and Al Qaeda elements southwards into the settled areas as CIA drones operate in the Tribal Areas. There is insurgency in Balochistan which is steadily killing persons suspected of being against Baloch nationalism. Equally there is the calamity of an earthquake in the province which Pakistan is finding it difficult to tackle. Relations with the US are tense over the drone attacks and Pakistan needs cooperation with its regional neighbours to avoid becoming isolated while its economy needs to be helped out of its current trough of depression. Above all, it needs understanding from India while it stands ready to share intelligence with it on the latest Mumbai bombing.
Recent events have not helped. India has been accusing Pakistan’s intelligence of having attacked the Indian embassy in Kabul with a suicide-bomber while Pakistan has alleged Indian hand in the Balochistan insurgency and even terrorism emanating from the Tribal Areas. This has been a blind continuation of allegations that began in 2001 when the Indian parliament was attacked, triggering Indian troop deployment along the border with Pakistan. This kind of “jurisprudence” is being pulled out again to explain the latest attack. “Analysis” emanating from the West about the Mumbai attack having the signature of Al Qaeda in combination with some Pakistani Islamic group has not helped either.
Pakistan needs to activate friendly diplomacy instead of “replying” to the allegations being made by upset Indians over the media. The past may have been problematic but the present clearly shows both countries afflicted by the same disease. Both need to cooperate and must stop their “proxy” war in Afghanistan. The cue for this must come from the friendly statements made earlier by President Zardari, expressing Pakistan’s willingness to move rapidly on a course of normalisation with India. (Daily Times, 29 Nov 2008)
Read more...
Community up in arms against Islamic preacher 18 Nov 2008, 0308 hrs IST, Mohammed Wajihuddin , TNN
MUMBAI: Controversy is the middle name of this man who likes to wear many hats. Dr Zakir Naik -- Islamic scholar, televangelist, director of Islamic Research Foundation and owner of Peace TV -- has an uncanny knack for sparking a row.
In the eye of a storm again for saying that "seeking intercession of sacred Islamic personalities, including that of Prophet Mohammed, with God is heresay,'' the doctor from Mumbai looks in trouble this time. Earlier this month, the UP government banned his lectures in the state. Now, his 10-day peace conference in Mumbai is under threat.
However, Naik apologised and bought peace for his remarks. "I was quoted out of context. There was a slip of tongue. I apologise for the hurt my remarks might have caused,'' he said on Friday, kicking off the conference.
Though the Sunni Muslim groups, which have been agitating against the preacher, have put off their protests for now, the community at large doesn't seem to be convinced with Naik's explanation that he was quoted out of context.
"He is neither an `aalim' (scholar) nor a `mufti' (one who gives fatwa). He is free to practice Islam as he wishes. But he should not issue fatwas from public platforms,'' says Maulana Mehmood Daryabadi, general-secretary of the All India Ulema Council.
Naik's remarks have sent shivers through the community, making leaders to speak against him. "We need voices of unity, not division at a time when the western world is demonizing Islam. Why does Naik need to touch controversial topics?,'' asks Shia scholar Maulana Zaheer Abbas Rizvi.
Brought up on the heavy dose of Saudi Arabia-backed Salafist-Wahabi Islam, Naik follows a supremacist ideology. "The Saudis think they have a divine right to convert Muslims across the world into a puritanical Salafist Islam. Naik is their public face,'' says sociologist Imtiaz Ahmed. "The exclusivist Wahabism is inimical to an inclusive, tolerant Islam practised in India. I have heard him a couple of times on TV and am deeply disappointed.''
Naik's TV show, watched across the subcontinent, has landed him in the soup on a few occasions. His remark on Osama bin Laden had created quite a controversy some time back. "If Osama bin Laden is terrorising America or the enemies of Islam, every Muslim should become a terrorist. I can't call Osama a terrorist because his involvement in the dastardly act of 9/11 is not proved,'' Naik had said, defending the most wanted man in the world.
Group threatens to disrupt Zakir Naik's conference 8 Nov 2008, 2357 hrs IST, Mohammed Wajihuddin, TNN
MUMBAI: Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik's remark that help should be sought from Allah alone, and not even from Prophet Mohammed, could threaten a sectarian clash between Sunni and Deobandi Muslims.
A day after a Lucknow-based mufti issued a fatwa against Naik, a group of Sunni ulema from Mumbai, on Saturday, accused him of working at the behest of Saudi Arabia-backed Wahabis and Deobandis. The group also called for Naik's immediate arrest and a ban on his conference scheduled to be held at the Somaiya ground in Sion from November 14 to 23. The group has also threatened to disrupt Naik's Islamic conference if the state government did not cancel it.
"If the conference takes place, we will be compelled to go there and ask him to explain his blasphemous remark,'' said Mufti Ashraf Raza Qadri, a senior cleric belonging to Idara Sharia, the Shariah court of Sunni Muslims in Maharashtra.
However, community leaders are worried and feel that this could lead to a confrontation between the Deobandi and the Sunni sects.
This is not the first time Naik has been caught in the eye of a storm. Last month, Uttar Pradesh government had to cancel the permission granted to Naik to hold meetings across the state after he was accused of supporting Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Naik vehemently denied supporting Osama bin Laden but refused to label him a terrorist. "I condemn the perpetrators of 9/11. However, there is no evidence to establish Osama bin Laden's involvement in the World Trade Centre bombing. I can, therefore, neither call him a terrorist nor hail him as a saint because I don't know him.''
Last year, Naik had stirred up a controversy with his statement that Allah's blessings be upon Yazid, whom a section of Muslims, especially the Shias, call the killer of Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein. "There is a difference of opinion whether Yazid should be condemned or hailed. Those who are offended by my statement are free not to believe me, but they cannot deny me my right to speak what I believe is true,'' he had said.
Meanwhile, Shia scholar Zaheer Abbas Rizvi said that some city-based Shias were also planning to launch a campaign against Dr Naik.
Sunni Muslims demand ban of Zakir Naik’s talk DNA Correspondent Sunday, November 09, 2008 03:24 IST
On November 8, 2008, members of India’s premier Sunni Muslim organisation, Raza Academy came together to demand a ban on Zahir Naik’s programme ‘Insaniyat Ke Liye Hal’ to be held from November 14-23 at Somaiya grounds.
Maulana Ashraf Raza of the Darul-Uloom Hanfia Rizvia, Colaba also issued a fatwa against Naik. Members alleged that Naik had made derogatory statements about Islam’s prophet. Maulanas from the All India Sunni Tableeq Community were present. Members complained that on many occasions Naik had urged crowds to pray to Allah alone instead of Prophet Mohammed Paigambar, as he claims the prophet is human.
They also alleged that Naik had praised, Yazid, the murderer of Imam Hussein. Saeed Noori, general secretary of Raza Academy said, “Naik has been very indifferent about Osama Bin Laden. He hasn’t said anything about Osama, even though we see him as a terrorist.”
Ebrahim Tahil, member of the academy said, “He earlier targeted Christians and is now against Sunni Muslims. We have met with RR Patil and KL Prasad urging them to ban the programme.” He added, “We want to know from where Naik gets his funds?”
What if the ban is not enforced? Noori said, “Maulanas from the Sunni community plan to confront Naik on his knowledge of Islam before the public during the programme.” DNA tried getting in touch with Naik, but he was unavailable for comment.
dnasunday@dnaindia.net
......
Zakir Naik's statement raises storm 8 Nov 2008, 0452 hrs IST, Mohammed Wajihuddin, TNN Print Email Discuss Share Save Comment Text: MUMBAI: Nearly a year after he stirred up a tempest with his statement that Allah's blessings be upon Yazid, the killer of Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein, Dr Zakir Naik is back in the eye of another storm. A section of Sunni and Shia Muslims is up in arms against the Islamic preacher for saying that help should be sought from Allah alone, not even from the Prophet himself.
The 37-year-old suited, bearded Dr Naik who also owns the religious channel Peace TV, is a familiar figure known for his preachings. He founded the Islamic Research Foundation and travels all over the world giving speeches, especially in the Middle East. On Friday, the former medical professional told a news channel that Allah alone should be approached for help. Immediately, a group of Sunni Muslims rushed to home minister R R Patil demanding a ban on his Islamic conference to be held in the city between November 14 and 24.
Dr Naik said he was being targeted for a statement which most Muslims believe in and share. "I stand by what I said," he told TOI. "And I didn't commit any sacrilege. The majority of Muslims across the world believe that Allah is the almighty and help should be sought only from him. Parts of my earlier speeches are being taken out of context and presented with malicious intent."
Last month, a group of Shias in UP put pressure on the administration to stop the series of lectures Dr Zakir Naik was supposed to deliver in Allahabad and Lucknow because of the Yazid controversy.
On Friday, a Lucknow-based mufti issued a fatwa against him for allegedly supporting Osama bin Laden.
"I never supported Osama. I have always been saying that all those who kill innocents are terrorists. So if the USA kills innocents, it doesn't have the right to call Osama a terrorist unless it owns up its own crime. Here again my statement has been twisted," he said.
When asked if he felt threatened, Dr Naik replied, "Only cowards get scared. They have no guts to face the truth and level baseless, false charges. My programme in Mumbai is on and even R R Patil has accepted my invitation."
Zakir Naik apologizes for his statement, Peace Conference to go on Submitted by Tarique on Fri, 11/14/2008 - 17:13.
* Indian Muslim
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Mumbai: Famous Islamic preacher Dr. Zakir Naik, who was under attack for some of his statements have apologized for hurting the sentiments of other Muslims. A meeting was organized by the Mumbai Assistant Commission of Police yesterday where Dr. Naik apologized and signed a letter of repentance.
In the meeting Mufi Mahmood Akhtar and Mufti Ashraf Raza objected to Dr. Zakir Naik's statement regarding Prophet Mohammad that it was insulting to the Prophet. Dr. Zaik acceted his mistake and said it was unintentional on his part.
A Letter of Repentance was prepared in front of the Joint Commission of Police L K Prasad which Dr. Naik signed and promised that he will never repeat this statement that can hurt the sentiments of the followers of other sects.
Representavie of Ulama Ahl-e-Sunnat Maulana Mueen Mian, Hafiz Athar, Saeed Noori, and Maulana Yusuf Raza participated in the meeting. Meeting also decided that since Dr. Naik has apologized, the ten-day long Peace Conference may go on now.
Asalamu Alikum wb our respected scholars of Islam, My question is regarding the famous daee of Islam Dr.Zakir Naik whether the method & way of his preaching,debating, studing different religons' scriptures are valid in the light of Quran & Hadith or not, and should Muslims learn his Dawah techniques or not? what are the particular things in his work that are against Islam? please send me a private email.
Answer: 7077 21 Aug, 2008
(Fatwa: 1541/1322=B/1429)
The statements made by Dr Zakir Naik indicate that he is a preacher of Ghair Muqallidin, he is of free mind and does not wear Islamic dress. One should not rely upon his speeches.
Peace, he says: Letter published in Daily The Nation, Pakistan November 15, 2008
Something good is happening to the Muslim world. A man with half-Muslim parentage will soon take oath as the President of United States. Recently, a number of Muslim scholars, activists and clerics got together and issued a fatwa delinking Islam from terror. An 18-coach train, aptly named Sheikh-ul-Hind Express, set off from Deoband carrying 2,000 clerics. They were going with a message of peace and integration to Hyderabad where some 6,000 clerics from 21 states of India congregated to issue consensus edicts against terrorism. Shaking off the previous mode of shock and denial, the Indian Muslim community has entered a phase of introspection and redefinition. This collective body of Muslim clerics took another commendable step by denouncing televangelist Zakir Naik's speeches, demanding a ban on him. Popular Muslim resentment against Naik became evident last December when he used the phrase 'May God be pleased with him' for Yezid, the debauch ruler of Ummayed and murderer of Imam Hussain. Throughout Islamic history, these words have been used only for the Prophet's trusted companions. I have been particularly disturbed by the growing popularity of Mr. Naik, the founder of Peace TV and president of the Islamic Research Foundation.
I don't consider Mr. Naik to be an Islamic scholar per se. He can best be described as a preacher with computer-like memory of almost all religious scriptures including the Bible, Torah, Vedas and Quran. Naik loves to debate with Hindus on the Vedas, with Jains about vegetarianism and atheists on religion and science. In the garb of inter-faith dialogues, he not only runs down all major religions, but also rubbishes as haraam (sinful) all Muslim devotional aspects that differ from his viewpoint. In the subcontinent, Islam is a legacy of the Sufis who gave us traditions of syncretism and communal harmony. By condemning followers of Sufism as 'grave-worshippers', the 'scholars' of Salafi and Wahabi ideology like Naik reject an entire historical body of Islamic scholarship, jurisprudence and almost 80 per cent of Islamic literature. Dialogue within the Muslim community on what form the rightful Islamic traditions should take had long been overdue. Thankfully, Muslims are now alert to need of the times, identifying and rejecting intolerant elements within them. -SADIA DEHLVI, Delhi, India, November 11.
Mayhem in Mumbai Friday, November 28, 2008 (The News)
No words can ever be enough to condemn the horror of what has happened and continues to happen in Mumbai. Fear walks down every street in the stricken city and lurks in every building. The costs of what is being termed India's worst-ever terrorist attack will be many; the burden a fearfully heavy one to bear. A day after young terrorists, who struck almost simultaneously in at least seven places including the city's top restaurant and its two best-known hotels, wreaked havoc across the city of 15 million, killing at least 101, wounding some 300 others and taking hostage hundreds at top hotels where rescue efforts were continuing at the time of writing, fingers are already being pointed towards Pakistan. The accusations come not only from within India but from international media channels too. They may well be inaccurate, but the suspicion has been raised and Pakistan's past track record on terrorism mean they may well stick. This is especially true as a previously unknown group, the Deccan Mujahideen, has claimed responsibility, according to a section of the Indian media. This may well be jumping to conclusions as there could be any number of identities of the perpetrators of the atrocity, given the complex make-up of India's society and politics. But reports from India insinuate the guns and bombs used by the terrorists reached India aboard a ship that set sail from Karachi. Other similar accusations are too coming in only hours after Pakistani and Indian officials agreed in Islamabad that there would be no finger-pointing without evidence. Parallels are being drawn with the bombing at the Marriot Hotel. Indian intelligence, under fire for failing to pick up on the threat, is anxious to lay blame elsewhere. The awful reality of our time is that Pakistan has become the world's centre of terrorism; attacks staged around the world – whether in the US, or Europe or India – seem to link up with players within the country. Our northern areas have become a favourite refuge for men such as Rashid Rauf, recently killed in a drone strike, and for others who favour violence. From our cities, from our towns, we are accused of exporting terror around the world, acting as a source of weapons, knowhow and moral support.
This reality is a curse for Pakistan. Whereas we may only be a convenient scapegoat, it is not mere accident that has cast us in this damning role. Already, we are a nation regarded as the most dangerous in the world by some assessors. Foreign missions and agencies have deemed Islamabad too unsafe a place to station the spouses and children of staff; businessmen hesitate to come to our shores. Sportsmen now rarely visit. Condemnation from around the world is pouring in for what happened in Mumbai. Our leaders too have added their voice strongly to this – but this cannot disguise the fact that in the aftermath of what has happened Pakistan may be cast as the key culprit. The assault on the unsuspecting city of Mumbai, India's business centre and of course the focal point of its film industry comes as the peace process between the two sides was warming up. Just days before Pakistan's president had made a daring set of offers to India. But the terrorist scourge goes beyond this effort at reaching greater accord. It is today the biggest threat to the security and sovereignty of Pakistan itself. While terrorists still lurk in our hills, they will indeed be drone attacks by the US; when it is alleged ships carrying loads of ammunition for militants set sail from our shores there will be attributions of blame. There is no escape from this.
The question is what we, as a nation, can do to alter this situation and save ourselves. Too much time has already been lost. The costs -- to reputation, to investment, to the welfare of the country have been immense. Pakistanis struggle to obtain visas; colleges overseas hesitate to admit students for fear that they are terrorists. People who are entirely innocent suffer. So, what is to be done? In the first place Pakistan must remind its western allies that, once upon a time, it played an active part in building the extremist networks that have now established deep roots in our country. Powerful elements inside Pakistan of course assisted them and backed their cause through the decades, for reasons both strategic and ideological. Today, we must find the strength to beat them back. For this we must urge the US and other powers to help us. We must show true zeal, commitment and purpose. There is no alternative. For otherwise, the anger directed against in the aftermath of what happened at Mumbai will grow stronger and assume the form of a ferocious storm we may not be able to withstand.
.......
Terrorism in Mumbai and its fallout (Daily Times)
Even as India was facing the unfolding saga of Hindu terrorism whose tentacles seem to go into its armed forces, the country has been struck by another terrorist attack in Mumbai. The Wednesday mayhem will change the political paradigm in India and therefore also in South Asia. Heavily armed terrorists calling themselves the Deccan Mujahideen, a group unknown thus far, stormed luxury hotels, a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station in at least seven attacks in India’s financial capital, killing over 100 people by latest count including the Mumbai Anti-Terror Squad chief. Analysts have cautioned against jumping to any conclusion but say the group might have some linkage with Al Qaeda or its ideology — even though until now investigators have not found an Al Qaeda spoor in the many terrorist attacks in India since 2003.
It is significant that the terrorists have targeted British and American visitors too and were holding foreigners hostage, including some European parliamentarians. Reports indicate 9 foreigners are among those killed. The grievance on the basis of which the Indian Muslim terrorists usually own up their acts has thus expanded to include a global agenda. The Deccan Mujahideen — whoever they are — while talking about atrocities in Kashmir have also thrown in references to places other than India where the Muslims are said to be suffering at the hands of America and Britain. The hidden reference is to Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the past, the reference was clearly inferred. Everything went back to the Muslim carnage in Gujarat in 2002 in which 1,100 men, women and children were killed and over 150,000 ousted from homes. At the local level, every time an act of terrorism was committed in India, Pakistan was somehow named. Ongoing investigations into some terrorist attacks that were alternately blamed on Indian Muslims and Pakistan have shown that they were actually carried out by a Hindu terrorist network. But facts aside, this is how the collective psyche of fear works. One credible event is remembered and then myths are attached to it. The same sort of thing happens on the Pakistani side. Taken together, this trend forms the brick-wall against which all efforts at normalising Indo-Pak relations come to a halt.
Luckily, when the Mumbai mayhem occurred, the two countries were engaged in a dialogue at two levels. The foreign ministers were meeting in New Delhi and the interior secretaries were meeting in Islamabad, trying to resolve disputes and raising the level of cooperation against terrorism. Pakistan was among the first countries that sent messages of solidarity to New Delhi after the Mumbai outrage by the Deccan Mujahideen. The message from Islamabad is entirely credible but will it be convincing too? There is no doubt that Pakistan is under attack from the same kind of “mujahideen”. The latest message emanating from South Waziristan is that the Taliban will now be targeting President Zardari “and his political allies”. The reason for this threat is America whose supplies through Pakistan will be disrupted, according to a deputy of Baitullah Mehsud.
The need is to work out cooperative strategies because all states are under threat from the scourge of terrorism. Unfortunately this is made nearly impossible by domestic political oppositions and their desire for point scoring. In India, the Mumbai attacks will give the rightwing parties the stick to beat the government with. The BJP was already getting jittery over investigations that were spreading into the underground labyrinth of the Parivar’s terrorism. It will now get the opportunity to accuse the UPA government of being soft on terrorism (read: Muslims). Somewhere along the line it may also throw in the reference to Pakistan. The speech by Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh and his assertion that New Delhi will “take up strongly” the use of neighbours’ territory to launch attacks on India could be a reference to Pakistan or Bangladesh or both. At the minimum it seems to be an attempt by Dr Singh to pre-empt criticism from the Hindu rightwing.
At home, reactions are rendering the credibility of the PPP government doubtful. In fact, Prime Minister Gilani is under attack from the opposition in parliament which says that President Zardari has more powers than the prime minister and that the system under the PPP government is an extension of the Musharraf presidential regime. However, what is eschewed are constitutional and conceptual nuances. Pakistan has seen two extremes, all-powerful prime ministers that render presidents useless and all-powerful presidents that make prime ministers look like puppets. The debate should have focused on how to work out the correct balance but, predictably, has been informed by petty politicking rather than any intellectual effort. The animus is fired further by allegations and counter-allegations about promises made and broken.
These internal imbalances are not good for Pakistan and India. Pakistan is in dire economic straits and needs assistance from its friends abroad; Indian markets are already down 56 percent on back of the global downturn. Both countries need to cooperate in the new environment of terrorism; neither is ideally placed to do so.
Read more...
Mumbai attacks kill at least 101 Western hostages taken in coordinated strikes By Rama Lakshmi Washington Post / November 27, 2008
NEW DELHI -Teams of gunmen attacked three luxury hotels, a hospital, a train station, a movie theater, and other buildings in Mumbai late last night, killing at least 101 people and wounding 280 in a rampage through the heart of India's financial capital, police said. The attackers took dozens of people hostage, and witnesses said they were seeking out Americans and Britons.
Deccan Mujahideen claims it behind Mumbai attacks-TV 26 Nov 2008 21:17:28 GMT Source: Reuters
NEW DELHI, Nov 27 (Reuters) - An organisation calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen has claimed it was behind attacks in India's financial capital Mumbai that have left at least 80 people dead, television channels reported on Thursday.
The previously unknown or little known group sent an email to news organisations claiming responsibility.
India has suffered a wave of bomb attacks in recent years. Most have been blamed on Islamist militants, although police have also arrested suspected Hindu extremists thought to be behind some of the attacks. (Reporting by Simon Denyer; Editing by Alistair Scrutton)
........ Who are the master minds?
The most controversial voice, spreading hate speech and communal hatred in India and the region, is that of Dr. Zakir Naik, a sugar-coated religious scholar who is, through his speeches, lectures and TV talks, spreading hatred against Hindus, Christians and Jews alike.
Storm over fatwa against scholar Zakir Naik Deepak Gidwani Saturday, November 08, 2008
LUCKNOW: A fatwa (edict) against well-known Islamic scholar Zakir Naik by a respected cleric here has divided the community.
The scholar has been charged with supporting al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden. The fatwa says his teachings are un-Islamic and contradict the Koran.
Naik, however, says he has been misquoted. “My speeches are being quoted out of context… I am being targeted by people with vested interests,” he told reporters.
Lucknow’s shahar qazi Mufti Abul Irfan Mian Firangi Mahali described Naik as a kafir (agnostic) in his fatwa, which states he should be ex-communicated from Islam.
“Zakir Naik is not an Islamic scholar. His teachings are against the Koran. In his speeches, he insults Allah and glorifies Yazeed, the killer of Imam Hussain,” Irfan told reporters. He said Naik had supported Laden and called upon all Muslims to become terrorists. “Naik is bringing a bad name to Muslims. Such people should be condemned and socially boycotted.” He said Naik was being financed by the Wahabi sect that allegedly perpetrates violence in the name of religion.
“There should be an inquiry into how he is running a TV channel on his own. Where is he getting the funds from?”
“Naik has just mugged up some verses from the Koran and pretends to be an Islamic scholar,” Lucknow’s Naib Imam Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali said.
g_deepak@dnaindia.net
...... "I am with Osama. Every Muslim should be a terrorist." - says Zakir Naik
Spreading hatred, Dr. Zakir Naik. Refused to condemn Al-Qaeda. Says that that 9/11 was an insider conspiracy by the USA:
Non-Muslims must not have equal human rights in Muslim countries - Zakir Naik says:
Zakir Naik supports terrorism; his sermons of hate brainwash Muslim youth inciting them to acts of violence:
......
Dr. Zakir Naik's sessions promote terrorist activities
Has hunt for 2006 serial bombing architect ended?
Praveen Swami
Arrest raises hopes of full justice for terror victims
NEW DELHI: Ever since a botched Delhi Police raid allowed Rahil Abdul Rehman Sheikh to escape his home on Mumbai’s Grant Road, there has been little word on the man the Maharashtra Police believes was among the key commanders of the 2006 serial train bombings in Mumbai.
Indian intelligence assets had reported seeing Sheikh, still hobbling from injuries to his leg sustained when he jumped two floors out of his apartment window, at a Lashkar safehouse in Bangladesh soon after the bombings. Later, there were other sightings at the offices of the Lashkar’s top military commander, Mohammad Azam Cheema.
Recruited after riots
Most of Mr. Sheikh’s operatives were recruited in the wake of the 2002 communal pogrom — and several of his operations targeted Gujarat.
For example, Feroze Ghaswala, a Mumbai-based automobile engineer who was recruited by Mr. Sheikh at a gathering addressed by controversial evangelist Zakir Naik at Srinagar in 2003, volunteered for military training after witnessing the communal violence first-hand. Both Mr. Ghaswala and his associate, Mohammad Ali Chippa were arrested in the course of an abortive attempt to stage a revenge bombing in Gujarat.
Like most of the core members of the 2006 serial bombings cell, Mr. Sheikh spent much of his time at Mr. Naik’s Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation. While there is no suggestion that either Mr. Naik or the IRF were in any way connected to the terror strikes, cell member Irfan Deshmukh worked there as a librarian, providing perfect cover for meetings. Interestingly, the IRF is the sole South Asian centre listed as a religious learning resource on the website of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the Lashkar’s parent religious organisation.
At this moment, we have to be one. We should not be divided. Its a new wave of foriegn influence on muslim youths that is affecting young muslims. When Sufi Muslims requested Ban on Wahabi Muslim events like zakir naik. Indian Government ignored it. Muslims in India who are good are sufi muslims. They have promoted brotherhood. Now, these Wahabi sect promoted by people like Zakir Naik is causing these misguidance among youths. India which was before, when we together faught british and we together built the indian culture was so good. I am a Sufi Muslim and I love everyone and I am very close to God. I studied Quran and I cannot relate anywhere killing of innocent like this. Please promote and listen to Sufi Muslims, who add colour to India’s diversity. At this time, we Hindus and Muslims should be together and avoid extremism of any kind.
In a recent article, a scholar has advised the intellectual in the Pashtun region of Pakistan to take the lead in the country’s search for solutions to Talibanisation. Earlier, Pakistan’s martyred leader Benazir Bhutto in her book Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy and the West wrote, “And the living reformers like Muhammad Arkoun, Abdur Rahman Wahid, Wahidudin Khan and Khalid Masud would be able to preach and teach their modernising theology without facing repression or marginalisation by the state” (p. 284).
The last named (Dr) Khalid Masud is the current chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) in Islamabad. Muhammad Arkoun is an Algerian genius who is recognised in the West as the most gifted exponent of Islam who may not be able to live in Algeria. Abdur Rahman Wahid, an Indonesian religious and political leader, served as the President of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001. Maulana Wahidudin Khan is the Indian moderate scholar whose message is appreciated all over the world but is rejected by extremist Muslims because of the dominance of moderation in his thinking.
Benazir Bhutto mentioned our CII chairman Dr Khalid Masud because of his scholarly contribution to our fundamental understanding of Islam, including the Sixth Lecture of Allama Iqbal where the national philosopher had bravely “reinterpreted” the concept of hudood in Islam, recommending that punishments such as cutting of hands should not be imposed in our times.
General Zia ul Haq who ruled Pakistan after hanging prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto rejected Allama Iqbal’s ijtihad and not only imposed the cutting of hands for theft but also fired the then chairman of the CII who had opposed stoning to death which is not specifically mentioned in the Quran. It is not surprising that Bhutto’s daughter too was killed in Pakistan because she possessed a level of intellect that Pakistanis usually reject as being heretical. The people who killed her will not allow innovative thinking in Pakistan. They will allow the dissenting intellectual least of all. And the foremost task of the organic intellectual is to disagree with the status quo and formulate new ways of seeing and doing in conformity with changing times.
Dr Khalid Masud and the other members of the CII are being pilloried today by extremists for proposing to the sitting government that the rights of women should be restored to them in regard to the institution of “khula” (demand for dissolution of marriage). Some heads of the religious parties — with hardly a notable book to their name — have rejected the proposal and said unsavoury things about the CII members who supported the proposal. Muftis, who are supposed to be learned in Islam, have gone back to their schools of jurisprudence (fiqh) to reject the CII.
There is nothing anyone can do, not even the PPP, whose leader mentioned the CII chairman in her book, because it would be politically embarrassing to support him even if the government cannot formalise the concept of khula as interpreted by the CII. The reason is that the PMLN and PMLQ opposition will join the religious parties and the muftis in accusing the CII and its members of being a part of the “baaqiyat” (remains) of General Pervez Musharraf and his American patrons. No newspaper has presented an objective analysis of what has been argued by the CII. Therefore readers at large have more or less accepted the view that the CII has gone crazy or is serving America. But nothing could be further from the truth.
The CII, which the Constitution says may contain any number of members between eight and twenty, was much loved in the past under General Zia when it passed down outlandish edicts. It had banned co-education, all lotteries like the prize bonds and recycling of paper used for Holy Quran. It had criticised the Supreme Court for postponing the abolition of bank interest. Its old chairman had said that it was not an economic issue. It had earlier endorsed the destruction of Afghanistan’s archaeological heritage by the Taliban. It repeated the recommendation that “kalima tayyaba” be inscribed on the Pakistan national flag along with Allahu Akbar. It declared that it was wrong to label jihad as a defensive war alone. It had also outlawed the picture of the Quaid on banknotes.
The death of intellect is a pan-Islamic phenomenon and has coincided with the rise and empowerment of the cleric, and, in the case of Pakistan, through state-funded jihad. All over the world, as noted by Ms Bhutto, the Muslim intellectual is in retreat and has had to survive through self-exile. In Pakistan today the uniformity of mediocre thought is most disturbing. It stares one in the face during any discussion. From the IMF to the UN Security Council and the IAEA, no institution is properly understood but is used to do the rival down.
The intellectual culture of the Pashtun, which is the legacy of the ANP, is being decimated on a daily basis. Yet, it is the ANP which is being criticised by sections of the media and those who go around killing the thinking section of the population. No one cares that the ANP has been chosen by the voters in the 2008 elections who clearly rejected the clerics. (Daily Times)
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1. Shahbaz Sharif increases house rent of his advisers by 200 percent against the advice of the Treasury Department.
2. PML-N's leader (Khawaja Muhammad Asif) along with his workers kidnapped the Director of Colleges in Sialkot, tortured him, and forced him to appoint 5 persons of PML-N's choice as lecturers, assistants and clerks.
Shame on you Shahbaz Sharif, the so called Khadim-e-Aala Punjab.
Food for thought
Z.A. Bhutto said: I drink liquor, not poor man's blood.
It seems that Governor Salman Taseer may be alleged of drinking liquor, but Shahabz Sharif indeed drinks poor man's blood.
Shame on you right wingers whose Islam is based on "Zahir" while their "Batin" is deprived of any light.
The eight persons who were wounded in a bomb-attack inside a Peshawar imambargah on Monday testify to the sectarian philosophy of certain elements in the “Taliban” movement and Al Qaeda. The bombers penetrated one of the oldest quarters of the city, Hasht Nagri, and blew up the building. This is not the first time the Shia have been targeted in Peshawar, but so far lame excuses have been invented by certain elements in the media and in the political parties to avoid naming those who are responsible. In the NWFP, other cities have been more ferociously punished. Dera Ismail Khan has seen repeated massacres of the Shia community, and the scourge has swept across the nearby Bhakkar in Punjab too.
The Tribal Areas have not been spared either. Kurram Agency has been a seat of sectarian rivalry since Pakistan began indulging in jihad. The Sunni-Shia violence was revived there by the militias that fought the state’s proxy war. The sectarian war that was relocated from the Gulf to Pakistan after 1979, simmered in Parachinar, the headquarters of Kurram, and has become full-blown in 2008. The communities there are stranded. No supplies are allowed to pass to them, some essentials reaching there mostly through Afghanistan. Hundreds of people have died there and the Pakistani state, despite pledges, has not stirred to defend its citizens against violence.
Now sectarian mayhem is always round the corner in Pakistan. But it is the NWFP which is today the most endangered province because of the loss of the Tribal Areas to the Taliban and the “foreigners” of Al Qaeda. The road that goes from Peshawar to Kurram is studded with training camps of anti-Shia elements. Kohat, an important air force base and a cantonment, is the most endangered, along with Hangu where there are small Shia communities. These elements have a free run there, picking up funds through coercion and abducting people they don’t like. Along Darra Adam Khel, some anti-Shia militias have gravitated to their old patrons in the Punjab.
During the civil war in Afghanistan, the militias produced by Pakistan shifted their loyalties. They killed Shias in Pakistan, then absconded into Afghanistan. The Taliban government, recognised by Pakistan when the world abominated it, refused two requests from Pakistan: it refused to recognise the Durand Line and it refused to surrender the sectarian killers in their protection. Thus Pakistan could never properly deal with the rise of sectarian violence; and Iran, greatly disturbed by the killings, never really believed that the Pakistani state was uninvolved. Nor will it now, no matter how we try to dissuade them. The fact is that we are not greatly moved by the killings.
The Serbs in the Balkans used the state to expel its rubbish periodically through ethnic-cleansing. All states to some extent do this, but the danger in Pakistan is that this is a trend that might finally undo Pakistan. The minorities are already quaking in their shoes, but there are others like Ismailis, Zikris and Bahais who are potential victims of this “ethnic-cleansing”. Unfortunately, there is a modicum of public acceptance of this function of the state on the basis of the Second Amendment of 1974 which apostatised the Ahmedi community. Take the example of the politicisation of the threat of Talibanisation in Karachi. The MQM says the Taliban are moving their terrorist hierarchies into Karachi where Shias and Barelvis have been targeted in the past. The Sindh government thinks the MQM exaggerates the threat even though the Taliban in South Waziristan have publicly declared their intent to take over the city. The ANP is caught in the middle. It is threatened by the Taliban in Peshawar but its vote bank in Karachi — where there are more Pakhtuns than in Peshawar, Kabul or Kandahar — prevents it from closing ranks with the MQM and facing up to the challenge with the help of the Sindh government. Apart from ethnic-cleansing these elements will bring to Karachi their agenda of finishing off the sects they don’t like.
The Sindh government is reluctant even after a word of advice from President Zardari. The federal Interior Ministry, after receiving information from intelligence agencies, has informed Sindh that terrorists have planned to carry out suicide attacks on a number of prominent locations. This means that the coming war is not America’s war. We should stop thinking of “taking action” against America and concentrate more on what is coming at us from the inside. The Shia community, instead of listening to the anti-American propaganda emanating from Iran, should learn to protect itself against the sectarian mayhem that has made its latest appearance in Peshawar. The state is too weak to come to their help. (Daily Times)
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The gap is too obvious between what Pakistani government representatives state and what appears to be the reality. For example, the recent statements by the president and prime minister hoping that the Obama administration will end drone attacks on Pakistan's territory are in direct contrast with reliable reports that come in from Washington. According to a report the Wall Street Journal on Nov 18, "the US Army is preparing to deploy a network of drones and other surveillance aircraft to Afghanistan in an expanding effort to defeat the resurgent Taliban and reverse a downward spiral in the country."
The report (titled "US to expand drone use, other surveillance in Afghanistan"), further states that "the effort, known as Task Force ODIN-A, is set to begin early next year and will coincide with the planned deployments of thousands of American troop reinforcements to Afghanistan."
Quoting "senior US military officials" and "official sources," the report elaborates that drones and manned surveillance aircraft "will be deployed to identify insurgent targets inside Afghanistan, including on the Afghan side of the border with Pakistan. The military will use the information to launch airstrikes and ground attacks on militants." Hence, drone attacks, for now according to US plans, are here to stay.
Similarly, on the one hand the president and prime minister both complain that drone attacks are responsible for the deteriorating security situation within Pakistan and yet there are no signs of any strain in Pakistan-US relations on any front. The official press note stated after a recent meeting the president and the prime minister that the two men agreed that the US drone attacks have been undermining Pakistan's efforts to fight terrorism within Pakistan and have also increased the number of suicide bombings within Pakistan. But US and NATO commanders claim that their relations with their Pakistani counterparts have never been better.
Clearly, all is not known to the people of Pakistan on the understanding that exists between the US administration and the Pakistani government on the drone attacks. Based on reliable information available in the public sphere, Pakistani officials issue anti-drone statements but such statements often lack any substantive and sober reference to Washington's violation of international law and Pakistan's sovereignty in these attacks. These weak statements are also never backed by either the threat of action or in fact the taking of any real action to deter Washington from launching further drone attacks.
The civilian government has raised its mildly stated objection to the drone attacks. In his pre-Sharm el Shiekh meeting with the US president the Pakistani prime minister has flagged the issue of drone attacks with the US ambassador in Pakistan. Ambassador Anne Patterson was as candid about the US policy of pursuing militants inside Pakistan as was General Mullen during his September visit to Pakistan. Both US officials were unable to guarantee that there would be no repeats of either the drone attacks or, even worse, the first-ever ground attack on Pakistani territory on Sept from Pakistan's western borders by a foreign force.
The public statements following meetings between the US president and the Pakistani president and prime minister have never once included a clear-cut articulation by Pakistani officials that US drone attacks are unacceptable because they undermine Pakistan's sovereignty.
This is anything but plausible deniability. This flimsy policy, where words and actions do not match, has created endless public cynicism vis-a-vis the government. There are few Pakistanis who believe that the government is serious about wanting the US to stop the drone attacks. Some believe the understanding of the Musharraf days, where the US would inform the Pakistanis just minutes before launching drone attacks, was a slippery slope policy. In fact while Gen Musharraf was still in power, the US conducted two attacks without pre-warning and seeking permission from the Pakistani government.
With the civilian government in power, the US has continued on the same track. Some in Pakistan believe that the civilian government, with the army's support, has given US the clearance to carry out these attacks. Others believe the army is not pleased with this policy of the US conducting drone attacks without Pakistan's permission. The divide in public opinion perhaps is based on logical inferences, conjecture and people's own political preferences. It cannot be different. Pakistan's position on the drone factor is a flimsy and confused position drained of credibility.
Military cooperation between Pakistan and the US seems to be at an all-time high. This, too, at an operational level covering Afghanistan and Pakistan's own tribal areas. The institutional cooperation on multiple fronts also continues. So, what is the cost to the US of violating the sovereignty of Pakistan and of killing its innocent citizens, even if as "collateral damage?" None at all.
It does not earn the government plausible deniability, nor does it earn people's confidence, nor even US trust. The loss of innocent Pakistani lives is a major issue for which the government of Pakistan seems unable to take an action, other than calling in the US ambassador to complain occasionally or to issue rhetorical statements. The respect and protection of the life and dignity is a primary constitutional responsibility of the state and the government.
Instead, on the drone issue the government seems to be a loser on many fronts. The government of Pakistan appears to hunt with the hound and run with the hare. It doesn't walk the talk. It protests so loudly and acts so meekly. Is it because there is a plan whereby Pakistan believes that the drone attacks are helping Pakistan to get Al Qaeda "high value" targets who are also harming Pakistan? This too is unclear. One, because the claim of the eight high-value targets from the Al Qaeda leaders having been killed is still doubtful. Secondly, because the killing of innocent Pakistanis by US drone attacks is adding to radicalism in Pakistan.
The government of Pakistan, as well as the army leadership, has to be clear on what is at stake. This incoherent and questionable policy on the drone attacks is also putting Pakistan's future security at stake. If the US has arrogated to itself the right to hit at Pakistan's territory based on its own intelligence and without any UN mandate, which other country would follow suit tomorrow?
Pakistan needs a coherent policy on the drones. But that must include the US as partners. Such a possibility will come only when the US recognises that without the trust factor between Pakistan and the US no counter-insurgency efforts is likely to succeed. For Pakistan a made-in-Pakistan policy factoring in external concerns is crucial. But the onus of that is on Pakistan, not the US. (The News)
The writer is an Islamabad-based security analyst. Email: nasimzehra@hotmail.com
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ISLAMABAD: The All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), which is in hibernation for months now, is likely to hold a party heads’ meeting some time this week, The News learnt here on Tuesday.
“Yes, there is a growing pressure from some APDM component parties’ chiefs that either the conglomeration should be disbanded or reactivated,” a senior leader of the alliance said while talking to this correspondent.
However, at this critical juncture, but leaders such as Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Imran Khan have other ideasAPDM Convener Mehmood Khan Achakzai is opposed to any move to trigger political instability, he revealed. “Achakzai fears that if the state of affairs is pushed further towards instability, Pakistan’s future can be at stake as a state,” the movement leader maintained.
At one stage, Achakzai had to telephone Imran to avoid personal attacks on President Zardari and also requested Qazi to show restraint, whom he called his uncle, the source said.
He said that Jamaat-e-Islami chief Qazi and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan were not happy over the APDM’s silence on the key national matters -- be it the US strikes in Fata or apparently controllable price-hike despite a massive plunge in the POL prices.
The movement had its previous meeting in Islamabad more than three months back, which had ended at giving a strike call on September 1 for the reinstatement of sacked judges. However, the decision to observe shutter down strike was reversed, a few days before the August 31 deadline.
On their part, Qazi and Imran have been active in the media throughout and even held some programmes against the government. Qazi recently had a train march against the ongoing military operation in the tribal areas, while Imran led a few rallies -- one against the election of Asif Ali Zardari and the other major show was to agitate the US strikes in In the wake of growing anxiety in the ranks and files of the APDM, a meeting is being organised shortly, most probably in Islamabad, to review the prevailing national scene. (The News)
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WASHINGTON: The United Nations has decided to confer its top human rights award posthumously on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto for promoting democracy and fundamental freedoms in Pakistan, informed sources at the UN Headquarters said on Tuesday.
The award will be announced on December 10, the UN human Rights Day. The occasion also marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.The sources said President of the UN General Assembly Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann would officially communicate the decision to President Asif Ali Zardari in the next few days.
Instituted in 1968, the United Nations human rights awards are intended to “honour and commend people and organisations which have made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of the human rights embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in other United Nations human rights instruments”.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon will present the award — a metal plaque bearing the
UN seal and an artistic design, and engraved with an appropriate citation — at a headquarter ceremony in New York on Dec 10.
The recipients are selected by a special committee comprising the presidents of the General
Assembly and the Economic and Social Council and the chairs of the Commission on Human Rights, the Commission on the Status of Women, and the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. (The News)
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Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar played a historical role in the removal of Musharraf when he refused to cooperate with Musharraf's intention to dissolve the parliament by using 58-2-B.
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According to Hamid Mir (writing in Daily Star, 20 Aug 2008):
"Musharraf was happy on his “safe exit”, but he shared his disappointment about some “ungrateful” people who left him in the last days of his presidency. One of them was the sitting Chief Justice, Abdul Hameed Dogar. He became chief justice on Nov 3, 2007 after the imposition of emergency by Musharraf. Dogar also validated the extra-constitutional acts of Musharraf after Nov 3. Musharraf contacted Dogar through a very prominent lawyer in the first week of August 2008. Musharraf wanted a stay order from the Supreme Court against the impeachment motion announced by the ruling coalition to oust him. Dogar disappointed Musharraf. "
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=51127
2008-08-20 First day of Musharraf without office Hamid Mir, From Pakistan
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Musharraf contacted Dogar through a prominent lawyer in the first week of August 2008. He wanted a stay order from the Supreme Court against the impeachment motion announced by the ruling coalition to oust him. Dogar regretted and disappointed Musharraf.
According to one of the visitors, Musharraf said: "You know some PML-Q leaders suggested to me to cancel the National Reconciliation Ordinance and restore the deposed judges before tendering my resignation as they were sure that deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will become a big problem for Zardari.
I decided not to do that. I know Zardari will not restore Justice Iftikhar and Nawaz Sharif will fight him on this issue. Even if Iftikhar is restored, he will not spare Zardari. Let the enemies fight with each other."
Musharraf was also hopeful that a situation would be created in the coming weeks when he would "get a chance to play a political role."
He indicated that he wanted to prove that he could play a role even without a uniform.
And while he was happy on his "safe exit", Musharraf shared his disappointment about some "ungrateful" people who left him in the last days of his presidency. One of them was Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, who was appointed to the post by Musharraf during last year's emergency.
Musharraf reportedly contacted Dogar as he wanted a stay order from the Supreme Court against the impeachment motion, but Dogar declined. http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/aug/20mush4.htm
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Ansar Abbasi with his venom against Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar....
It is interesting to note that in November 2008, conscience of the Editorial Board of the Jang Group made them to publish a concocted, maligning story against Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar, however, in 2006, the same Editorial Board of the Jang Group decided to censor a story against the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
Read details here by clicking on the following link:
1. Why double standards by the Jang Group to publish one story while censoring another story (of a corruption case of a higher order) filed by the same correspondent.
2. It seems that Ansar Abbasi, the notorious Jamaat-e-Islami stooge, yellow journalist, could not find any substantial case of corruption against Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar. Therefore, in breach of all moral and ethical principles, he used an ordinary application of rechecking of papers by a school girl for mud-slinging against Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar.
3. Is the Jang Group being blackmailed by enemies of democracy, the supporters of Mullah, the Jamaat-e-Islami lobby? Or have they been bribed to be selective and biased in their reporting of events?
4. Whose payroll is Ansar Abbasi on? He is a notorious right-winger, a supporter of Taliban and Al Qaeda. It is not hard to believe that his sources of funding lie outside Pakistan.
Shame on you Ansar Abbasi. Shame on you Jang Group.
Our special daughters
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
WHEN the Editorial Board of the Jang Group decided after long and very intense discussions that we should publish the story of the special daughter, it was a difficult decision as there was immense pressure coming from all sides, including the movers and shakers of the God-gifted Republic of Pakistan and even some elements within our own house. That the people, at all levels, got involved in an otherwise straight story exposing blatant misuse of authority and position, was surprising. It was argued at senior and powerful levels that this story should not be published because it involved the career of a daughter, a young student who was trying to improve her chances of making her life more meaningful and productive. It was hammered on us that publication of one such case would not change the destiny or the prevalent system in the country. We were repeatedly reminded that authority is always used in the developing and the Third World countries in a similar manner and not much would change with this one episode, even if it is splashed on the pages of the print media. Attempts were made to emotionally blackmail us as it would ruin the life and career of a young and innocent lady.
We considered all these arguments before we decided to go ahead with the story. Our Editorial Board did not agree with most of these arguments, except the one that such misuse of authority is common in Banana Republics. We weighed the pros and cons and when it was clear to us that by unduly favouring the career of one young Pakistani, we would, by design, be ruining the careers of thousands of other similarly placed young boys and girls, not linked to powerful and mighty high-ups in our political or judicial systems, the verdict was unanimous: we must do our best to stop this injustice, we must throw the first stone and we must show the mirror to those who sit in judgment, deciding life and death matters every day, but when it comes to the future and careers of their own kith and kin, they behave like men of straw.
We believe that this one case of extraordinary favour to the special daughter of a top judicial person will make the rest of us feel belittled and slighted. We believe that the injustice done to hundreds and thousands of others who could not get such special treatment will be undone. We believe that someone somewhere will feel the guilt and come clean with the nation. We hope someone somewhere will resign and reinforce our belief that we can become a nation of honest people where justice can prevail. We hope all our daughters will become special.
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CJ’s daughter has a head start over thousands
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: In what could become a mass denial of rights of thousands of students throughout the country, the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) Islamabad has illegally awarded extra marks and upgraded the examination results of the daughter of the country’s top judge.
In indecent haste and under direct written orders of the chairman FBISE, relaxing and violating all rules and even some judgments of the Supreme Court, the FSc result of student Farah Hameed Dogar was jacked up from 640 marks in Grade ‘C’ to 661 marks in Grade ‘B’, thus making her eligible to apply for admission into any medical college in the country.
Documentary evidence available with The News, background interviews and on the record discussions with concerned officials of the FBISE establish that the Islamabad Board went out of its way in the case of Farah Hameed Dogar by fast forwarding the entire process of re-checking, re-assessing and even re-marking her examination papers to her advantage and superceding thousands of other candidates who had obtained marks between 642 and 660.
Sources close to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, however, insisted that no influence was used by the chief justice in his daughter’s case and if the Board had taken some action, they must have done it under the rules or under powers vested with the Board’s chairman....
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FBISE refutes Ansar Abbasi's false allegations
Wednesday, November 26, 2008 (The News)
News Desk
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education on Tuesday clarified that the marks of Farah Hameed Dogar, the daughter of the chief justice of Pakistan, were revised along with 200 other candidates.
In a brief press release issued by the controller of examinations after the case exploded in the media, the board said: “The application of rechecking of result is covered by the rules of the board. After declaration of the HSSC Part-II annual examination 2008 result, 1,093 candidates applied for rechecking of their papers. Resultantly, there was no discrepancy in cases of 892 candidates and whereas certain discrepancies were found in the cases of 201 candidates. The case of Miss Farah Hameed Dogar, d/o Abdul Hameed Dogar, was also one of the 201 cases where the results were revised, and revised marks sheets were issued to all students.”
Ansar Abbasi (the notorious right wing journalist) is still adamant about the 'truthfulness' of his story. Shame on you Ghaddar Abbasi.
..... Jamaat Islami demands resignation of CJ Dogar Wednesday, November 26, 2008 By Our Correspondent (The News)
LAHORE
JAMAAT-I-ISLAMI secretary general Syed Munawar Hasan has expressed strong concerns over the reported violations of rules and regulations to award extra marks and change examination results of the daughter of Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar by federal board of intermediate education.
In a statement on Tuesday, Munawar Hasan said the chief justice had lost moral justifications to hold his office and he must resign. Munawar called the chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar as a controversial chief justice of Pakistan, saying he held this office unconstitutionally and illegally by taking oath under PCO of military dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf in lieu of issuing orders to legitimise the unconstitutional measures of Nov 3, 2007 and his unconstitutional candidature for the presidency for the second time.
Munawar Hasan also said that the chief justice was also allegedly involved in financial corruption since he was given financial privileges in return for legitimising the unconstitutional measures of Gen Musharraf. He said after emerging of the latest scandal, the chief justice should resign immediately.
Meanwhile, JI Deputy Secretary General Dr Farid Paracha also demanded that Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar should immediately resign and his case should be referred to supreme judicial council.
He said the nation has been demanding independent judiciary so that the practice of protecting the crimes and corruption of the elite should be stopped and rule of law should be established indiscriminately.
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Case of CJP’s daughter
The media has taken note of the investigative report by a paper that the daughter of the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Mr Abdul Hameed Dogar, has obtained admission in a medical college through unfair means. It is alleged that she was short of some marks needed to gain admission on merit under a special “judges’ quota”, after which the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education was approached for scrutiny of her answer books. The Board scrutinised them and gave her additional marks enabling her to gain admission. The “judges’ quota” in the said medical college is supposed to have materialised after it rented a building — in which it is housed — belonging to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Be that as it may, the case has become front page news after it was ascertained that the additional marks were unfairly awarded by the Board. The Chief Justice has said that he is unaware of the incident, but the political fallout of this case will be lethal. He is not accepted as legal by an entire lawyers’ community and the leaders of the mainstream party dominant in Punjab, the PMLN. There are “rejectionist” parties whose leaders have staked their careers on pulling down his Court. The case is not “normal” given the full glare of media publicity and amnesia of the past. Earlier judges too had scandals worse than this one to hide even after they were revealed. Two chief justices had their unfairly promoted sons to protect and an earlier chief justice had got an official plot in Karachi for his own residence but had sold it on getting possession of it against terms earlier agreed. The political fallout of the case for the ruling government will be more lethal than it would have been in the past. The charges in this case are credible. Favouritism has been shown and strings were pulled. (Daily Times, 28 Nov 2008)
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Some Comments:
diceman Says: November 25th, 2008
Don’t get too excited, there is not going to be a press release from Dogar as my dear friends are naively expecting. This kind of nepotism is not new is it? And we have somewhat have become to accept it….
No disrespect to Iftikhar Ch but he did the same thing for his son as well…
1) The allegation was sifarish, and not tampering with education system of Pakistan in case of Iftikhar Chaudhry.
2) The government’s prosecution team dropped the charges before the SC because they could not substantiate this. However the news did detailed analysis of this before publishing it.
ady Says: November 25th, 2008 at 1:06 pm comment-top
@samad: In the case of AH Dogar also, Charges are the same i.e. Sifarish. As, under law, one can apply for the re-checking of his/her papers, and the checking authority can increase the marks if he/she considers so. And here in this case, the undersigned authority is the Controller of Exams, which is a lawful authority. Therefore it is not the case of tampering.
It is very difficult to prove the allegations of Sifarish in the court of law, as mostly sifarish is done through verbal means.
CJ Iftikhar’s son later requested to send him back to his original department, which means that he accepted there was something ‘unsual’ in his case.
P.S. I fully support independence of judiciary movement.
Re-checking means re-assessment (& everything that chairman FBISE orders) under relaxation of rules (vol II).
Supreme Court verdict means the interpretation of law in view of specific parameters.
In July 20 historic judgment, SC verdict was against the article 209, but that doesn’t mean article 209 is out of the constitution.
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Nabeel Khan Says: November 25th, 2008
i was sure that u must have this issue here…just wanna add something in this story….the same reporter…..the same post…the very same issue…..but u never post that particular story on this site, u wan t me u disclose the name of the person…..HIS EXCELLENCY JUSTICE IFTIKHAR CHODHRY, u post his USA story in bold words…u better tell the truth abt him….the same reporter ansar abbasi wrote the same kind of report for his SON too….so wat u guys think of it ?
dictate111 Says: November 25th, 2008 at 5:30 pm comment-top
Justice Iftikhar Chaudary alloted his son POlice Group ion Pakistan civil services without his son ever appearring in competetive examinations!
This showcase of influnce by Justice Dogar is a very miniscule one. There is hundreds and thousands of such cases every year where favors are exchanged at the behest of influencial people (generals, civil servants, politicians, business tycoons) in educational institutes and professional spheres and extra marks, favors and job oppertunities are doled out to the kith and kin of all such.
Iftikhar Choudary flunated his power and Doger did also. Mostly every judge, civil servant, politician and judge do.
The fools who are protesting here which are (>40) as per posts, are either innocent fools or biased bigots who are part and prcel of this very system, but for others like to see principles ruling mighty.
This biased story is hilarious and the fools who are reacting are understandably bigot charlatans.
smiley Says: November 25th, 2008 at 10:09 pm comment-top
“0″ Zero 2 Hero…..Its NOT a Big Deal 4 Our Media, they just want to fill the GAP. One day they prove someone Zero, and the other day Title page Hero. they were backing the story of Chief Justice Iftikhar Ch. son matter,and after that, they were running behind his rally.Now they are proving “DOG”ar as corrupt, tomorrow maybe they gave them a medal of honesty.We are simply “FOLLOWERS” with No Hope.as these media BOSSEs have their own interests.
Dr.Shahid Masood was agent of agencies,intruder ,Today WATCH again “MERAY MUTABIK” WHY? ? Meray Mutabik…who you are ? why we listen these Bhashans.
affendi Says: November 26th, 2008 at 5:26 am comment-top
“Don’t get too excited, there is not going to be a press release from Dogar as my dear friends are naively expecting. This kind of nepotism is not new is it? And we have somewhat have become to accept it….
No disrespect to Iftikhar Ch but he did the same thing for his son as well…”
Hey! How dare you say anything bad about Chaudhry ‘One Eyed’ Iftikhar (recently honored for being ‘Mosssht Shuper Duper CJ’). Lets face it, the Pakistani superior courts system is dysfunctional, and the people here who believe the idiot before CJ Dogar was any better need immediate psychological help. Time will reveal all about what has happened in our courts. Thank God Iftikhar was sent packing before he was able to completely ruin the country with his idiotic sentimental activist BS. If Dogar is to go as well, let it be so. No one is above the law. Except me. :)
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Just as President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani were conferring about what to do about CIA drones attacking inside Pakistan, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, chief of the Jama’at-e Islami, addressed a jirga in Peshawar saying his party will block all supplies going to the NATO forces through Pakistan. He said his men will block all routes from Karachi to Torkham to prevent the 800 or so trucks that pass through to Afghanistan daily.
Qazi Sahib has upped the ante and can no longer wait for the PMLN to move forward on the judges’ issue to bring about the change he wants. He told the audience in Peshawar that “Uzbeks, Arabs and other Muslims in the Tribal Areas are our brothers, and Al Qaeda and Taliban are not against Pakistan and its nuclear programme”. By saying so he has placed himself at the head of the political elements that oppose military operations against the terrorists and has thus once again raised the profile of his party after breaking away from the JUI in the clerical alliance of 2002. It is a part of his “revolutionary” personality that he doesn’t allow his party to leave the political limelight. (Daily Times)
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What was projected to occur within the next few weeks in my last article has come to pass already; the drones for the first time attacked a target inside the district of Bannu and there are reports of more flights now over Kohat. Soon Robocop (as I call the drones) will be seen over Jamrud in Khyber Agency and Peshawar. The war is entering the Pakistani mainland with bewildering speed. The Pakistani leadership has been so deluged with constant bad news that it has become somnolent, instead of dealing with the situation with alertness.
Both Ahmed Rashid and Barnett R Rubin think that the US is trying to pressure Pakistan to change its policies. Is the new pattern of drone attacks yet another move to shift Pakistan's policy into some other direction? Secondly, experts on counter-insurgency claim that without legitimacy the war against the militancy cannot be won. In this context the drone attacks by the US challenge Pakistan's authority to deal with its own people and thus damages its image. Thirdly, and more seriously, the drone attacks shift the tactical centre of gravity of security operations into the districts. Once this happens it will attract the insurgents into the districts and open new fronts; the military will have to be pulled back from FATA to deal with the problem. In a very Dr Strangelove sense it will lead to the withdrawal of troops from the tribal areas, confirming the statement by Ahmed Rashid and Rubin that "Many in Pakistan believe that (Washington) has deceived (Islamabad) into conniving with it to bring about (Pakistan's) own destruction…" However, to my mind this is not the case; there is a simpler explanation.
The Bush administration has never reviewed its goals in Pakistan and Afghanistan since the November 2001 operations in Afghanistan. Thus, it has been following separate policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and there is a lack of policy convergence. Furthermore, I think that the US policy as seen in Pakistan shows that it is based more on anti-terrorism than a counter-insurgency approach. Anti-terrorism places reliance upon military action and depends on force, while counter-insurgency provides a larger framework and is aimed at winning the population though different means. The drones are the foremost weapon in the arsenal of anti-terrorism and thus cannot help win an insurgency war.
However, as pointed out earlier, the US wants a shift in Pakistan's policy which is to stop it from helping the Taliban in Balochistan, an accusation which appears with frequent regularity in the literature printed by US think tanks. This is a difficult shift and one which is linked to finding a regional solution for addressing Pakistan's security concerns with India. As long as Pakistan continues to fear an Indian encirclement through Afghanistan, it will continue to maintain some form of links to the Taliban. In a manner, Pakistan is buying insurance. Thus, it will not be possible to achieve peace and stabilisation in Afghanistan unless the Pakistan-India dispute on Kashmir is out of the way. Furthermore, the growing friendship between the US and India creates further suspicion against the real US design in Pakistan.
Every four years the Asia Foundation, an independent international think tank, publishes a set of recommendations for the incoming US administration. In its 2008 publication regarding "America's Role in Asia," it has offered some thoughtful recommendations, many of which deserve consideration by policymakers in the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan. I discuss here one of these.
According to it, if the US wishes to solve the problems facing it, it must engage the Pushtun people who number about 42 million. There are about 27 million living in Pakistan and about 15 million in Afghanistan. Without cooperation of the Pushtun tribes, it concludes, the US will not have peace. Secondly, most US anti-terrorism operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan are in Pushtun areas. The drone attacks create more Pushtun enemies because of the collateral deaths. Unless the US wins the friendship of these people there will never be complete peace. Furthermore, the Pushtuns have integrated into the trans-national Al Qaeda network and have thus become a formidable mass of warriors who follow a religious flag of convenience.
Many Pushtun intellectuals believe, wrongly, I think, that the Pushtun has been a peaceful rustic who has been transformed into a fighting machine by the Afghan jihad. They fail to understand the basic cultural and religious drivers within Pushtun society. The US has no problems with the Tajik or Uzbek or other ethnic groups inside Afghanistan. However, with the Pushtuns the US faces a unique cultural difficulty. The problem is that the Pushtun is prone to religious extremism and readily accepts membership into millenarian movements to resist reform of a centralising state which externalises Pushtun governance and politics; he cannot live with the transfer of his management to a larger entity like a modernising state. This is because he fears that his social conduct, "Pushtunwali," will be endangered and he will lose his identity. For a Pushtun, whether he is supporting Mulla Umar in Afghanistan, Fazalullah in Swat, Maulvi Faqir in Bajaur or Baithullah in Waziristan – he is fighting a war to preserve his identity.
On the other hand, the US believes deeply in civic values of freedom and democracy almost like religion; to the US, Pushtun resistance doesn't make sense! However, this Gordian knot of social misunderstanding between America and the Pushtun cannot be cut by drone attacks or "kinetic operations" alone. A fundamental shift of approach is needed which is based on befriending the Pushtun. The killing of Pashtuns must stop. If one examines history there have been many Pushtun revolts in the past and they have arisen when the Pushtun felt that his identity was under attack – and whenever that happened he has looked for a religious leader to lead him because his own social setup is so affected by jealousies that he would not follow a secular leader who might rule him tomorrow.
Therefore, the US must forge a policy which focuses on strengthening the Pushtun social structure. However, while doing so the US must realise how deeply the Pushtun issue divides both Afghanistan and Pakistan. In an effort to prevent Pushtun ethnic nationalism from undermining the Pakistani state, US leaders have promoted religious radicalism in the tribal areas. On the other hand, US interest lies in reducing the support of the Pushtuns for religious extremism reflected in the presence of Al Qaeda safe havens in FATA. It is thus clear that the interests of the US and Pakistan will not converge without a solution of the Durand Line issue with Afghanistan.
Three recommendations arise out of this discussion. Firstly, the US must adopt a counter-insurgency approach based on winning the friendship of the Pushtuns. Secondly, it must assist in the solution of the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan and, thirdly, it should help in resolving the Durand Line dispute between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The writer is a former chief secretary of NWFP and heads the Regional Institute of Policy Research. Email: azizkhalid@gmail.com (The News)
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The writer is a freelance journalist with over twenty years of experience in national and international reporting.
He's a doctor by career but a journalist by profession. How convenient is that! Yet, the maverick who rose to dizzying heights just in a span of eight short years is left licking his wounds. Marey Mutabik fallen hero, Dr Shahid Masood has finally admitted to Iftikhar Ahmad of Jawab Deyh that the might of the state (read establishment) is stronger than all his VVIP contacts put together. He is said to have damning proof on matters most sensitive (too hot to write here), still he's been shown the door at the PTV. The surgeon-turned-media darling got chummy with Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif, and Pervez Musharraf; chatted up retired and serving generals for kiss-and-tell stories; interviewed anyone he so chose to grill and eventually landed as the czar of Pakistan Television, despite not wanting to take the job but took it at the insistence of Asif Ali Zardari!
Opinion slinger Doc Masood got cagey and constrained when goaded by Iftikhar Ahmad to name the people hounding him. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the world of namelessness and anonymity. If maverick Masood is running like a scared chicken, God help the rest of his tribe. Anyone wanting to do a sizzler must set it aside to cool and wait for power horses to disintegrate before making it public. We live in hypocritical times – can't mention the ethnic party that arm-twists the media from time to time; can't openly write the reasons why the so-called 'Friends of Pakistan' are unwilling to give us money; can't demand from our leaders as to how much money they have stashed away abroad; and most importantly where did that money come from? The Sharifs today form an open season for media to hunt. Nethermost was their treatment of the media when in power. Saifur Rahman, trained by Nawaz Sharif was his attack dog. Rottweiler Rahman would pick up the phone and bark his threats. The measly-mouthed man meant what he said. We know of editors and reporters mauled by his intelligence agencies. That was the era of the white tinted-glass Toyota Corolla chasing you on Islamabad streets. However, lifafa journalism was thriving. Media men, who got their sons stuffed in lucrative posts like the FIA and other money-making jobs, or got fat on state largesse doled out by the Sharifs, today continue to be ace columnists and TV gurus. They are bounty hunters looking for new booty from anyone who will bite. Some of them have already wormed their way to cushy jobs in the media.
While the Pakistani press has to watch its backside and write in riddles confusing their readers even more, the foreign press is up and gunning for the present rulers. It writes without fear or favour. Op-ed columnist for The New York Times, Nicholas Kristof is in Pakistan.
He's the same journalist who would at any opportunity use very harsh language against Musharraf – though the latter remained mum and never responded. Now Kristof has criticized Zardari by writing that the president "seems overwhelmed by the challenges and locked in the past. Incredibly, he has just chosen for his new cabinet two men who would fit fine in a Taliban government."
The two men of course are none other than Israrullah Zehri and Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani. They are now gaining international notoriety. Personally, if Pakistanis think that Zardari can charm Obama into stopping predator attacks, I have news for the pinheads. The US has put into Afghanistan, airplanes called 'Reapers' which are far deadlier than the predators and are operated by pilots sitting in a place 60 miles outside Las Vegas, Sin City! More of the 'Reapers' another time, meanwhile our two gentlemen 'Reapers' are pulling Zardari down but who dare expose them armed with facts that have been sealed?
"If you can't annoy somebody, there's little point in writing," said Sir Kingsley Amis, the literary critic. Great advice, but those who follow it require nerves made of steel; not nervous neurons. The media in Pakistan is free. That may be so, but the men and women tasked with reporting/writing/ analyzing often find themselves between a rock and a hard place. The power brokers of today are a jumpy tribe: be they the Maulana Fazlur Rehman of diesel notoriety or battle axes Fauzia Wahab and Firdous Ashiq Awan of the PPP; be they the sweet and sour Rehman Malik or master planner Salman Farooqi; be they the upwardly mobile Ambassador Haqqani or the PM's press secretary Zahid Bashir. Granted that the PPP government has always had the best track record for tolerance, letting you chip away at its character; still there are individuals out there today waiting to catch you if you dare name them.
Red flags on their computers go up the minute their names are mentioned in the press. They pick up the phone and dial you. You're surprised at their alacrity. It takes a moment to register what the phone call is all about. You're even more surprised as to how they have the time to comb through the stack of newspapers looking for their mention. Ah, I get it! They are masters at 'Boolean search.' Boolean, my friends, is an application for searching the contents of plain text, rich text, HTML formatted text, MS Word, PDF and just about anything on the Internet.
These 'good folks' either make you feel like a heel or praise you to the skies, depending on what you have written on them. Oftentimes you land in their 'dog house' for revealing facts that they would prefer to remain dead. Instead of getting their official minions to respond to the 'letters column' in the newspaper where you have dared to expose them, they prefer to pick up the phone and call you direct. Recently in one of my columns I mentioned Ambassador Haqqani and promptly got a stinker from one of his sympathizers (whom I shall not name because I hold him in esteem) ticking me off. The Washingtonian put me to shame by telling me what a great job the ambassador was doing and asked why he was mentioned by me. Quite right! Even Shahid Masood avoided naming Haqqani in Jawab Deyh in connection with some matter involving Benazir Bhutto.
The funny thing is while all these hawks watch their turf, nobody is watching out for the president and the prime minister – two men drawing the most criticism. Perhaps the two are invincible. And now that the ISI has disbanded its political wing, no one is keeping count of all the wrong being committed to be used as reasons for a coup. If the photos are a giveaway to the shape of things to come, then notice the beret-wearing General Kayani sitting or standing with hands folded and a shoulder stoop in presence of these two 'democratically elected' ironmen of Pakistan.
One PPP media magnate turned jiyala who is afraid of neither the media nor the establishment is Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer. In these cloudy times when ambiguity, equivocation and indefiniteness are practiced by power brokers and the media alike, Taseer's words are refreshing. Whether you agree with him or not is another matter but at least he's up front and spunky towards the Sharifs.
The letter writer guv is the Sharifs' bete noire – appointed by Zardari presumably to give them a run for their money. "Twenty-six departments are without ministers, including health and education," Taseer tells me. "Dengue fever is ravaging Punjab, but the chief minister won't appoint a health minister – why?" He daily throws the Constitution at Shahbaz Sharif's face by quoting relevant passages. In a letter dated November 15, he reminds the chief minister unequivocally that he and not the chief minister is "the executive authority of the province".
He accuses the CM for being the "de facto minister in charge" of these 24 departments which are being "run by bureaucrats taking orders directly from the chief minister."
The best defence the CM can put up is to get his law minister to unfurl a dossier allegedly prepared by the Pervez Rashid brigade of dirty tricks. It has photos of Taseer's kids taken off their 'Facebook' pages. The law minister is seen raving and ranting about indecent things happening in the Governor's House. "The PML-N has already transferred around 3,000 officials who are being made to play musical chairs. When I tell them (the Brothers Sharif) that Punjab is not their hip pocket they begin to hit me below the belt by waving these photos."
Governor Taseer may be a loudmouth, a bully, a Sharif tormenter, but what he is not is an insecure person. "I am here at the pleasure of the president. I will leave only if he dismisses me via a notification." And he knows that that is unlikely.
Email: aniaz@fas.harvard.edu Some Comments:
Hameed Chaudhry Says: November 24th, 2008 at 5:07 pm comment-top
Assalam-o-Alaikum,
First of all thanks @ admn. pkpolitics, to download this interesting program on the website for your regular viewers.
Iftikhar Ahmed, done a good job interviewed with wounderful prepration and lots of personal and professional background knowledge collection of one of the most popular tv anchor ever produced by Pakistani electronic media.
Dr.Shahid Masood’s was very helpless infront of Iftikhar Ahmed in Jawab Dey which is very normal because of his wrong doings he committed in last few months.
Dr.Shahid Masood, failed to clear himself in so many issues raised by the host anchor and people need clarifications from him in some other shows.
01. Being a refugee claimant in United Kingdom, how come he get permission to visit Iraq during the war time.
02. Why British Government provided him travel document of U.K. which he was not entitled in any means by profession.
03. Thousands of Pakistani families in all over world have obtain political asylum on different affiliations and its under standable in some sence, why Iftikhar Ahmed ask so many questions but did not establish any thing after that …. some thing was sencensored from that part of the show otherwise what was the use of that ???
04. Telephone conversation with Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Sahiba regarding security threat is not clear, he was hiding some important thing which he afraid to tell.
05. Perposely involving Gen.(Retd.)Hamid Gul in the assasination attempt / plot, need clarification in a tv program when they both sit infront of same anchor Iftikhar Ahmed.
06. How come a same person, could be an acceptable middle man for all individuals on different ocassions. Benazir Bhutto, Pervez Musharraf, Nawaz Sharif, Establishment and lateron Asif Ali Zardari.
07. I failed to understand his position, he was playing the tricky language to twist the real meanings …. I am very much doubtful on his professional capability which can demage the entire political setup if he get paid he asked for ….
08. He loose the faith and credibility as far as I am conserned, even though I was a great great fan of Dr. Shahid Masood from the day he deliver a wounderful program for Mohsan-e- Pakistan Dr.Abdul Qadir Khan. For that one program in which he praised Dr.Qadir Khan I still can start respecting him same like before if he comes on the tv and speak truth with the people of Pakistan and say sorry to all his fans and start his new life from scratch.
09. Millions of rupee and dollars are nothing if you have no respect from your viewers Dr. Shahid Masood, have you noticed where were you stand when you were a tv anchor and where you stand today when you are designated Advisor to Prime Minister.
10. Please speakup, if you really know some thing about assasination of Benazir Bhutto. Never take so much time to speak the truth, some time a little error of time can take your life to keep you shut for ever.
In the end, I may request all the viewers of pkpolitics to use soft words for Dr. Shahid Masood even though you show your anger you have for him…
Democrat2007 Says: November 24th, 2008 at 4:54 pm comment-top
Can Iftikhar and geo interview other journalists in the same way and make them answer questions about their background? Or is this treatment only reserved for Shahid Masood because he left geo TV?
I’m not saying that Shahid Masood looks totally clean, but isn’t it strange that our journalists never expose the black sheep within their midst, but only Shahid Masood has been given this tough grilling?
Hassaan Bin Haider Says: November 24th, 2008 at 4:20 pm comment-top
I feel like crying after listening to this. I was really inspired by his guts and his patriotism. But now i realised that he is a chicken just like the rest, he cares about his own survival and not what is good for Pakistan. This bloddy guy does even realize the power of people and the amount of respect he had. he does not realize that “Sheer ki zindagi ka aik din geedar ki soo sala zindagi se behter hai”…if he would have died while living like a lion then he would have lived forever in people but now he has become a symbol of traitory, lies and cowardice.
People like him are hollow from inside, but at the time of action, they are the first one to run away. I have to say that he is even worst than zardari.
srau Says: November 24th, 2008 at 3:38 pm comment-top
just feel so sad after watching this programme…..woh kia shair hai…sab nangay hain iss hamam main!dnt know who to trust…used to think the politicians are big liars but now it feels like away ka awa hi bigra hoa hai….kia politician,kia journalist aur kia govt servants…iss mulk nay kaisay chalna hai jab corruption is what this society thrives on…..jiss ko moqah milta hai paisay lotta hai aur jiss ko nahin milta honesty ka parchaar karta hai….yahan kuch nahin badlay ga…..this country needs revolution…nothing short can solve its problems…
Muhammad Usman Says: November 24th, 2008 at 2:53 pm comment-top
shahid masood
You are a looser.
Your are trying to make fool again. yOU are not even a surgeon. what is primary frcs. YO u fool this is just part 1 eamination. How can you call even asurgeon. You have not passed final eamination.
You have adubious character. All media groups should discard him
shame on you.
Shahid masoodYou had no answer , no clue . What were you talking.You neeed to go through soul searching and catharsis.Feel shame and apoligize to people for your psudo image
shimatoree Says: November 24th, 2008 at 1:20 pm comment-top
After watching this interview - I am left with a feeling of having watched 2 mediocre people who happen to be a position of ” power” as being on television.
Iftikhar failed because he indulged in sensationalism and Dr. Masood failed because rather being direct and forthright-he acted more like a diplomate.
But Iftikhar did make a very profound comment which seemed to have escaped Dr. Masood’s attention in this whole strange affair and that is the adulation that the viewers had of Dr. Shahid Masood was shattered and no matter what Hsahid Masood does from now on- he can NEVER regain THAT- but in this regards he hasa good company.
Musharraf who wasa held in high regards by the people of Pakistan when he came to power and he turned out to be a complete disappointment;
Zardari- about whom everyone had doubts and he has confirmed those doubts;
And of course soon to join this company of no bodies - NAWAZ SHAREEF from whom people had great expectations and is turning out to be a disappointment.
I suppose the word DISAPPOINTMENT should become the national slogan of Pakistan !
faraz Says: November 24th, 2008 at 1:02 pm comment-top
Dr. sb I am sorry I written u sb u dont deserve this, the right word is chamch. Now you HAVE ONLY ONE PATH TO GET RESPECT, IF YOU JOIN IMRAN KHAN.
If IMRAN KHAN TAKES YOU IN HIS PARTY. otherwise you are nothing now, we all know the fact that you was with a GHANDI party, your rottes were with biggest ghand. jahiloo ki party, chorro ki party. join imran khan.
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shaukatrana Says: November 24th, 2008 at 8:18 pm comment-top
I don’t buy the argument that he was trapped by PPP. Is he child? person u used to trap others how can be trapped? I never knew how did he started life in London and in asylum doing job and having benefits from council……..Iftikhar exposed him very well since his asylum case to MD PTV????????????
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smiley Says: November 25th, 2008 http://pkpolitics.com/2008/11/24/jawab-deh-23-november-2008/#comment-130475
Dr.Shahid aur Aik Maan ( Mother) ki Kahani”
really it was an amazing interview by Iftikhar sahib.I like Jawab deyh programme, only because it gives us the opportunity to see the real faces of our corrupt leaders, politicians, army officers, establishment etc. But this time, it was an interesting episode of Jawabdeyh,As iftikhar ahmed invite a most famous anchor Shahid Masood,Whom i Know “VERY WELL”.
During the whole interview i was just thinking of ALLAH, who gave a chance to a ordinary man to establish himself, and later everything Finished in One WRONG Step only.I know Him personally.He was nothing, but a failed Doctor in Karachi.Everyone knows, that how he did his MBBS in Karachi, and what was his role during the Student strike.A lot of fellow students were expelled from the college, as he Bargained with Professors to “save himself”.
Importantly he is responsible for their DARK Future.But i am sure, he will NOT Admit his any SIN.
Now come to His personal Life as maybe someone criticised it, why i am going to mention his Personal Life.But it is Very important, as he is NOT an Ordinary Man. He is a person, who gave BHASHANS everyday to people.:: ” Apna Aur Apnay Irrd Gird Kay Logon Ka Khayal Rakhiay”"” But iftikhar ahmed Avoid to question him about His Wife.Who is “Crying day and Night” from the Last many Years when he Kidnapped their Lovely daughter(she is Special Child, as she is “Disabled Child”
Just try to understand, How Cruel he is ?
Everybody have differences in their personal lives, but For GOD Sake, try to understand,is it correct for a DOCTOR,”Maseeha”(Aik aisa maseeha jo aik maan say aulad ko door kar day, yeh dukh aur azaab sirf aik maan ka hi nahi, aik bachhi ka bhi hay)
he traveled from karachi with innocent Child, and bring her into the UK.he applied for Asylum on Special grounds. Border and Immigration Authorities gave him the Asylum on special circumstances, as he pretend to be a Single Parent, and got the special allownces for the care of Child.He is lier.Uk immigration and asylum authorities gave him a 2 bed Room furnished house (rent 800£ per Month) and they allow 400 pounds for the care of child with Nurse facility.The people who lives in England, they can understand, how UK Govt.take care on Human rights and this kind of issues.He showed the documents to immigration authorities that, he is Not safe in Pakistan, because of threat from wife.On that grounds he got the asylum.But in his interview he was pretending that he was having threats from ethnic groups. Later he visited medical colleges of ireland.but he failed in PLAB Test, which is necessary for doctors.its a kind of professional language test for doctors in england and wales.later he tried to get admission in other colleges, but there is No Proof at all, that he did any Degree course in the UK.He is having only one masters degree in LIE, betray,hypocricy.
Later he visited PPP office in london, and request for a office job.and they provided him a job with HQ permission.and at the same time, he wrote a letter to HQ against the same people who helped him.during the time in PPP office he got the WHOLE addresses,contact numbers of ppp high command.at the same time,after the death of Nazia Hassan,he approached ARY. and later he joined ARY, as they were planning to start transmission from UK.He was getting the salary from ARY, and UK Benefits Fraud department raided on ARY office, as they got the information, that he was getting the salary from ARY.he again betrayed the fraud office, but ARY decided to shift him to Dubai, as they were about to start transmission from Dubai.Dr.Shahid was a Bridge between ARY and Govt to release their passports and their names from Exit Control List.
Dr.Shahid did that Job successfully.and still he is doing the same kind of Jobs n NRO.ARY PPP and Dr.Shahid they are triangle.they have their own targets.they damn care about any ethics or Moralality.they just use these words to innocent people. Nobody knows, how an asylum seeker ” Like ALTAF HUSSAIN” got a lavish life style in London and Dubai.Dr.Shahid Masood is still getting FUNDS from americans to run his firm “Dialogue”.Coming time will prove, how he will fulfill his revenge from innocent Paksitanis.
we always try to forgive our politicians,establishment& Army.But this time,we forget, Dr.Shahid masood is a man, who plays with Words.JAADOGAR hay lafzon ka” “I AM A MOTHER,” aur aap sab jaantay hain, keh aik Maan aur aulad ka Rishta aur dard kaisa hota hay”
Dr.Shahid marry to another woman in Dubai, whom he introduced in all functions, but No body knows, About POOR MOTHER “”"HUMAIRA SHAHID”"”
These are the recent three discoveries in the field of corruption. That’s right, one would never have thought that a very very senior journalist could be corrupt guy. I am referring to Dr. Shahid Masood. The first public critic came in August 08 when he wrote his article about Musharraf’s resignation, he stated that he shook hands with Musharraf, talked to him, and blah blah, whereas this claim was first disproved by SAMAA TV’s senior producer who wrote a letter to Daily Jang and explained that Dr. Shahid Masood in fact was not present in that hall. This was also disproved by the Musharraf’s spokesmen and this column was fictitious.
Dr. Shahid Masood was still in rumors that he may resign PTV and others, it all got cleared when Dr. Shahid Masood was brought into Jawab Deh by Iftikhar Ahmad in 23 Nov Episode. Dr. Shahid again made many claims and most of the them were also disproved later in Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Saath”.
Other false claims are:
1. “Dr. Ishrat ul Ibad was my class fellow”, Sources rejected the claim 2. “Dialogue(think tank) was self financed”, one of the attendee rejected the claim and reported that Dr. Shahid Masood paid all accommodation and travel expenses.
Ref: “Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Saath” November 24 Episode.
And the Dogar’s controversy?
Yeah, her daughter’s grade was raised from C to B, and she was awarded undue marks, just so that she could become eligible to apply in some reputed universities with the better grade. Imagine, the gentleman who is supposed to provide justice to the entire country, does such acts. And this is just one propagated exposed fact, we can very well imagine that what else facilities he has been enjoying. And the justice? who cares? huh?
Here’s what Ansar Abbasi reported in The News:
ISLAMABAD: In what could become a mass denial of rights of thousands of students throughout the country, the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) Islamabad has illegally awarded extra marks and upgraded the examination results of the daughter of the country’s top judge.
In indecent haste and under direct written orders of the chairman FBISE, relaxing and violating all rules and even some judgments of the Supreme Court, the FSc result of student Farah Hameed Dogar was jacked up from 640 marks in Grade ‘C’ to 661 marks in Grade ‘B’, thus making her eligible to apply for admission into any medical college in the country.
Documentary evidence available with The News, background interviews and on the record discussions with concerned officials of the FBISE establish that the Islamabad Board went out of its way in the case of Farah Hameed Dogar by fast forwarding the entire process of re-checking, re-assessing and even re-marking her examination papers to her advantage and superceding thousands of other candidates who had obtained marks between 642 and 660. [..]
And last but ofcourse not the least, Faisal Qureshi who used to be my inspiration. Thanks to Samad Khurram for opening my eyes. Below is the original note written by Samad Khurram
Apparently Faisal Qureshi - host of Ankahi - is going around the country doing tours trying to win support of the people and potraying himself as a hero.
Most people do not know about Faisal Qureshi’s role in stashing away the illegally acquired wealth of his uncles Salman Farooqii and Usman Farooqui.
When I asked him about this he simply removed me from his friends list ! Chowr ki daari main tinka !
Earlier at Bahria he had called the honorable Chief Justice a “monkey” and his wife was defending the government over missing people saying this is exactly what they should have done. No surprise. An independent judiciary will put an end to all his dramas!
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http://www.karachipage.com/news/mar98/030198.txt
A previous FIA raid of the same lockers of BRR Modaraba in PECHS Society had proved futile as the jewelery then recovered turned out to be imitation. However, this time the stuff recovered by Ehtesab Bureau and FIA officials was genuine, claimed Deputy Director FIA Corporate Circle, Moazzam Jah. On an information linked with the haul of FEBCs from a Lahore branch of ANZ Grindlays Bank, FIA’s Karachi office raided the bungalow of Faisal Qureshi, a nephew of Usman Farooqi.
During Faisal’s interrogation and search of the bungalow in Defence Phase-II, the FIA found receipts and a locker key. Faisal informed the FIA that he had a locker each at ANZ Grindlays and BRR Modaraba and confessed that the locker at ANZ Grindlays was obtained on January 28 while the BRR Modaraba locker was secured on January 19.
He also confessed that his aunt Anisa Farooqi (wife of Usman Farooqi) had asked him to keep the FEBCs, gold, gold and diamond jewellery and wrist watches in his locker. In the light of this information, the FIA and Ehtesab Bureau officials drove Faisal to BRR Modaraba lockers and in the presence of SDM Ferozabad opened the locker bearing No SL 14 recovering costly jewellery and wrist watches.
The recovered stuff includes over a dozen costly gold wrist watches — mostly Rolex — three of them diamond studded, each estimated to cost Rs 1 million, 14 gold rings, 10 of them diamond studded, hundreds of gold bangles, diamond bracelet, a couple of diamond sets, gold chains and gem stones.
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Faisal Qureshi’s earlier software company was found involved in Credit Card fraud and he was arrested in 2003 (http://www.crime-research.org/news/2003/01/Mess1201.htm)
No wonder he hates the CJ. Would he want to go to jail after all his money laundering is brought to task?
Guys! It’s getting dangerous now! Imagine, our politicians and government is corrupt, our judiciary is corrupt and now?? the journalists also?? And My humble request to the bloggers, Please Please Please stay sincere so that we dont get the this tag of “corruption”
بہت اچھا پروگرام تھا آپ اپنے طے شدہ ایجنڈے سے ایک انچ بھی نہیں ہٹے۔ چلیے ہم بھی ایک کہانی
سے آغاز کرکے آپ کے آج کے پروگرام پر تبصرہ کرتے ہیں
۔۔۔۔ جمہوریت کا منظر بمعہ جمہوریت کے ساتھ کیا ہوگا ۔۔۔۔۔۔ بروزن ۔۔۔۔۔ موت کا منظر بمعہ مرنے کے بعد کیا ہوگا ۔۔۔
کچھ بیس تیس سال پہلے ؛ دیواروں پر؛ جنسی معالجوں کے اشتہاروں کے درمیان ایک کتاب کا اشتہار
بھی لکھا ہوتا تھا۔۔۔۔ موت کا منظر معہ مرنے کے بعد کیا ہو گا۔۔۔۔ کتاب میں مصنف نے قبر کے عذاب کا
ایک ہیبت ناک نقشہ کھینچا ہے ۔کتاب پڑھنے کے بعد قاری کے پاس دو ہی راستے ہوتے ہیں یا تو قبر
کے عذاب سے اتنا ڈر جاءے کہ مبلغین کے گروہ میں شامل ہو جاءے یا سرے سے موت کے بعد کے عقیدوں
سے ہی انکاری ہو جاءے ۔ اس کتاب نے اس گروہ کے فروغ میں بڑا اہم کردار ادا کیا۔ اس گروہ کے
ارکان اکثر جب تبلیغ کے لیے نکلتے ہیں تو اپنے ساتھیوں کا تعارف اس طرح کراتے ہیں بھاءی ۔۔۔۔۔۔
ہمارے ساتھ شامل ہونے سے پہلے ایک بدکردار اور رشوت خور افسر تھے۔ ہماری تبلیغ سے متاثر
ہونے کے بعد انہوں نے سب کام چھوڑ دءے ہیں اور آجکل سارا وقت اللہ کی راہ میں لگاتے ہیں۔ نیکی
کی راہ میں نکلنے والے ان نءے مسافروں کی عمر عمومآ ساٹھ سے زیادہ ہوتی ہے اور صاف پتہ
چلتا ہے کہ بلی نو سو چوہے کھا چکی ہے۔ مجھے یاد ہے کہ اس گروہ کے لوگ جب کبھی ہماری
یونیورسٹی کے ہاسٹل میں آیا کرتے تھےتو طلبہ کو کہانیاں سنا یا کرتے تھے کہ ایک بھاءی امتحان
کی رات بھی پہلا پہر تبلیغ کرتے رہے خدا کی قدرت کہ رات کے آخری پہر انہیں خواب میں پورا
امتحانی پرچہ نظر آگیا۔
میرے ممدوح ڈاکٹر شاہد مسعود کا بھی ایک ایسے ہی قبیل سے تعلق ہے ۔ ان کی کتاب کا نام ہے
۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ جمہوریت کا منظر بمعہ جمہوریت کے ساتھ کیا ہو گا ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ یہ کتاب بھی جمہوریت کا کچھ ایسا
ہیبت ناک نقشہ کھینچتی ہے کہ نوجوان ذہن یا تو جمہوریت سے ڈرنے لگتا ہے یا جمہوریت کے تصور
سے ہی باغی ہو جاتا ہے۔ اس گروہ کے مبلغین میں کثیر تعداد ان بزرگوں کی ہے جن کی جوانی
جمہوریت دشمنی میں گزری۔ اس میں روءیداد خان جیسے اسی سالہ تجربہ کار بابے بھی شامل ہیں
یہ وہ پہنچے ہوءے بزرگ ہیں کہ پندرہ بیس سال پہلے جب کسی نوآموز سیاسی کارکن کو سمجھانا
ہوتا تھا کہ اسٹبلشمنٹ کیا ہے تو یوں شروع کیا جاتا تھا کہ یہ پاکستان میں ایک نہ نظر آنے والی قوت
ہے جس میں روءیداد خاں ؛ غلام اسحاق خان اور ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔جیسے عہدے دار شامل ہوتے ہیں۔ اسی تبلیغی
گروہ میں ہارون ارشید جیسے جہاں دیدہ بھی شامل ہیں جنہوں نے اپنی بھٹو دشمنی کا خواب کبھی
مرنے نہیں دیا اور مولانا مودودی؛ جنرل ضیا ءا لحق اور پھر عمران خان کا ہاتھ مضبوطی سے
تھامے رکھا۔ اس گروہ میں شامل ہو نے والے ایک بزرگ کا نام حمید گل ہے۔ وہ ساری عمر امریکہ
کی خدمت کرتے رہے لیکن آخر کار قدرت نے ان کی راہنماءی کی اور وہ آخری عمر میں بہت بڑے
امریکہ دشمن ہو گءے ۔
میرے محترم شاہد مسعود ہر جمعہ ؛ ہفتہ اور اتوار کی رات صراط مستقیم اختیار کرنے والے ان
بزرگوں کے ساتھ سہ روزہ تبلیغ پر نکلتے ہیں۔ اس تبلیغ میں سب سے پہلے جمہوریت کے تاریک
مناظر دکھاءے جاتے ہیں ۔ اس کے بعد سارے بزرگ باری باری بتاتے ہیں کہ اگر جمہوریت جاری
رہی تو لوگوں کا کیا انجام ہو گا۔
ڈاکٹر شاہد مسعود اس امید پرزندہ ہیں کہ جس طرح طالب علم کو تبلیغ کے صلے میں آخر شب پرچہ خواب
میں نظر آگیا تھاانہیں بھی اس تبلیغ کے صلے میں نءے بندوبست میں ارشاد حقانی؛ مبشر لقمان
اور نجم سیٹھی کی طرح ایک نگران وزارت مل جاءے گی۔
آج کے پروگرام میں بھی میرے ہیرو نے اپنے مخصوص انداز سے نہیں ہٹے ۔ آغاز حسب معمول
دھوکا دہی کی منطق) ڈیسیپٹو لاجک(کو استعمال کرتے ہوءے ماءیکل جیکسن اورپاکستانی سیا ست دانوں
کی امیج بلڈنگ کی کوششوں کے تقابلی جاءزے سے کیا ۔
دور حاضر کے عظیم دانشور ڈاکٹر شاہد مسعود نے حسب معمول اپنے خاص انداز میں فیاضی کے تصور کو
اپنی بیان کردہ تعریف تک محدود کر دیا۔ حالانکہ فیاضی کی تشہیر موجودہ معاشرے کا ہی ایک عمل نہیں
بلکہ دولت کی نا منصفانہ تقسیم اور فیاضی پہلو بہ پہلو ظہور پزیر ہوءے۔ سلطنتوں کی توسیع اور لگان
کی وصولی کے دوران لاکھوں افراد کو قتل کرنے والوں کی فیاضی کی داستانیں درباری مورخوں نے بڑی
تفصیل سے بیان کی ہیں۔ان میں سے بہت سے وہ ہیں جن کو میرے محترم شاہد مسعود جیسے لوگ
ہیرو کے طور پر پوجتے ہیں ۔
پھر میرے عظیم میزبان نے اپنے پسندیدہ افراد کو بلایا ۔امیج بلڈنگ کی ایک تعریف متعین
کی اور پھر اس محدود تعریف کے اندر ہی لوگوں سے سوال پوچھنا شروع کیے۔ امیج بلڈنگ کو صرف اخباری
اشتہاروں اور تصویروں کے ساتھ مشروط کردینا ہی کافی نہیں ہے۔یہ ایک وسیع تصور ہے اس میں پس پردہ لابنگ
سب سے بڑا کردار ادا کرتی ہے یہ وہ کام ہے جس میں میڈیا میں میرے محترم شاہد مسعود جیسے لوگ بھی
سرانجام دیتے ہیں ۔۔
ہر سوال سے پہلے یا سوال کے دوران میرے عظیم میزبان نے اس کا تعلق آصف زرداری یا پیپلز پارٹی سے بنانے
کی بھی بھر پور کوشش کی۔ جیسے ڈاکٹر صفدر محمود سے بات سے پہلے امیج بلڈنگ کی تعریف ایسے متعین کی
’میرے دوروں کو بڑھا چڑھا کر پیش کرو’ ۔ مزے کی بات یہ تھی ڈاکٹر صفدر محمود بھی بڑے واضح طور
پر کرپشن کے سکینڈل کو اور پیپلز پارٹی کے ووٹرکے رویے کو ہی اپنے تجز یے کی بنیاد بنا رہے تھے ۔
اور پھر آخر میں حسب توقع اور حسب معمول عمران خان کو بلا کر امیج بلڈنگ اور این آر او میں ایک تعلق بناتے ہوءے
پروگرام ختم کیا ۔
آ ءیے دیکھتے ہیں کہ اگر میرا عظیم دانش ور ایک دو رخی زندگی نہ گزار رہا ہو تا تو امیج بلڈنگ پر کیسا پروگرام کرتا ۔ اس
کے پروگرام کا موضوع سرمایہ دارانہ نظام اور میڈیا ہو تا ۔ وہ اس پروگرام میں ناظرین کو بتا تا کہ کس طرح سرمایہ
دار اشتہاری مہموں کے ذریعے صارفین سے پیسہ بٹورتا ہے ۔ وہ ناظرین کو بتا تا کہ جس پیپسی اور کوکا کولا کے اشتہار
اس کے ٹی وی پر دکھاءے جاتے ہیں وہ صحت کے لیے کتنے نقصان دہ ہیں ۔ وہ تحقیق کرکے ناظرین کو بتا تا کہ
پاکستان کے لوگ روزانہ سافٹ ڈرنک کی کتنی بوتلیں پیتے ہیں اور ہر بوتل سے کتنا پیسہ با ہر کے ملک کا سرمایہ دار
لے جاتا ہے ۔ میرا دانش ورناظرین کو موباءل فون کمنیوں کا روزانہ منفع بھی بتاتا ۔ وہ لوگوں کی امریکہ کے ساتھ
نفرت کو امریکی مصنوعات کے باءیکاٹ کے ساتھ جوڑتا اور منافع کے بیرونی انخلا کو روک دیتا جس سے ملک کی
حالت مہینوں میں تبدیل ہونا شروع ہو جاتی ۔
لیکن میرا ہیرو شاہد مسعود ایسا نہیں کرے گا ۔ وہ ایسا کر ہی نہیں سکتا کیونکہ اس کا ٹی وی اسے تنخواہ ہی اس رقم
سے دیتا ہے جو اسے کثیر القومی کمپنیوں کے اشتہاروں سے ملتی ہے۔ یہ میرے ہیرو کی مجبوری بھی ہے اور ذمہ داری
بھی کہ وہ عوام کی توجہ سرمایہ دارانہ نظام کی قباحتوں سے ہٹا کر سطحی مساءل کی پر مرکوز کردے ۔اسے یہ بتاءے
کہ تمہارے مساءل کی اصل جڑ تمہارے لیڈر ہیں ۔ یہ بھی میرے ہیرو کی ذمہ داری ہے کہ وہ ریاست کو بدنام اور کمزور
کرے ۔ اگر ریاست کمزور ہوگی تو کثیر الاقوامی کمپنیوں کا راستہ کوءی نہیں روکے گا۔ میرا ہیرو کتنا ذہین ہے کہ
بین الاقوامی سرمایہ دار کے پیسے پر پلتا ہے اور لوگوں کو کامیابی کے ساتھ باور کراتا ہے کہ وہ امریکہ کا دشمن ہے
.....
November 25, 2008...6:10 am
It gets worse for Dr. Shahid Masood
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By pakistankakhudahafiz.wordpress.com
Kamran Khan (Aj Kamran Khan Ke Sath, GEO) took it upon himself to deal another body blow to the fast sinking Dr. Shahid Masood. With reference to Dr. Masood’s appearance in Iftikhar Ahmed’s ‘Jawab Deh’ (November 23rd), Kamran Khan made the following observations:
Dr. Shahid Masood claimed in ‘Jawab Deh’ that Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ibad had been his class-fellow. This is proven to be a lie. They didn’t even attend the same institution.
Dr. Shahid Masood claimed in this column in Jang (a day after Musharraf’s resignation) that he was present in the same room that Musharraf gave his resignation speech in. This again, has been proved a lie by a serving member of the President’s House staff who called in. The official visitor’s list does not include Dr. Shahid Masood’s name as he had been stopped at the reception. Additionally, Hassan Kazmi who is a senior producer of Samaa TV and was actually part of Samaa TV’s broadcast team at the venue and an eye-witness to the entire event, also confirms that Dr. Shahid Masood’s article in Jang was a bundle of lies.
Dr. Shahid Masood claimed in Iftikhar Ahmed’s ‘Jawab Deh’ on Geo, November 23rd, that all expenses for the ‘Dialogue’ (Dr. Shahid’s think-tank) conferences in Dubai and the US were paid for by those who attended. One of the members called in to expose this as yet another lie; all expenses, including airline tickets and hotel bookings were infact paid for by Dr. Shahid Masood himself.
Dr. Shahid Masood’s time seems to be up. He should pack his bags and get the first flight out to London Heathrow (If he hasn’t done so already) and continue seeking asylum in the UK and living off benefits - something he may well need the way things have turned out.
UPDATE: The video of ‘Aaj Kamran Khan Ke Saath’ aired on November 24th will be linked to as soon as it becomes available online. Watch this space.
* Senior security official says department made ‘inactive’, but staff not moved * Says ISI going through transformation
Daily Times Monitor
ISLAMABAD: A senior security official has contradicted Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s statement that the political wing of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been closed, BBC reported on Monday.
Qureshi had told reporters in Multan on Sunday that the ISI political wing had been disbanded. “The ISI is a precious national institution and wants to focus on counterterrorism activities,” APP quoted him as saying.
Without identifying the senior official, BBC said the ISI political wing exists, but has been made ‘inactive’. The official said the staff of the department had not been given new assignments.
ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha had focused on counterterrorism during his previous assignment as the director general of Military Operations, the BBC said, and is expected to keep terrorism his top priority in his new office.
The ISI has been accused of several questionable political activities in the past, including the creation of an anti-Pakistan People’s Party alliance in the 1988 general elections and uniting several factions of the Pakistan Muslim League to form a pro-Pervez Musharraf party in 2002. BBC said ISI officials admit that interfering with the political process had cost the agency the trust of the people.
Transformation: The security official said the ISI was going through a transformation.
“The agency wants to stay away from political issues,” he said. “It wants to quit its past activities such as keeping an eye on politicians.”
Quoting other sources in the ISI, the BBC said politicians hoping to become senators still knock at the ISI’s door, and that the agency has complained people pose to have links with them to seek personal favours.
The unidentified sources also told the BBC that the ISI did not select or approve government ministers. Without naming anyone, the BBC said analysts had warned that governments might use the agency for political purposes in future because its political wing had not been closed down.
Only July 26, the Cabinet Division had issued a memorandum under Rule 3(3) of the Rules of Business of 1973, placing the ISI under the direct control of the Interior Division, but later decided to hold it ‘in abeyance till further deliberations’.
“The prime minister is pleased to direct that the federal government will carry out further deliberations on co-ordinating the intelligence efforts. Till the completion of these deliberations, the Cabinet Division’s memorandum of even number, dated July 26, 2008, is held in abeyance,” says an official announcement called ‘Memorandum’ issued by the Cabinet Secretariat on July 29. (Daily Times, 25 Nov 2008)
.........
Redirecting the ISI?
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters in Multan on Sunday that the “political wing” of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been disbanded. He then added the stock sentence: “The ISI is a precious national institution and wants to focus on counterterrorism activities”. There is hardly any leading politician in the country who will mourn the alleged demise of the so-called internal political wing of the ISI. And the PPP has the most reason not to mourn it because it was the most targeted party under the “wing” since it was ousted from power by General Zia in 1977.
The last time the PPP tried to make changes in the ISI was some months ago when orders subordinating it to the Interior Ministry had to be hurriedly rescinded on the ground of some “misunderstanding” in drafting the relevant notification. Presumably, the abolishment of the internal political wing of the ISI would be the next best thing if it could get it in the circumstances. But has this really happened? Is Mr Qureshi levelling with us? We are not convinced.
Intelligence regarding terrorist attacks is bad. Even after it was let known that a certain number of suicide-bombers had left for the big cities, further action could not be taken because of lack of follow-through. The political wing was another name for “dirty tricks” which the rulers used. But there is no reason here to blame the ISI for having the “wing”. It was created by a civilian politician to keep tabs on what opposition politicians were doing. There was no “analysis” to speak of: there was intimidation and some “incidents” that the victims openly attributed to the ISI. When some politicians of high political ranking had their cars burned mysteriously, they lost no time in blaming the ISI for it. One “political wing” gang was caught trying to overthrow the reigning PPP government in a covert operation in 1989 ominously named Midnight Jackals.
After General Zia had given the ISI its orientation, it became difficult for succeeding civilian governments to control its officers. The PPP in 1988 tried to appoint its own choice of a general to the top job but found that its director general was hardly acceptable to the rank and file. That has continued since then. Fired ISI chiefs have boasted their lingering hold on the organisation while appointed chiefs keep swearing that the organisation is obedient to them. After leaving the top job some generals don’t mind dabbling in politics, clearly showing their bias in retrospect. One ISI chief actually created a political alliance against the PPP and today inspires the jihadi-religious elements. Another chief is informally leading the mammoth congregation of Deobandi Islam from where most of the banned jihadi organisations are drawn. Another has a case pending at the Supreme Court for handing out cash to politicians to affect the results of the 1990 elections. The “political wing” was also busy preparing grounds for victories in elections held by General Musharraf in 2002. Those who lost complained bitterly of “pre-poll” manipulations and clearly named the ISI. Yet, those who compelled the ISI to dabble in politics were finally punished by fate and the ISI could not save them.
If we want it, we can have a professional ISI. The wrong has been committed by giving the ISI — which is supposed to guard against external threats to security — a charter which undermines its professionalism. In the past, personnel were selected according to an ideological yardstick that may not be relevant any more. Many of the men who serve the ISI are still more fired by faith than intellect, which makes them vulnerable to the attraction of jihad and those who operate it. When the time comes to choose between the state and the people they have been handling, they tend to reveal clear signs of “reverse-indoctrination”. There are also retired ISI officials denouncing the state in public under the pretext of “human rights”.
We are at a crossroads as far as the task of intelligence is concerned. The old parameters are all gone, as was revealed by the incident of Lal Masjid which was partly responsible for bringing down the rule of General Musharraf. He kept on swearing that he had purged the ISI and brought it in line with his new objectives, but as the incident unfolded, it was revealed that there were divisions within that undermined the operation when it was finally ordered by him. Later on, once again, his assurances were belied when Ms Benazir Bhutto started receiving “inside” information on his real intent after her “reconciliation” with him.
If one uses an intelligence agency for political purposes, this is what one gets. So, if the news as given out by Shah Mahmood Qureshi is true, ISI professionals themselves must be relieved that they will no longer be required to use “dirty tricks” for politicians and will have the time and energy to serve the nation by securing it against external threats. The big challenge is terrorism. It has to be tracked objectively without political bogeys attached as an interpretive tool. (Daily Times, 25 Nov 2008)
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Munno Bhai, Jang, 22 Nov 2008
Munno Bhai, Jang, 21 Nov 2008
A new order Tuesday, November 25, 2008 (The News)
The disengagement of the military from the political life of the nation has taken another step in the right direction with the announcement of the disbanding of the political wing of the ISI. The military have been drawing back from the political arena almost since the appointment of General Kayani in October 2007 – his previous position having been none other than director-general of the ISI from October 2004 until his appointment as the COAS. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has announced that henceforward the ISI will concentrate on counter-terrorism operations and no longer take a close interest in the private lives of political figures or in the manipulation of elections and political parties. The political wing of the ISI was a key player both during the Musharraf years and in the decades before that; and there were those that said – indeed many who still believe – that the ISI had become ungovernable and was a state within a state, accountable neither to the president not the prime minister. Of course, the argument that intelligence agencies of even strongly democratic countries such as the CIA or MI6 can sometimes act in a manner that is rogue-ish is not entirely untenable when history is examined more closely – however, the point remains that the intelligence agency of any democracy must firmly operate under the reins of the civilian leadership and be held accountable to parliament.
Few will have forgotten the butcher's shop that was Karachi throughout much of the 90s when it was alleged that the ISI tried to counter the growing influence of the MQM, fomenting a split in its ranks with bloody consequences that have echoes in the political life of the city even today. There were allegations of involvement of the agencies in the assassination in 1985 of Shahnawaz Bhutto, brother of Benazir Bhutto, in an attempt to intimidate her into not returning to Pakistan. America has long suspected the ISI of having a political inclination towards the religious parties; and of its own ranks being liberally sprinkled with men who were far from liberal and were covert supporters of extremist elements within the country. We will never know how many 'disappeared' have vanished into the 'safe houses' of the ISI, nor if intelligence shared by other countries is passed on to terrorist targets – facilitating their escape.
Whilst there is much that we will not ever know and much that we might question or deplore, we have to acknowledge that we have never needed an effective counter-terrorism and intelligence agency more than we do today. An agency distanced from the world of politics. The disbandment of the ISI's political wing and the reassigning of its staff to 'other duties' may be seen as a normalizing process, a realigning of priorities and a more appropriate use of resources – but we would be wrong to assume that the ISI is ever going to take its eye off the political ball.
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Ansar Abbasi with his venom against Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar....
It is interesting to note that in November 2008, conscience of the Editorial Board of the Jang Group made them to publish a concocted, maligning story against Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar, however, in 2006, the same Editorial Board of the Jang Group decided to censor a story against the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
Read details here by clicking on the following link:
1. Why double standards by the Jang Group to publish one story while censoring another story (of a corruption case of a higher order) filed by the same correspondent.
2. It seems that Ansar Abbasi, the notorious Jamaat-e-Islami stooge, yellow journalist, could not find any substantial case of corruption against Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar. Therefore, in breach of all moral and ethical principles, he used an ordinary application of rechecking of papers by a school girl for mud-slinging against Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar.
3. Is the Jang Group being blackmailed by enemies of democracy, the supporters of Mullah, the Jamaat-e-Islami lobby? Or have they been bribed to be selective and biased in their reporting of events?
4. Whose payroll is Ansar Abbasi on? He is a notorious right-winger, a supporter of Taliban and Al Qaeda. It is not hard to believe that his sources of funding lie outside Pakistan.
Shame on you Ansar Abbasi. Shame on you Jang Group.
Our special daughters
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
WHEN the Editorial Board of the Jang Group decided after long and very intense discussions that we should publish the story of the special daughter, it was a difficult decision as there was immense pressure coming from all sides, including the movers and shakers of the God-gifted Republic of Pakistan and even some elements within our own house. That the people, at all levels, got involved in an otherwise straight story exposing blatant misuse of authority and position, was surprising. It was argued at senior and powerful levels that this story should not be published because it involved the career of a daughter, a young student who was trying to improve her chances of making her life more meaningful and productive. It was hammered on us that publication of one such case would not change the destiny or the prevalent system in the country. We were repeatedly reminded that authority is always used in the developing and the Third World countries in a similar manner and not much would change with this one episode, even if it is splashed on the pages of the print media. Attempts were made to emotionally blackmail us as it would ruin the life and career of a young and innocent lady.
We considered all these arguments before we decided to go ahead with the story. Our Editorial Board did not agree with most of these arguments, except the one that such misuse of authority is common in Banana Republics. We weighed the pros and cons and when it was clear to us that by unduly favouring the career of one young Pakistani, we would, by design, be ruining the careers of thousands of other similarly placed young boys and girls, not linked to powerful and mighty high-ups in our political or judicial systems, the verdict was unanimous: we must do our best to stop this injustice, we must throw the first stone and we must show the mirror to those who sit in judgment, deciding life and death matters every day, but when it comes to the future and careers of their own kith and kin, they behave like men of straw.
We believe that this one case of extraordinary favour to the special daughter of a top judicial person will make the rest of us feel belittled and slighted. We believe that the injustice done to hundreds and thousands of others who could not get such special treatment will be undone. We believe that someone somewhere will feel the guilt and come clean with the nation. We hope someone somewhere will resign and reinforce our belief that we can become a nation of honest people where justice can prevail. We hope all our daughters will become special.
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CJ’s daughter has a head start over thousands
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: In what could become a mass denial of rights of thousands of students throughout the country, the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) Islamabad has illegally awarded extra marks and upgraded the examination results of the daughter of the country’s top judge.
In indecent haste and under direct written orders of the chairman FBISE, relaxing and violating all rules and even some judgments of the Supreme Court, the FSc result of student Farah Hameed Dogar was jacked up from 640 marks in Grade ‘C’ to 661 marks in Grade ‘B’, thus making her eligible to apply for admission into any medical college in the country.
Documentary evidence available with The News, background interviews and on the record discussions with concerned officials of the FBISE establish that the Islamabad Board went out of its way in the case of Farah Hameed Dogar by fast forwarding the entire process of re-checking, re-assessing and even re-marking her examination papers to her advantage and superceding thousands of other candidates who had obtained marks between 642 and 660.
Sources close to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, however, insisted that no influence was used by the chief justice in his daughter’s case and if the Board had taken some action, they must have done it under the rules or under powers vested with the Board’s chairman....
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Some Comments:
diceman Says: November 25th, 2008
Don’t get too excited, there is not going to be a press release from Dogar as my dear friends are naively expecting. This kind of nepotism is not new is it? And we have somewhat have become to accept it….
No disrespect to Iftikhar Ch but he did the same thing for his son as well…
1) The allegation was sifarish, and not tampering with education system of Pakistan in case of Iftikhar Chaudhry.
2) The government’s prosecution team dropped the charges before the SC because they could not substantiate this. However the news did detailed analysis of this before publishing it.
ady Says: November 25th, 2008 at 1:06 pm comment-top
@samad: In the case of AH Dogar also, Charges are the same i.e. Sifarish. As, under law, one can apply for the re-checking of his/her papers, and the checking authority can increase the marks if he/she considers so. And here in this case, the undersigned authority is the Controller of Exams, which is a lawful authority. Therefore it is not the case of tampering.
It is very difficult to prove the allegations of Sifarish in the court of law, as mostly sifarish is done through verbal means.
CJ Iftikhar’s son later requested to send him back to his original department, which means that he accepted there was something ‘unsual’ in his case.
P.S. I fully support independence of judiciary movement.
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In his article on Nov 19, Dr A Q Khan wrote that "mercenaries of Gen Musharraf" killed children in the Lal Masjid operation. They were soldiers of the Pakistani army, not mercenaries. They were ordered by their commanders to relieve the mosque and the adjacent children's literary from the illegal occupation of the militant Ghazi brothers and they obeyed the order under the standard of the army. Some of them even scarified their lives. To term them mercenaries is offensive.
No sane person can justify the killing of innocent children during that operation. But the militant Ghazi brothers, not Gen Musharraf or the Pakistani army, are responsible for the massacre. The Ghazi brothers led the indoctrination of the children with the most violent version of Islam, using them as a human shield against the army. Then, one of the brothers even abandoned the besieged children and tried to run away in a burqa.
The only thing Musharraf must be criticised for is his ignoring the illegal activities of the madrasa for so long. I have been to the madrasa before the operation and noticed the ignorance there. The madrasa students even interpreted the poetry of Rehman Baba, the famous mystic Pashto poet, in terms of violent jihad
Dr Khan wrote that the tribal leaders forming the tribal lashkars to confront the Al Qaeda-Taliban gangs are corrupt. Dr Khan must know that the major part of the tribal area has been taken over by the Al Qaeda-Talibna jihadis--Arabs, Uzbeks, Chechens, Afghans, Punjabis and others. The tribal area is no more Pakistan's territory and the tribal people have been taken hostage by the savage jihadis. It is now the responsibility of the Pakistani army to retake the area and release the tribal people from the barbaric occupation of the jihadis. The jihdis are committing the kind of brutality on the tribal people that can easily parallel the brutality witnessed in Karbala, and that displayed by Genghis Khan in the battlefield. It takes extraordinary courage to stand up to such brutality. The tribal leaders and their men are the heroes of the Pashtun and of Pakistan--they have taken huge dangers upon themselves and their families by resisting the jihadis. In a sense, the whole world should be thankful to them, because they have taken up on an evil that threatens every civilisation in the world. To term such people "corrupt" is deeply offensive, even disgusting.
Dr Khan questions how a prime minister form Multan, a president from Sindh and a chief of the army staff from Gujjar Khan can understand the psychology of the Pashtun. The chief of the army staff does not need to do psychoanalysis of the Pashtun. All he has to do is to fulfil his professional duty--to clean up the jihadi mess in the tribal area created by his predecessors. He must free the tribal people and territory from the savage occupation of Al Qaeda-Taliban. He must fully support, through his soldiers and weapons, the tribal people who have stood up to the jihadis.
The Pashtun voted for the party of the prime minister form Multan and the president from Sindh. At the time of the election, the Pashtun who voted for the PPP did not make a fuss about whom the party should appoint as prime minister and president. They had trust in the party, like other PPP voters in the rest of Pakistan. The PPP must now deliver on the promises it made to their voters, Pashtun or non-Pashtun, in terms of education, health and jobs.
Dr Khan suggested that a group of Pashtun men make up a committee to propose a solution to the problem in the tribal area. There is no doubt that the men he mentioned are all intelligent people of high repute. They are all experts in their fields. But the task Dr Khan suggested is not their right or their duty. It is the right and responsibility of the parliamentarians. If the parliamentarians wish, these gentlemen may be invited to the parliamentary committees or any other parliamentary forum for their advice. The Pashtun have elected their representatives to the Parliament. The ANP, which represent the "essence" of Pashtun culture, holds most Pashtun seats in Parliament. The second-largest holder of the Pashtun seats is the PPP. The other party which represents a part of the Pashtun is the JUI-F. All the three parties are in the ruling coalition. Moreover, MNAs elected from FATA are cooperating with the ruling coalition. It is the right and duty of the ruling alliance to make and implement plans to solve the problem in the tribal area. I wonder why so many people in Pakistan are ever so ready to encroach on the rights and responsibilities of the elected leaders.
I wonder why Dr Khan is writing in the language of Al Qaeda. He wrote: "They (the Muslims) ignored Allah's edict that Christian and Jews can never be their true friends." This edict of Allah is open to multiple interpretations, as has been demonstrated by various scholars of Islam. Why does Dr Khan pick up the interpretation that Al Qaeda would prefer? I wonder why Dr Khan condemns the Pashtun who took up arms against Al Qaeda as "corrupt," just like Al Qaeda would do. Why does he denounce as mercenaries the soldiers of the Pakistani army who freed the mosque and the library from the illegal occupation of the Lal Masjid militants, just as Al Qaeda would do? Why does he let down the political parties the Pashtuns elected, the ANP and PPP, just as Al Qaeda would do? Al Qaeda, as we know, is thirsty for even ANP blood.
I respect Dr Khan. I believe he deserves an opportunity, free of duress, to explain his alleged role in the spread of weapons of mass destruction. But I request him not to use the language of Al Qaeda, especially when it comes to the Pashtuns -- the biggest causality of Al Qaeda's terrorism.
The writer is a research fellow at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Research, University of Oslo. Email: bergen34@yahoo.com (The News)
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KARACHI: The Taliban are present in Karachi and have links with the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba and other banned religious organisations, but they have no intention of carrying out attacks in the provincial capital if not provoked by a political party or the government, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Mullah Omer has told Daily Times.
Talking exclusively to the newspaper, Omer said his organisation would not disrupt peace in the port city. “The Taliban have never been involved in any type of terrorism in Karachi,” he claimed. “And we will not be involved in any such activity in future until a political party or the government leaves us with no other choice.”
Omer, however, said his organisation had no links with Al Qaeda. He said the TTP had not been able to lay its hands on evidence suggesting the presence of Al Qaeda in the Tribal Areas. “The name of Al Qaeda is being used to attack the Taliban ... the operation in the Tribal Areas is meant to target the Taliban.” faraz khan (Daily Times)
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It's a Jewish conspiracy. Medinat Yisra'el or the State of Israel has appointed Yuli Tamir, a PhD from the Oxford University, as their minister of education. Just look at the fact: this has happened when Pakistan didn't even have a minister of education (and then the Islamic Republic appointed Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani). Consider this: Zubaida Jalal Khan, our one-time minister of education, is being investigated by a Senate committee for her role in the Rs3.6 billion Tawana Pakistan Project scam. Just look at this other fact: exactly when Zubaida Jalal was running Tawana Pakistan, Yuli Tamir was a research fellow first at Princeton and then at Harvard. How cunning indeed, the ministry of education in Israel gets to spend $1,500 every year on each Israeli citizen while the ministry of education in Pakistan has a mere $20 per year for every Pakistani man, woman and child.
Imagine; Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other country on the face of the planet -- 109 per 10,000 people. Pakistan produces one per cent of Israel's productivity. Israel spends $110 on scientific research per year per person; Pakistan spends $2.
This one must be an American conspiracy. The Yanks have somehow duped us into buying $35 billion worth of mobile phones, luxury limousines, wheat, tea, raw cotton, plastic materials, petroleum products and edible oil when the Yanks know full well that 170 million Pakistanis cannot export goods worth more than $20 billion. It has to be the Yanks causing this depletion of our hard-earned foreign exchange reserves. It has to be the Yanks forcing us to fall for the IMF bait. It has to be our bomb that they hate.
Finally, the Indian conspiracy against us. Now, even Prime Minister Singh is going to help Pakistan get into the IMF trap. Then there are a billion penny-pinchers, a mere 177 miles east of Islamabad, using Aishwarya Rai to hypnotise each and every one of our 55 federal ministers into spending a colossal Rs600 billion per year more than the entire government of Pakistan earns every year. How wicked, insidious and vicious are the Indians; opting for the moon for their own country and wanting to make an international beggar out of us.
What's wrong with Saudi Arabia? They make $700 million per day by selling oil at $70 a barrel. Do they also have a hidden agenda against us? Why can't King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, throw our way a few billions? What's wrong with China; our friendship higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the Indian Ocean? After all, Hu Jintao is sitting on $1.9 trillion dollars worth of foreign exchange reserves. Why can't he throw a few billions our way? Is China also conspiring to bring us down to our knees?
Look at Lockheed, the world's largest defence contractor, conspiring to deplete our foreign exchange reserves. The fact is that no one is buying F-16s anymore and the Forth Worth aircraft assembly plant is laying off workers. Why is Lockheed then shoving down at least 18 F-16 C/D Block 50/52, worth a colossal $1.43 billion, down our poor, hungry throats? Lockheed knows full well that three out of four Pakistanis make less than $2 a day. Raytheon, the world's largest producer of guided missiles, has now forced us to buy 500 of its advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles in return for our hard-earned $629 million.
When the whole wide world is conspiring against us the IMF must have been feeling lonely. The fact is that the IMF had been left clientless. Out of the blues, the IMF allured us into fabricating this massive balance of payment crisis so that the IMF could stroll right into Pakistan, lend us billions and in return ruin us and destroy us (if we are destroyed who would pay back the IMF its billions?). In short, our current fiscal and monetary emergency is not our own creation. Only if the three -- Israel, India and the US -- were to be swallowed up by the devil himself we could make a heaven out of the 778,720 sq km of land area we call Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan.
The writer is an Islamabad-based freelance columnist. Email: farrukh15@hotmail.com (The News)
We can not close our eyes and ears, let us face the fact, Pakistan was a breeding ground for religious fanatics and has thousands of madarsa’s ( including Lal Masjid, there were training camps in our country and several religious leaders openly speak in favor of suicide bombers. Several terrorists arrested in the world belong to Pakistan. We blame every country in the world but ourselves. We argue that we were used by U.S and U.K then we must be stupid enough to play in their hands .There is no country in the world that welcomes a Pakistani passport and that includes Islamic countries.
Utmankhel1 Says: November 22nd, 2008
There are two types of people commenting here, as was the case in the show itself.
The brainwashed islamists/jihadists who have one way or the other that jihadist mentality thanks to the 20-30 years of brainwashing by our establishment,madrassas and religious political partie.And as you would appreciate two of them (madrassas and religious political parties) were present right from 47, and establishment joined them and reinforced them and supported them and expanded them and fed them and bread them during zia era. All the commenters belonging to that group are supporting zaid hamid. This group despite knowing Zaid Hamid’s jamiat past + yousaf kazzab past will never oppose him because what he says feel to these people like drugs to a drug addict. Zaid Hamid is operating from Chaklala and is a mouth piece of ISI/Army, but people like SHARsoori will enjoy taking this drug of BS (a collection of 2nd class conspiracry theories circulate usually by jamaatees in Univerities ) said by Zaid Hamid. So these people will talk about the oppresors in palestine and kashmir and afghanistan but when it comes to the atrocities committed by taliban/jamiat/zaid hamid/ ISI/Army they wont talk, even if these atrocities are against our own people in North and South Waziristan, Bajaur, Darra , or Swat. They are mum on such occasions. They cant see these atrocities. They just cant ………….
Then their is this second group of people who are liberal. They support democracy, open media, western values. They can see atrocities by Taliban/ARMY/ISI quite clearly.
Mr. SHARsoori would not mind slaughtering me but would be quick enough to point out any one killed by west/israel/india.
Mr. Zaid Hamid’s history is on dictatorshipwatch.com and you can visit it SHARsoori. Also read his email interaction with admin of that site to fully know him, although i know you know everything about him but right now your head is in deep sand, Mr. Shutarmoori ……..
This is not america’s war.
What is an arab, a chechen and an uzbek doing in my land ? What right does he have to tell me what to do and what not to do. His AK 47 does not give him the right to instruct me how to live my life.
They are ruling me on my land, killing my elders to create vaccum and fear, kiling them in their homes, hujras, mosques.
So whose war is this, this is My War. And why is PPPP bad ? I have not voted for them but majority of the people in my constituency elected them and so i accept them. My brethern ares not decapitated by PPPP jialas, they are decapitated by people like Fazlullah,Baitullah Mehsud, Maulvi Nazir, Aiman Azzawahri, all the Arabs and jihadists who were given places to hide by ISI/Army. Even they are humiliating the corpses of our dead brethern.The dead body of a policeman in swat, slaughtered by your beloved jihadists, hanging from an electric pole will never be forgotten.
I had not felt it when the Hazaras were slaughtered by Talibans, when Dr. Najib’s corpse was hanging in Kabul for three days, but now i am much better placed to differentiate Animals from Humans.
The saying goes “the most corrupt democracy is better than dictatorship or Animal Rule”.
UK militant 'killed in Pakistan' (BBC News, 22 Nov 2008) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7743334.stm
Rashid Rauf escaped from police custody in Pakistan in 2007
A fugitive British militant linked to an alleged UK plot to use liquid bombs to blow up transatlantic airliners has been killed in Pakistan, reports say.
Pakistani media said Rashid Rauf, born in Birmingham, was killed in a US air strike in North Waziristan, a haven for militants and the Taleban.
Mr Rauf, on the run after escaping from Pakistani custody, was seen as a link between the UK plotters and Pakistan.
Three men were convicted in the UK in September of conspiracy to murder.
News of the liquid bomb plot paralysed global air travel, prompting authorities to implement stringent security measures at airports around the world.
Rashid Rauf was arrested in Pakistan on 9 August 2006, at the request of US authorities, who feared he was about to disappear into the remote north-west of the country.
ALLEGED LIQUID BOMB PLOT Group accused of plotting to carry liquid explosives onto planes at London Heathrow Airport Arrests in August 2006, after Rashid Rauf detained in Pakistan Move prompted increased security at UK and US airports At trial, three men convicted of conspiracy to murder None found guilty of conspiring to target passenger aircraft
Profile: Rashid Rauf
One day later authorities in the UK and the US implemented strict security measures at airports, fearing possible bomb attacks.
Hundreds of flights were delayed at airports around the world with massive disruption at major UK terminals and in the US, amid security service fears that militants were planning to mix liquids into lethal explosives.
Terrorism charges against the Briton were eventually dropped but he remained under detention in Pakistan as a "preventative measure".
Mr Rauf, who is thought to have Pakistani citizenship through his family connections, then escaped custody in December 2007 while on his way to an extradition hearing under police guard.
West Midlands Police in the UK were seeking his extradition from Pakistan as a suspect in the murder of his uncle, who was killed six years ago.
'Safe haven'
Several Pakistani TV channels reported that Mr Rauf was one of five people killed on Saturday by a presumed US attack in the country's remote north-western region.
Unnamed Pakistani intelligence sources said that a wanted Egyptian militant, Abu Zubair al-Masri, was among the others killed.
map However, the BBC has so far been unable to independently confirm the news.
A young Asian woman at the Rauf family home in the Ward End area of Birmingham said they had had no confirmation of his death, and no contact from Britain's Foreign Office.
She said the family wanted to be left alone "to deal with this".
Islamist militants use the mountainous tribal areas along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan as a safe haven for training and resupply.
The US regularly uses pilotless drones to attack militant targets in the region, a tactic that has caused growing resentment among Pakistan's leaders.
On Thursday the government summoned the US ambassador in Islamabad to protest one day after an attack deep inside Pakistani territory killed five people - including at least one alleged militant.
Pakistan says the constant missile strikes infringe its sovereignty. The BBC's Barbara Plett, in Islamabad, says the attacks spark widespread anger in Pakistan - especially among tribal figures.
In that context, Saturday's attack will be reported in Pakistan as another violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and not for the possible killing of Rashid Rauf, our correspondent says.
The US says the insurgents use the territory to launch attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Islamabad has been pursuing a policy of ad-hoc peace deals with local Taleban commanders.
Rashid Rauf was a living example of the danger from Pakistan's jihadis - until he was killed
The case of Rashid Rauf underscores not only the danger posed to Britain from Pakistan's jihadi underworld but also the friction between the two countries which can make terrorism so difficult to combat.
By Isambard Wilkinson in Islamabad Last Updated: 6:14PM GMT 22 Nov 2008
As one of the "most wanted" al-Qaeda terrorist suspects, Rauf, who held dual British-Pakistani nationality, was at the centre of wrangling between Britain and Pakistan from the moment he was seized.
After his arrest in 2006 in the southern Punjabi town of Bahawalpur at the behest of Washington, Britain tried assiduously to secure his extradition from Pakistan, an ally in the War on Terror.
Not only was he wanted in connection with the trans-Atlantic bomb plot, but he was also alleged to have been a point man for British nationals seeking to contact al-Qaeda members in Pakistan for training and to wage jihad.
British officials became exasperated with their Pakistani counterparts who made a series of awkward demands in return.
But in December 2007, Rauf escaped, in highly questionable circumstances, from Pakistani police custody.
After an appearence in a court in Rawalpindi, he was allowed by his two prison escorts to visit an American hamburger restaurant and then a mosque, from where he escaped through a back door. Rauf may well have sought refuge in the lawless border tribal areas which are a refuge for al-Qaeda. One British security service official claimed not to know whether the escape was "cock up or conspiracy", but the episode further damaged the already fraught relationship - especially because some Pakistani officials were clearly less than enthusiastic about handing Rauf over to Britain.
Their reticence may have been connected to Rauf's alleged personal links with a jihadi terrorist group, Jaish-i-Mohammed, which has been backed by Pakistani military intelligence.
While in Pakistan, Rauf married a relative of one of Pakistan's most notorious militant leaders, Azhar Masood Azhar, the head of the group.
Now Gen Musharraf has gone but President Asif Zardari and his ruling Pakistan People's Party have little control over pro-jihadi stalwarts who are still in the establishment.
British intelligence officials fear that jihadis in Pakistan now pose more of a threat to Britain than they did seven years ago at the time of the Sept 11 attacks. Significant numbers of British citizens continue to flock to the tribal areas for jihad training, perhaps more than ever before.
But the security threat does not only come from the lawless tribal areas. Southern Punjab, where Rauf was arrested, was a clandestine hub used by Pakistani military intelligence to foster terrorist groups in the 1990s for jihad in Indian-held Kashmir.
Owais Ghani, the governor of the tribal areas, and senior military officials have warned publicly in recent months that the region continues to produce militants who are flocking to join the Taliban and fight the Pakistan Army.
The conditions for the production of more Raufs are still in place, but his reported death highlights American willingness to act where Pakistan cannot or will not - and ignore the shrieks from Pakistanis about US violations of their sovereignty.
"It goes to show that US intelligence is improving if they did hit Rauf," said Talat Masood, a retired general and defence analyst.
"The effect of Pakistan's protest against such strikes will be minimal if there is convincing proof that the missile strikes are hitting senior al-Qaeda figures, which Pakistan has been unable to do."
Rana takes U-turn on the Taseers By Intikhab Hanif
Friday, 21 Nov, 2008 (Dawn)
LAHORE, Nov 20: Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan who had objected to the private life of Governor Salmaan Taseer and his family laid down his guns on Thursday and declared that they (the Taseers) were like his blood relations.
“The governor is like my brother, his daughters are like my daughters and his wife is like my sister,” the law minister said in the Punjab Assembly. He also announced that his party would be represented by a minister and some MPAs in a PPP procession that was taken out from the assembly to the Governor’s House later in the day to show solidarity with President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani.
It was believed that the minister who wanted action against the governor and his family, had shown respect for them on the instructions of the PML-N leadership.
His announcement greatly pleased the PPP camp, making Senior Minister Raja Riaz smile. The PPP stalwart looked triumphantly towards PML-Q’s Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Zaheer who had challenged him to make the PML-N join the PPP procession rather than inviting his party to it.
PPP’s Qasim Zia appreciated the gesture by Rana Sanaullah and congratulated him for ending the controversy he himself had created.
Inviting the house to join the PPP procession, Raja Riaz said it was being taken out to support the PPP federal government against whom “the establishment is hatching conspiracies.”
Chaudhry Zaheer said the PPP and the PML-N were more required to show solidarity towards each other, asking as to who was stopping them from delivering when they enjoyed power in the country.
AGRICULTURE INCOME TAX: MPAs representing rural areas forgot their party affiliations when they opposed the federal cabinet’s decision of imposing the agriculture income tax under, what they said, the IMF pressure.
Law Minister Rana Sana agreed to their demand of fixing time for discussing the proposed tax and passing a resolution against it. But he said that it was the existing agriculture tax, and not the proposed agriculture income tax which was anti-farmers.
The MPAs included PML-Q’s (Forward Bloc) Siddique Baloch, PML-N’s Waris Kalloo and Shehzadi Umar Tiwana, and PPP’s Nazim Hussain Shah.
They said the farmers were already burdened with various taxes, and the high cost of inputs. “We will resist the tax, and even go to jails,” Nazim Hussain Shah said.
Speaker Rana Iqbal said there was no need to impose the tax in the presence of the agriculture tax.
QUESTION HOUR: The law minister, during the question hour, said the government was assessing the Police Order 2002 but it could not be amended till 2009 because of the constitutional protection given to it. Its flaws, including the separation of investigation from operational police, would be removed through the assembly after the expiry of this protection, he said.
He said the commissioners would consider revenue related matters without interfering in the affairs of the district governments, providing relief to people at local level.
FAISALABAD, March 9: The deputy opposition leader of the Punjab Assembly, Rana Sanaullah Khan, who had been picked up on Saturday night, was thrown on the service lane of the Motorway ‘in serious condition’ four hours later.
Rana Sanaullah had driven away from his chamber in the district courts at about 9pm on Saturday night in the company of his secretary, Tariq Janbaz.
A dozen masked men made him stop his car at the Circular Road, pushed out the secretary, blew up the tyres using a dagger, covered his face with a black mask and took him away. After a three- to four-minute drive, they reached a place where his face was uncovered.
Sanaullah found himself in a room which, according to him, was the office of an intelligence agency situated near the Regency Arcade on the Mall Road.
He said he was brutally beaten by the kidnappers, who included an army officer, apparently a major, whom he had seen before.
His head, eyebrows, moustaches and beard were shaved off. Then they gave him a severe beating using iron rods, inflicted multiple lacerations to his body with the help of blades and sprayed some chemical on the wounds, which caused unbearable pain.
After about four hours, he said, he was taken away in a car and thrown at a place on the Motorway, which was at a walking distance of 20 to 25 minutes from the nearest filling station. He had to cover the distance on foot in serious condition to be able to contact his family by phone.
Sanaullah was admitted to the local DHQ Hospital.
Doctors found 22 lacerations to the body and head of the MPA, six of which were likely to cause lasting complications. Injuries were inflicted in a way to make the victim feel pain for the rest of his life. No bone was fractured.
A special board has been constituted under Dr Mohammad Akram for detailed examination and issuance of medical certificate.
Confined to Room No 1 of the private ward of the local District Headquarters Hospital, the PML-N leader, with tears in his eyes, told this correspondent that he was “paying the price for unmasking the hypocrisy of the present rulers who, in fact, are stooges of the GHQ and were helping the latter call the shots. “
He said the treatment meted out to him was an eye-opener for all those who were chanting the chorus of restoration of democracy. He claimed that it was the second time that he had been subjected to physical and mental torture in a bid to make him stop talking about the high handed ways of the “real rulers” of the country.
He said he would continue to raise his voice for the cause of democracy and for exposing the misdeeds of the military government and its “Q-League stooges”.
Meanwhile, PML-N MNAs Abid Sher Ali, Asif Tauseef, Fazal Karim and Raja Nadir Pervaiz, former PML-N parliamentarians Safdar Rehman, Abdul Mannan, Sher Ali, Akram Ansari, Zahid Tauseef, Khwaja Islam, Mohammad Afzal and Zahid Goraya, PPP MPAs Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan, Raja Riaz, Jehanzaib Imtiaz, Dr Asad Moazam, Faiz Kamoka and PPP central leader Umer Draz Khan said at a press conference in the hospital that the ruling junta was victimizing the elected representatives just to stop them from raising voice in the assemblies.
They claimed that kidnapping opposition MNAs, MPAs and other leaders had become a routine practice of government agencies, which could be dangerous not only for the federation but also for peace of the country.
They threatened to resist such incidents “physically” in consultation with the central PML-N leadership. If such a thing happens again, government agencies would get a tit-for-tat response from the PML-N leaders, responsibility for which will rest entirely on government’s shoulders, they warned.
PA session: The PPP Parliamentarians and the PML-N have decided to make a requisition for the Punjab Assembly session to discuss the abduction and torture of deputy opposition leader Rana Sanaullah allegedly by ISI men.
Talking to newsmen, PPP’s Aftab Ahmed Khan said that the incident was aimed at sabotaging the parliamentary system and paving way for the army to recapture power.
Russia allows transit of Nato arms to Afghanistan (Dawn, 21 Nov 2008)
MOSCOW, Nov 20: Russia said on Thursday it had authorised the transport of German military equipment to Afghanistan through Russian territory, the first time it had allowed such a transit by a foreign state.
Russian authorities on November 10 “issued a permit for... the rail transit through Russian territory of arms, military equipment and military property of the Bundeswehr to Afghanistan,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“This will be the first experience of this kind between Russia and a foreign state, emphasising the close cooperation with Germany in the sphere of cooperation in countering mutual problems and threats to security,” it added.
Russia has since April allowed the transit of non-military supplies through Russian territory for countries such as France and Germany contributing to the Nato force in Afghanistan.
But this is the first time Russia has allowed military hardware to pass over its soil and the fact the agreement is with Germany is richly symbolic given the hostility in World War II.
The German shipments would use Russia’s vast rail network which leads into Siberia and then connects into Central Asian countries towards Afghanistan.
The foreign ministry said that the issue was discussed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a summit meeting in Saint Petersburg on October 2.
Relations between Russia and Nato have suffered a deep chill over Moscow’s war with Georgia in August but the two sides have maintained a close cooperation over Afghanistan.
Nato’s 53,000-strong International Security Assistance Force is struggling to put down a Taliban-led insurgency amid increasing violence. Germany has a contingent of about 3,300 soldiers in Afghanistan.—AFP
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Dawn, 20 Nov 2008 US seeks alternative supply routes to Afghanistan
By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Nov 19: The United States is seeking alternative supply routes for Nato troops in Afghanistan, including a tortuous overland journey from Europe, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
The United States currently uses the Karachi-Khyber Pass route for supplying 67,000 foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan, including 32,000 Americans. Nearly half of US forces operate under Nato command.
About 75 per cent of Nato and US supplies bound for Afghanistan — including petrol, food and military equipment — are transported overland through Pakistan.
Last week, Pakistan was forced to suspend supplies after militants launched back-to-back assaults on US convoys and hijacked 13 trucks.
The supplies resumed on Monday after Pakistan beefed up security along the route that passes through the lawless tribal region. But the attacks forced the Pentagon to expedite its efforts for developing alternative routes.
The Post has obtained US Defence Department documents showing that the Pentagon is seeking far longer, but possibly safer, alternate routes through Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
In September, the US Transportation Command sent a notice to potential contractors saying that “strikes, border delays, accidents and pilferage” in Pakistan and the risk of “attacks and armed hijackings” in Afghanistan posed “a significant risk” to supplies for Western forces in Afghanistan.
The Post noted that supplying troops in landlocked Afghanistan had long been the Achilles’ heel of foreign armies, most recently the Soviets, whose forces were nearly crippled by Mujahideen attacks on vulnerable supply lines.
The Post noted that last week’s attacks on supply trucks in the Khyber Agency was one in a series in recent months that had cost Nato suppliers millions in losses this year. In March, insurgents set fire to 40 to 50 Nato oil tankers near Torkham. A month later, Taliban raiders made off with military helicopter engines valued at about $13 million.
Forced by these attacks, the United States has already begun negotiations with countries along what the Pentagon has called a new northern route.
An agreement with Georgia has been reached and talks are ongoing with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, according to an Oct 31 Pentagon document. “We do not expect transit agreements with Iran or Uzbekistan,” the Transportation Command told potential contractors.
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Rough roads Sunday, November 23, 2008
Transporting the materiel to fight the war on terror in Afghanistan has for many years been a hugely profitable business for the long-distance hauliers of Pakistan. It is Pakistani vehicles, their owners, drivers, loaders and ancillary staff who have all benefited from the US using the Karachi-Khyber Pass route to supply the 67,000 foreign troops – including about 32,000 Americans – currently stationed in Afghanistan. Almost 75 per cent of all NATO and US supplies including petrol, food, military equipment and possibly ammunition are moved overland through Pakistan. It may not be for much longer.
Militants in the tribal areas through which the vehicles pass en-route to Torkham have made a series of effective high-profile raids which forced the government to suspend the operation a week ago – resuming it last Monday after security was belatedly improved. Tens of millions of dollars-worth of supplies have been lost in the last ten months. March saw between 40 and 50 tankers burned out, and in April the Taliban captured a consignment of helicopter parts – which they will have no trouble selling on the international arms black market. The straw that seems to have broken the camels back was the hijacking of 13 trucks recently, containing among other things two Humvee jeeps. The trucks were recovered, the jeeps were not.
A report in the Washington Post says that the leakage along the route through Pakistan has forced the Pentagon to look for alternative routes. These will be more expensive in terms of the fuel needed to traverse them – but safer. They are likely to run through Europe, the Caucasus and some Central Asian states, but not Iran or Uzbekistan. Agreement for transit has already been reached with Georgia and talks are under way for a similar agreement with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
The supply of foreign armies fighting in landlocked Afghanistan has for centuries been the Achilles heel of every nation that has fought a war there. The British in their numerous military adventures used almost exactly the same route as is being used today – but without interdiction by the Taliban. The Mujahideen almost brought the Russians to their knees by cutting their lines of supply. America and its allies are rich and powerful enough to circumvent the problem by simply walking around the Taliban in Pakistan. If they make life too uncomfortable here, Uncle Sam will simply take his business elsewhere, with Pakistan the loser again. It would have made both economic and strategic sense to protect our goods vehicles in their transit of the tribal areas. The distance is not great, there is only one road and it should have been within our capacity to secure it. We didn't -or couldn't - and it will be the Pakistani haulage industry (and the other big loser, the Karachi Port Trust) that will end up paying the price of poor planning and yet another failure of foresight. (The News, 23 Nov 2008)
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TRUTH ABOUT HOW NAWAZ SHARIF TREATED THE MEDIA WHILST IN POWER
One of the highest profile harassment was the victimization and harassment of journalists who had cooperated in the production of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) documentary “Correspondent” dealing with corruption in the government and business concerns of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and allegations of money-laundering by his family.
The intimidation of journalists became public when intelligence agents in Lahore picked up Mehmood Ali Khan Lodhi, of The News, Lahore, on May 2. Lodhi was released after two days of interrogation on May 4, after journalists boycotted the coverage of the Punjab provincial assembly to protest Lodhi’s abduction and demanded information about his whereabouts. There was no official explanation for his illegal detention.
According to Lodhi, the interrogators wanted to know details of his involvement with a BBC team. Lodhi said the BBC had contacted him and he gave them the address, telephone numbers and directions to the house of Yousuf Aziz, Sharif’s estranged cousin. Lodhi said that the interrogators were anxious to find the motives behind the documentary. He added that during the making of the documentary, he had received death threats for working with BBC.
On May 4, just after midnight, Hussain Haqqani, spokesperson of the opposition alliance and columnist for The Friday Times and the daily Jang was taken into the custody of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on corruption and embezzlement charges. However, the real reason for his detention was to punish him for the interview he gave to programme “Correspondent”.
The same day, Ejaz Haider, a news editor of The Friday Times, received an anonymous note warning him to install bulletproof windows in his car. Haider was not home at the time the note was delivered to Haider’s 7-year-old son. Haider believed he was targeted because he worked for The Friday Times, whose owner, Najam Sethi had played a significant role in facilitating the production of “Correspondent”.
Sethi had to bear the full force of the government’s anger for his role in organising the visit and for being interviewed for the programme. According to press reports, senior government officials had cautioned him not to work with the BBC team, terming it an attempt to destabilise the country and overthrow the government. Sethi said he had received numerous threatening phone calls; he feared that his house and office would be attacked and he would be arrested.
His fears proved to be well founded; on May 8, about fifteen armed men arrived in vehicles bearing government registration plates stormed Sethi’s house at around 3:00 am and started beating Sethi’s two personal guards posted at the gate. They then entered the house and banged at the bedroom door. As soon as Sethi opened the door they started beating him. His wife, Jugnu Mohsin, was also beaten and locked in a room and warned not to raise the alarm. The officials became abusive when she asked to see the arrest warrants.
The official reason given for his arrest was a speech he had delivered at the India-Pakistan Friendship Society on April 30 in New Delhi on problems facing Pakistan. The official charge did not have much credibility as Sethi had delivered the same speech earlier to the armed forces personnel at the National Defence College. A government spokesman also alleged that Sethi had been arrested for his anti-state activities and links with Indian intelligence agents.
Sethi was detained for several days at an undisclosed location. The police even refused to acknowledge that he had been arrested, although information was leaked to the press that he was in the custody of military’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.
On May 12, the Lahore High Court rejected a petition by Jugnu Mohsin to produce Sethi before the court because he was being held by military intelligence. On May 13, authorities seized copies of The Friday Times.
On May 17, the Supreme Court ordered that Sethi’s family be allowed to meet with him. The Supreme Court ruled that hearings to determine whether the ISI could arrest Sethi under the Army Act would start on May 31.
On June 1, the ISI transferred Sethi to police custody, after an official criminal complaint or First Information Report (FIR) was filed against him under sections 123-A (”Condemnation of the Creation of the State and Advocacy of Abolition of its Sovereignty”), 124-A (sedition), and 153-A (”Promoting Enmity Between Different Groups”) of Pakistan’s penal code, and Section 13 of the Prevention of Anti-National Activities Act of 1974.
However, on June 2, during the hearing of Sethi’s bail application filed by Mohsin, the attorney general of Pakistan made the surprise announcement that the government had decided to drop all charges against Sethi. The attorney general, however, added the government reserved the right to start new proceeding against Sethi. He was released the same day.
Even after his release, the government continued to harass Sethi. On June 10, Sethi accused the government of using the income tax department to intimidate him and his wife. He said the government had issued over two dozen notices against him, his wife, The Friday Times and Vanguard Books, his publishing company. His wife’s bank account was frozen and money was transferred to the tax department. The income tax department reopened settled income tax assessments and had laid claim to, or “attached”, his family’s house.
On June 23, officials of Federal Immigration Authority (FIA) at the Lahore International Airport prevented Sethi from going to London to receive Amnesty International’s Special Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat. Sethi was informed that his name had been placed on the Exit Control List on June 2, which barred him from travelling abroad. The next day, a petition was filed by Syed Zafar Ali Shah, a member of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s political party to disqualify Sethi from voting or running for any elected office. However, on October 6, the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan dismissed a petition. The Chief Election Commissioner did not elaborate on his decision.
TRUTH ABOUT HOW NAWAZ SHARIF TREATED THE MEDIA WHILST IN POWER EVENTS OF 1999
The journalists of today hypocrites like Hamid Mir need to wake up and expose the attitude of the democratic governments in the past rather than staying quite
Nawaz Sharif tried to subdue the Jang Group, the country’s largest media group, and to punish Najam Sethi, editor of The Friday Times, and other journalists, who had cooperated in the production of a BBC documentary investigating corruption involving the family and business concerns of the then prime minister.
Victimisation of The Jang Group
NAWAZ SHARIFS action against the Jang Group started in December 1998. On December 14, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) raided the Rawalpindi office of the daily Jang. They demanded to check the newsprint quotas and store records and harassed journalists and other staff present at the office. However, the newspapers’ staff and office bearers of the workers union resisted this attempt and forced the FIA officials to withdraw from the premises.
The government claimed the raid was a routine examination of the accounts and audit of the group was being conducted because of discrepancies in the profit declared to the income tax department and to the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC). The Jang group spokesman contested the government’s view and maintained that the tax raids were conducted to harass and intimidate the group and its journalists to stop writing stories, reports and investigative stories critical of the government. The spokesman added that government demands included the dismissal of 16 senior journalists including Maleeha Lodhi (Editor, The News, Rawalpindi), Irshad A Haqqani (Editor, Jang, Lahore) and Kamran Khan (The News, Karachi).
The spokesman for the newspaper group also disclosed that senior government officials had asked Jang group newspapers not to carry a news story concerning the non-payment of a US$ 18.5 million loan by the family of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that had been published by the British newspaper The Observer a day earlier. The spokesman claimed officials tried to block the publication of the story and threatened that things would get “real tough” if the story was published. The story was reprinted in a number of Pakistani newspapers, including those belonging to the Jang group.
In retaliation, the government stopped advertising in Jang Group newspapers and filed claims against the group for customs duties on shipments of newsprint amounting to 1.6 billion rupees (US$ 31.4 million). The government also issued notices of tax evasion against the group and its owner, Mir Shakilur Rehman, amounting to two billion rupees (US$ 40 million).
On January 28, Mir Shakilur Rehman held a press conference during which he played discussions with Senator Saifur Rehman, head of the government’s Accountability Bureau and a close associate of the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in which Senator Rehman asked for the dismissal of a number of senior journalists. The Senator also demanded a say in hiring journalists in key position. The senator was heard promising Mir Shakilur Rehman, “If we see any positive change in your attitude, we will settle your problems in a positive manner.” Mir Shakilur Rehman rejected the threats as well as the inducements offered by the senator.
On January 30, the police registered cases of sedition against daily Jang and two other Urdu dailies Amn and Parcham for publishing a political advertisement that “created hatred in the public by virtue of seditious contents.”
In an attempt to force the closure of the publications, the government froze the bank accounts of the Jang Group and confiscated newspapers’ newsprint, and stopped newsprint shipments at the port of Karachi.
On February 1, the Supreme Court ordered the government to release the newsprint. However, the FIA in Rawalpindi defied the court order and commandeered trucks of newsprint meant for Jang publications.
A group of journalists who went to the office of the FIA to discuss the release of newsprint were abused, pushed and beaten, resulting in injury to three journalists: Mariana Baabar, Shakil Sheikh and Rana Mubashir. The same day a number of journalists were beaten by the police at the rally organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), to protest the victimisation of the Jang Group.
Journalists from the Jang and The News responded to police violence and the seizure of newsprint, by blocking the city’s main Muree Road for nearly five hours, while heavy contingents of police patrolled the area. The next day police registered cases against eighty journalists for staging the demonstration.
On February 3, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials and the police manhandled staff of the daily Ausaf, Islamabad. The editor of Ausaf, Hamid Mir, said that they were punished for providing newsprint to the Jang Group. Senator Saifur Rehman reportedly threatened Hamid Mir with closure of his newspaper for providing support to the Jang Group. Telephones of Ausaf’s Karachi bureau were disconnected making it difficult for the bureau to send news to its Islamabad office.
On February 4, the Supreme Court again ordered the government to release 200 of the 1,093 reels of impounded newsprint because if newsprint was not released it would not be possible to publish the Jang Group newspapers. After the Supreme Court ruling, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the police cordoned off the daily Jang’s printing press in Karachi and tried to stop the printing of the newspapers. They took away the truck loaded with eight reels of newsprint belonging to the Jang Group, which was later after the intervention of Senior District Magistrate (SDM).
FIA officials said that they had received orders not to allow the newsprint to the press. The vehicle leaving the press with copies of the group’s evening newspaper, Awam, was stopped by police and only allowed to leave when the editor of Awam threatened action against the policemen.
Police parked a trailer in front of the main door of the printing press and checked all cars coming towards the press and harassed the staff of the printing press. The editorial and technical staff had to rush to the press several times to argue with the police and FIA men to stop the harassment.
One positive aspect of this unfortunate act of government arrogance was the universal condemnation of government action by journalists, editors, publishers as well as national and international media organisations The government realised the operation to tame the Jang Group had backfired, and after nearly two months of hostility a settlement was reached on February 7 at a meeting between Mir Shakilur Rehman and representatives of the government.
The agreement led to the release of the newsprint, the withdrawal of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and police personnel from outside the group’s offices, and the unfreezing of bank accounts. The agreement led to the payment of salaries of the workers and the resumption of normal publication of Jang publications.
BBC documentary
The other high profile episode was the victimisation and harassment of journalists who had cooperated in the production of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) documentary “Correspondent” dealing with corruption in the government and business concerns of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and allegations of money-laundering by his family.
The intimidation of journalists became public when intelligence agents in Lahore picked up Mehmood Ali Khan Lodhi, of The News, Lahore, on May 2. Lodhi was released after two days of interrogation on May 4, after journalists boycotted the coverage of the Punjab provincial assembly to protest Lodhi’s abduction and demanded information about his whereabouts. There was no official explanation for his illegal detention.
According to Lodhi, the interrogators wanted to know details of his involvement with a BBC team. Lodhi said the BBC had contacted him and he gave them the address, telephone numbers and directions to the house of Yousuf Aziz, Sharif’s estranged cousin. Lodhi said that the interrogators were anxious to find the motives behind the documentary. He added that during the making of the documentary, he had received death threats for working with BBC.
On May 4, just after midnight, Hussain Haqqani, spokesperson of the opposition alliance and columnist for The Friday Times and the daily Jang was taken into the custody of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on corruption and embezzlement charges. However, the real reason for his detention was to punish him for the interview he gave to programme “Correspondent”.
The same day, Ejaz Haider, a news editor of The Friday Times, received an anonymous note warning him to install bulletproof windows in his car. Haider was not home at the time the note was delivered to Haider’s 7-year-old son. Haider believed he was targeted because he worked for The Friday Times, whose owner, Najam Sethi had played a significant role in facilitating the production of “Correspondent”.
Sethi had to bear the full force of the government’s anger for his role in organising the visit and for being interviewed for the programme. According to press reports, senior government officials had cautioned him not to work with the BBC team, terming it an attempt to destabilise the country and overthrow the government. Sethi said he had received numerous threatening phone calls; he feared that his house and office would be attacked and he would be arrested.
His fears proved to be well founded; on May 8, about fifteen armed men arrived in vehicles bearing government registration plates stormed Sethi’s house at around 3:00 am and started beating Sethi’s two personal guards posted at the gate. They then entered the house and banged at the bedroom door. As soon as Sethi opened the door they started beating him. His wife, Jugnu Mohsin, was also beaten and locked in a room and warned not to raise the alarm. The officials became abusive when she asked to see the arrest warrants.
The official reason given for his arrest was a speech he had delivered at the India-Pakistan Friendship Society on April 30 in New Delhi on problems facing Pakistan. The official charge did not have much credibility as Sethi had delivered the same speech earlier to the armed forces personnel at the National Defence College. A government spokesman also alleged that Sethi had been arrested for his anti-state activities and links with Indian intelligence agents.
Sethi was detained for several days at an undisclosed location. The police even refused to acknowledge that he had been arrested, although information was leaked to the press that he was in the custody of military’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. On May 12, the Lahore High Court rejected a petition by Jugnu Mohsin to produce Sethi before the court because he was being held by military intelligence. On May 13, authorities seized copies of The Friday Times.
On May 17, the Supreme Court ordered that Sethi’s family be allowed to meet with him. The Supreme Court ruled that hearings to determine whether the ISI could arrest Sethi under the Army Act would start on May 31.
On June 1, the ISI transferred Sethi to police custody, after an official criminal complaint or First Information Report (FIR) was filed against him under sections 123-A (”Condemnation of the Creation of the State and Advocacy of Abolition of its Sovereignty”), 124-A (sedition), and 153-A (”Promoting Enmity Between Different Groups”) of Pakistan’s penal code, and Section 13 of the Prevention of Anti-National Activities Act of 1974.
However, on June 2, during the hearing of Sethi’s bail application filed by Mohsin, the attorney general of Pakistan made the surprise announcement that the government had decided to drop all charges against Sethi. The attorney general, however, added the government reserved the right to start new proceeding against Sethi. He was released the same day.
Even after his release, the government continued to harass Sethi. On June 10, Sethi accused the government of using the income tax department to intimidate him and his wife. He said the government had issued over two dozen notices against him, his wife, The Friday Times and Vanguard Books, his publishing company. His wife’s bank account was frozen and money was transferred to the tax department. The income tax department reopened settled income tax assessments and had laid claim to, or “attached”, his family’s house.
On June 23, officials of Federal Immigration Authority (FIA) at the Lahore International Airport prevented Sethi from going to London to receive Amnesty International’s Special Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat. Sethi was informed that his name had been placed on the Exit Control List on June 2, which barred him from travelling abroad. The next day, a petition was filed by Syed Zafar Ali Shah, a member of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s political party to disqualify Sethi from voting or running for any elected office. However, on October 6, the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan dismissed a petition. The Chief Election Commissioner did not elaborate on his decision.
Arrests and attacks on journalists
While government action against the Jang Group and Najam Sethi received the publicity they deserved, there were a number of other cases of threats, arrests and attacks on journalists throughout the year.
On January 7, Syed Rasool Rasa, correspondent of the Urdu daily Khabrain in Malakand district of the North West Frontier Province, was arrested for reporting the arrest of a member of the provincial assembly. He was kept in detention for six days during which he was mistreated and beaten to force him to issue a denial.
On January 12, Waliullah Saleem, director of the Peshawar based Sahaar News Agency, was threatened that he would be killed if he continued to speak out against the Taliban. He was harassed, followed and chased by unidentified people forcing him to leave Peshawar and hide in Islamabad.
On January 30, three unidentified men armed with a pistol and Kalashnikov rifle ransacked the offices of the daily Khyber Mail International, in Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier Province. The attackers severely beat the messenger Mohammad Javed and tied him up. They smashed the furniture, fax machine and computer monitors, and took away telephones.
On February 4, Sindh police threatened Mazhar Abbas, chief reporter of The Star and former president and general secretary of the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) for articles written by him that were critical of the police. The threat was contained in a letter to the newspaper by the police. The letter said “in case the scribe is not checked, very stringent action will be taken against him under the law” and added that if the police could take care of terrorists in Karachi, they could deal with “fortune seekers” like the journalist Abbas.
On March 24, police assaulted Meruddin, of the Sindhi newspaper Kawish, and Sarwar Jamali, of the Sindhi daily Koshish, and ransacked their houses in Hyderabad. The journalists alleged that this action was taken at the orders of the then provincial minister Ismail Rahoo and his brother Aslam Rahoo. The two journalists alleged that they were beaten up and their family members maltreated in order to stop publication of stories against the brothers.
On April 2, the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) arrested the owner and chief executive of The Frontier Post, Rehmat Shah Afridi, on the charge of possession of drugs. According to the ANF, Afridi was arrested after a tip that he would try to smuggle hashish out of the country. The ANF alleged he was arrested at 3:45 am while driving along with his two guards in his car containing 20 kilograms of hashish, two licensed Kalashinkovs and a pistol. The ANF also alleged that during the preliminary investigation, Afridi revealed the whereabouts of 620 kilograms of hashish hidden in a truck parked in Faisalabad in Punjab province, which also led to the arrest of the truck’s driver and a passenger. However, Afridi’s family has alleged that this is an attempt to gag the press. Memoodullah Afridi alleged that his father had been receiving threats and was expecting something like this to happen.
Mir Shakilur Rehman, president of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), expressed concern over the arrest. He said that the arrest of a newspaper owner on such a serious charge was a matter of grave concern for the entire newspaper fraternity. APNS appealed to the government to constitute an independent inquiry commission to investigate the charges levelled against Afridi and to provide him with access to legal assistance and medical facilities as he was suffering from a heart ailment.
On May 5, unidentified intruders burnt the car of Imtiaz Alam of The News at his house in Lahore. Alam had been receiving threats from unknown persons. The intruders moved the car from Alam’s garage onto the road where they set it on fire while he was asleep. One of his neighbours saw his car in flames and informed the police. By the time police reached the location, the car was completely burnt.
In May, during the government’s confrontation with Najam Sethi, copies of the London-based weekly The Economist were seized because it had an article criticising the government’s assaults on the press.
On May 13, armed assailants shot and injured Rana Sajid Iqbal, the editor of the daily Nawai Sharrer, in Sargodha in Punjab province. He was shot and injured by two bullets and received seven dagger wounds in an attack as he was returning home. Iqbal’s brother alleged that the editor was attacked at the orders of Chaudary Abdul Hameed, a member of the National Assembly (MNA), and the MNA’s son, Hamid Hameed, the mayor of the city. The editor’s brother said that, a few days ago, the MNA had threatened the editor of dire consequences for publishing a news story against him and the mayor.
On May 19 in Lahore, police assaulted a photographer and a reporter covering a funeral procession of four alleged robbers who were killed in a police encounter. Naseer Chaudary, a photographer of the daily evening newspaper Naya Akhbar was taking photographs of the procession from the tractor-trolley when the police asked him to stop taking photographs and to clear the scene. When Chaudhry refused, the police beat him and pushed him from the trolley, fracturing his leg. When Zahid Ali Khan, a reporter of the daily Khabrain tried to help his colleague, the police also beat him.
“LAHORE: Frontier Post Chief Editor Rehmat Shah Afridi criticised Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif in a TV interview on Tuesday and showed documents that he said were proofs of the former prime minister’s corruption. The veteran journalist claimed that the PML-N chief had once earned Rs 330 million in a day by allotting 24 sugar plants to various people. He also alleged that Nawaz wanted to give the contract for developing the Gwadar Port to a defaulted American company in 1999. Afridi said Nawaz had received a huge sum of money from Osama Bin Laden in Madina in the name of jihad. He told Osama he would assist Gulbadin Hekmatyar and Haji Zaman, but the warlords did not receive a penny.
Nawaz brought to Pakistan Rs 1.49 billion of the sum and used Rs 270 or Rs 290 million of it against Benazir Bhutto in the 1990 no-confidence move. Jamaat-e-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad also knew about this money, Afridi said. He said Nawaz had betrayed and robbed all his friends and would “throw [Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman] Asif Ali Zardari across River Ravi” when he found the opportunity.
Afridi said Nawaz came to his house in 1999 and called him his brother. Nawaz also called Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain his brother, but set up military courts in Karachi on the pretext of a rape case, he said. He said he had said in a report he published that there were more rapes in Punjab during Shabaz Sharif’s government than in Sindh and therefore it was Punjab that needed military courts.”
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Mian Nawaz Sharif, during his tenure as Chief Minister Punjab from 1988-90, deprived the provincial departments of Rs. 15.35 billion.
The Auditor General Report released in the year 1988 reported that Mian Nawaz Sharif, misusing his authority as Chief Minister Punjab, issued directives which resulted into direct malpractice of Rs. 35 billion.
The report said that the Chief Minister Secretariat had been turned out to be a hub of corrupt practices and Nawaz Sharif wasted the public money like an ’emperor’ that resulted into huge fiscal deficit of the province.
The Auditor General Report released in the year 1986 said that the then Chief Minister Nawaz Sharif had used Rs. 120 Crore for malpractices in only one year. Nawaz Sharif allotted 3000 precious LDA plots among his favorites due to which the provincial assets suffered loss of billions of rupees.
Nawaz Sharif ordered the CBR to issue several CBRs due to which got Rs. 40 Crore. Mian Nawaz Sharif was the lead character of the Cooperative and Financial Institutions Scam, which deprived the retired employees, orphans, widows, and poor of their total assets amounting to Rs. 17 billion.
Nawaz Sharif released Rs. 1.2 million from his discretionary grant in the year 1985-86 while Rs. 18950,000 were released in 1986-87, Rs. 18990,000 were used in 1987-88 while another Rs. 18870,000 were distributed among his cronies.
The first tenure of Mian Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister in the year 1990 saw another reign of loot and plunder. During this period Mian Nawaz Shairf obtained Rs. 3 billion loan from Banks through his influence against inadequate guarantees. According to the details Rs.1.5 billion loan was obtained against Ittefaq Foundries, Rs.302 million were obtained for Brothers Sugar Mills, Rs.92 million for Brothers Textile, Rs. 392 million for Brothers Steel Mills, Rs.102 million for Ramzan Sugar Mills and Khalid Siraj Textiles each, Rs.385 million for Ittefaq Sugar Mills, Rs.368 million for Ittefaq Textiles and Rs.239 million were loaned to Ittefaq Brothers. Due to the malpractice the national wealth was used for establishing personal empire while the country’s economy was facing huge disaster. This loan was equivalent to the total internal loan obtained by the government of Pakistan.
In a letter to the then president Muhammad Rafiq Tarer, the then Additional Director General FIA Rehman Malik also leveled serious corruption charges against Nawaz Sharif who was sitting Prime Minister.
The charges are based on investigation also include money laundering of billions of dollars; Wheat Import Scam; allotment of contract of Motorway to Daewoo Company; Grabbing of heavy loans despite being defaulter; Sharif family’s UK hidden business; Commission in privatization of MCB; etc.
The following is an excellent programme exposing some of the corruption conducted by Nawaz Sharif by the host of DM Digital, Farhan Aslam, who also used to work for ARY Digital a few years ago.
The report has been divided into six segments. I will offer a short summary of the discussion, followed by the clips themselves.
Brief summary
Nawaz Sharif’s only agenda was to make money. In order to achieve this goal, he formed/changed laws and policies for his personal benefit and expanded his business empire by misusing his authority as Prime Minister. Interestingly enough and ironically, the PPP played a major role in exposing the corruption of Nawaz Sharif and his family. The Jamaat-e-Islami had also levelled a number of corruption allegations upon Nawaz Sharif. As we know, later Sharif and his cronies also played a role in exposing the corruption of Benazir Bhutto and her PPP. In other words, both Sharif and Bhutto have been busy over the years actively accusing each other of committing corruption.
Nawaz Sharif is widely acknowledged to be a highly incompetent person, with a mediocre I.Q. level. The brain behind him was that of his late “Abba Jee” (‘daddy’) - the mastermind and the main decision maker behind the scene.
In order to consolidate and attain more power, N. Sharif attacked every individual and institutions he felt could get in the way challenge his authority. In order to get rid of the then Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who was despised by Sharif, the later created divisions among the judges to make life difficult for the Chief Justice. A group of judges refused to acknowledge Shah as the Chief Justice and things got so bad that a number of junior judges put hurdles in the way of the Chief Justice in order to make it difficult for him to carry out his duties. Eventually, Sharif ordered his thugs to attack the Supreme Court in order to prevent the Chief Justice from giving a ruling against him. The police did nothing to stop Sharif’s thugs as they attacked and entered the Supreme Court. The judges inside the building barely managed to escape. The thugs, led by Sajjad Naseem and Mushtaq Tahir, Nawaz Sharif’s political secretaries, entered the court chanting anti-Sajjad slogans and destroyed the furniture.
Next, consider Nawaz Sharif’s relationship with the press and media. Two examples will suffice. On 8th May 1999, Najam Sethi, a prominent journalist of Pakistan, was arrested by the police on the orders of Sharif. Sethi has committed the crime of annoying Nawaz Sharif by writing a critical essay against him. The police broke into Sethi’s house at around 2 am and beat him up in his bedroom in front of his wife, after which he was transported off to a secret location. The police trashed Sethi’s house, broke the furniture and beat him up quite bad. Sethi was only released after a lot of international pressure had built up against Sharif. Sharif also demanded the Jang Group to get rid of all the journalists who were critical of him. To achieve this goal, Sharif and his cronies used a variety of legal and illegal means to pressure the Jang Group into compliance.
There is probably no institution in Pakistan which Nawaz Sharif did not aggressively confront in order make them comply to his wishes. Besides picking on a fight with the President, the Judiciary and the already restricted/limited media, Sharif also decided to have a confrontation with the army, the only viable institution left in Pakistan. Chief of Army Staff, General Jehangir Karamat, and Nawaz Sharif had a conflict over an issue pertaining to the national security council and both entered into a heated discussion, after which Gen. Karamat had to offer his resignation. Jehangir Karamat thus became the first Chief of Army Staff in the history of Pakistan to have left the army in this prematurely in this manner.
One by one all challenges and potential obstacles were removed from the way by Nawaz Sharif. Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Farooq Leghari, Sajjad Ali Shah, and Jehangir Karamat, as well as others, were all removed from the scene by Sharif.
After the removal of Jehangir Karamat, Sharif appointed Pervaiz Musharraf as the Chief of Army Staff. Some analysts at the time said that Sharif made this decision thinking that Pervaiz Musharraf was an Urdu speaker and did not belong to a Punjabi army family, thus very unlikely to be a threat to Sharif!
Things became sour between Sharif and Musharraf during the Kargil episode. Later, once a relative of Sharif was removed from the army by Musharraf, that was the final nail in the coffin. Sharif then decided to take his revenge and replace Gen. Musharraf with a fellow of his liking who would be controllable (the head of the I.S.I. at the time). Farhan Aslam also comments upon the ill-advised economic decisions of Sharif which made Pakistan’s situation from bad to worse. Moreover, he comments upon the Sharif family’s personal business empire and how it grew exponentially through questionable means.
(Nawaz Sharif’s corruption Exposed, Part 1)
(Nawaz Sharif’s corruption Exposed, Part 2)
(Nawaz Sharif’s corruption Exposed, Part 3)
(Nawaz Sharif’s corruption Exposed, Part 4)
(Nawaz Sharif’s corruption Exposed, Part 5)
(Nawaz Sharif’s corruption Exposed, Part 6)
(Lucman Show - Nawaz Sharif case versus Rehmat Shah Afridi – Part 1)
(Lucman Show - Nawaz Sharif case versus Rehmat Shah Afridi – Part 2)
(Lucman Show - Nawaz Sharif case versus Rehmat Shah Afridi – Part 3)
(Lucman Show - Nawaz Sharif case versus Rehmat Shah Afridi – Part 4)
(Lucman Show - Nawaz Sharif case versus Rehmat Shah Afridi – Part 5)
(Lucman Show - Nawaz Sharif case versus Rehmat Shah Afridi – Part 6)
(Mazhar Abbas show – Rehmat Shah Afridi versus Nawaz Sharif)
(Nawaz Sharif's PML attacks the Supreme Court and chants slogans against Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah - Part 1)
(Nawaz Sharif's PML attacks the Supreme Court and chants slogans against Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah - Part 2)
(Nawaz Sharif's PML attacks the Supreme Court and chants slogans against Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah - Part 4)
(Nawz Sharif and Zardari – Abdus-Sattar Edhi)
I am just flabbergasted to know that there are still some people around who support and are willing to go to great lengths to defend this despicable character. By large, this guy looted our country and created mayhem. He attacked every institution within the country, not even sparing the army, and even dreamt of becoming the so-called “Amir ul-Mumineen”!
Listen to any of his recent talks and interviews and all you encounter is the usual waffle, empty rhetoric and emotions. This is all he has to misled the masses and the sad part is that there are people around who find his rubbish convincing!
If you vote and support this guy, then you deserve to be looted by him since you are worse than him. WAKE UP!
Interesting. Ms Shah you are a very good journalist. These things I myself don’t know. I am a chronic Lahori myself.
I tell a very secret perhaps you never had heard. An old railway cricket player told me with full assurance that Nawaz Sharif bribed the railway cricket team manager by giving him Vespa Scooter in order to play a first class match.
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By: shah on July 15, 2008
Hi Tariq, I laughed my head off at the Vespa Story, I have no doubts. How come you have missed the famous Railway Engine which was standing abandoned for sometime near Kanchi wala Pul and than one day disappeared ,Shariefs had melted that for their mill purpose and that means a lot of LOHA in terms of their factory production……………
Anyway I have no personal vengeance against them it is just that very ordinary people had this opportunity to be a leader and they made a fool of themselves they looted and plundered the country and exploited the resources and power to abuse every person around them…….what a nuisance they are……….
very sorry to hear about strike at Faisalabad…….people in the news and media have no vision of how governments are run and true politics is policies which run the economy…….I do not understand LAL MASJID ISSUE for our media……..what do they want militants like that ………everywhere…….do they realise what would these people do first thing is they will probably hang these media men and woman……..TV is haram according to their version of ISLAM.
So deeply sorry that these people have no idea what they are playing with and what is the price of FREEDOM.
They should consider themselves lucky that Musharaff gave these licences but I am sorry as ever it has fell into hands of fool.
Pehlay MULLAH KHA GAYAE HAMAREE CREAM OF THE SOCIETY KO AAB MEDIA MAIN JALEE LOUG AAGAY HAIN.
who are only preaching one word AFRA TAFREE……when all of this is proposed and propogated by themselves.
Without lifting a finger these people have been given the stardom with no policy or culture of explanation, self respect or self repute most importantly thoughtless minds. I am so surprised they have carved such a larger than life person out of president Musharraf.
…….
By: Tariq M Khan on July 19, 2008
Luqman.com has created thrill in recent days. Mr. Rehmat Shah Afridi’s interview which last well about three hours reminded the Pakistan about the most cruel era of Sharif family. We, Pakistanis, have very short memory (in fact most of the people of the world also have short memory). We forget the remote past and only remember the repeated uttering propaganda. Mr. Rehmat Shah Afridi was ordered death sentence for writing truth about Sharif & Co.
I wonder why during Musharaf’s era he was still in jail. Thanks to Salman Tasir that he is freed now. We see Frontier Post again which I think one of the best newspaper ever published in Pakistan and also its news channel.
I’m no supporter of ppp and pml-n in fact i’m pro musharraf. but i would rather see ppp in government than the ho hopers plm-n. zardari mr 10% does deserve some credit for ousting pml-n…
WELL DONE ZARDARI FOR DUMPING PML-N OUT OF THE GOVERNMENT Take the label off ZARADRI for being MR 10% and than see his achievement of reaching the presidency and it is staggering.Even if you do label him with MR 10% he still has taken his fair share of punishment by staying in prison for 11 years.
No other corrupt politician has been in prison for the length which their crime of corruption deserves.NAWAZ SHARIF a incompetent leader who has been involved in large scale corruption from getting millions of rupees of loans written off for his industries to KARZ UTHARO MULK SANWARO scheme served only a year or so before showing his coward and non existence leadership qualities by jetting off to Saudi Arabia with his whole family after the humiliating deal he agreed to.
I am no supporter of the PPP and specially Zardari but compare him with NAWAZ SHARIF and you have to admit Zardari has shown much more maturity and smartness than the brainless Nawaz.Zardari has proven to Nawaz on how to act like a politician and not like a immature politician bent on taking revenge from opponents on personal ego whilst damaging national interests on the way.
It was ZARDARI who served 11 years in prison while NAWAZ cut a shameful deal and jetted off to Saudi Arabia
It was ZARADRI who wanted to go ahead with the elections after his wife got murdered while NAWAZ was in favour of boycott
It was ZARDARIS party which won the most seats in the 18th February elections on more issues, while NAWAZ and CO only had one single issue of judiciary to talk about. How can a party be so clueless about real issues and only do politics with one issue?
It was ZARADRI who made it clear that Judiciary needs to be independent and not personalities like IFTIKHAR CHOUDHRY.As the PML-N claimed that no PCO Judges are accepted whilst IFTIKHAR CHOUDHRY himself took oath under PCO so how can we call him the most honest man. So ZARADRIS decision not to restore IFTIKHAR CHOUDHRY was a good one, a decision even MUSHARRAF can be happy with.
It can only be a party like PML-N which has a lack of leadership quality. Leadership which is based on self-interest and family interest or PUNJAB interest which thinks that people who voted for them did so on the basis of restoring the already corrupt and already PCO Oath holders like IFTIKHAR CHOUDHRY.
How can PML-N just exist on one issue, the people who voted for PML-N wanted more, they wanted their problems solved, their day to day life to improve. I’m 100% sure everyone who voted for PML-N was not even interested in IFTIKHAR CHOUDHRY. But that’s what we can expect from a lacklusture, visionless, objectiveless and pointless existence of NAWAZ SHARIF and PML-N.A party does not deserve to exist if it only has ONE ISSUE to do politics on, even that ONE ISSUE of JUDICIARY is where they have jumped on the bandwagon.
PML-N betrayed their voters by quitting the government. They should have stayed in government and showed some sincerity with its voters by working on their issues.By quitting it showed their lack of interest in ordinary Pakistanis and their issues. Whereas ZARDARI was the one who slowly and cleverly built together his coalition and was working on future plans.
It was ZARADRI who was able to disunite the Lawyers movement. A movement which did quite a lot in disrupting Pakistan’s progress in the last year.Zardari was able to break the momentum of the movement and also has been successful in buying out some deposed judges and restoring them back into office. In the process of breaking the lawyers movement ZARDARI was successful in shutting up the PML-N who had only one issue to cry on. Now NAWAZ SHARIF has no where to run or nothing to cry about and as expected NAWAZ will go to LONDON and try to hide his humiliation of failing to achieve anything.
It was ZARDARI who contributed the most in MUSHARRAFS RESIGNATION.Nawaz Sharif was moaning about the President for a long time but until ZARADRI agreed everyone was hopeless to do anything. But finally it was ZARADRI who changed his mind and decided to go after the president only than MUSHARRAF decide to call it a day.
Finally it was ZARDARI who wanted to become president and despite all efforts of the PML-N not wanting so,ZARDARI thrashed PML-N’s candidate and became the president of Pakistan whereas NAWAZ the clueless was relying on public opinion polls and thought that his presidential candidate will surprise everyone but once again the wishful thinking of the incompetent NAWAZ SHARIF brought humiliation for him.
So it is ZARADARI AND PPP who have managed to secure the presidency and strengthen their hold in government and it’s the wild and amateurish decisions of NAWAZ SHARIF which has meant that from gaining 90 seats in the National Assembly and securing 9 Ministers their ONE ISSUE POLITICS OF LAWYERS is going no where and they have all resigned from their ministries, their presidential candidate received a battering from ZARADRI and they are sitting on the OPPOSITION BENCHES and NAWAZ is back in LONDON.
WHAT A HUMILIATION THRASHED ON NAWAZ AND PML-N FROM ZARADRI AND PPP.
In the name of revenge Friday, November 21, 2008 It appears that General (r) Amir Faisal Alvi, a former head of the military Special Services Group (SSG), who was shot dead in a daring attack in Islamabad, may have been killed in revenge for his past involvement in operations against militants in the tribal areas. No other motive has been suggested for the assassination, carried out by killers, riding motorbikes and a jeep, who opened fire on the general's car and then fled. The ex-military man had been receiving threats from the Taliban for several months. His murder was obviously planned well in advance. It is thought he was made a target because he commanded the SSG group in a covert operation against militants, 'Operation Mountain Lion' carried out in Waziristan in 206, with US and British involvement. At least 12 militants had been killed by Alvi's unit, others arrested. Among them were a number of foreigners.
The Taliban, it seems, were eager to deliver a clear-cut message. The retired general was seen as a 'soft target'. His death, alongside that of his driver, is a reminder of the extremist hatred for the forces acting against them and of their ruthlessness. The game of revenge is obviously a dangerous one. It is not known if other targets are in sight. The killing could also set a pattern that 'copy cat' assassins emulate, to gun down, in a similar fashion, those involved in actions against militants at various times. The thought is a terrifying one. We already have, in our society, far too many strands of violence. An addition to them is obviously not a development to look forward to. Solutions to the situation are not easy to find. But the government must, with the military and other security outfits, consider a way to make the country a safer place; heads must be put together to find a way. Unless we can achieve this, the walk down the dangerous path that leads only to darkness will not be halted and this cannot augur well for any of us anywhere in the country. (The News)
....... Terrorists under pressure
Gunmen on a motorbike intercepted the private car of a former head of Special Services Group, Major General Ameer Faisal Alvi (Retd), and shot him and his driver dead on the outskirts of Islamabad on Wednesday. While a section of opinion attributes the killing of the general to personal enmity, the manner of attack shows it more likely to be the handiwork of an Al Qaeda-Taliban hit squad. The actual operation is more likely to be performed by any one of the sectarian groups that are affiliated with the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Recall the terrorist attack against the Surgeon General of Pakistan Army and the suicide-bombing of a commando unit that had taken part in the 2007 Lal Masjid operation in Islamabad. The modus operandi in this case is, however, closer to how the sectarian groups have been operating and targeting their respective leaders. The general had retired in 2006 and headed commando operations in South Waziristan during his tenure as the top SSG commander.
Determined military operations in Bajaur and Swat have brought the terrorists under pressure. For the first time the military is not only being supported by local tribes, there are local militias to back up action by the army. Mohmand Agency is the latest to challenge the Taliban. After the exit of President Pervez Musharraf from the scene, many developments have strengthened the position of Pakistan against the foreign elements located inside its territory and their local supporters.
An elected government has been able to get an agreement of disparate elements in parliament on how to tackle terrorism in the Tribal Areas. The backing to the military operations in the Tribal Areas comes from a parliament that wants dialogue with elements on the condition that they put down arms and talk. The consensus among the ulema on terrorism through suicide-bombing has also become a significant factor in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism. Within months, disagreement over terrorist attacks has changed into a firm opposition to the acts of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and more and more of the Taliban leaders are suing for peace. Therefore, the killing of a retired SSG officer is an act of desperation.
While achieving these successes, Pakistan remains firmly opposed to CIA attacks inside Pakistan. The reason for this opposition emanates from the experience of the Pakistan army in the Tribal Areas. The population in the affected area are Pakistanis mentally linked to a Pakistani sense of the nation. Attacks from across the Durand Line, while killing innocent people as collateral damage, affect the minds of this population and incline it to prepare for war instead of preparing for peace with Pakistan. Although some of the drone attacks have killed important Al Qaeda men — the latest being the one killed in Bannu — the net effect of these strikes is negative for Pakistan and tends to roll back its gradual progress towards pacification. The latest attack inside the settled area of the NWFP may in fact have inflicted an equal setback on Pakistan as on Al Qaeda.
Reconciliation is the only way out and that is what Pakistan is trying to achieve through military operations. The idea is not to kill people but to deploy power in such a manner that people vulnerable to the power of Al Qaeda turn away from it and resume their allegiance to Pakistan. That is why the stance taken by the Pak army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani includes finding a political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan from where it is leaking into Pakistan. There are many NATO commanders who actually believe this to be the only way to go. Why is this considered important?
The final objective of Pakistan is to drive Al Qaeda out of the region, not to force it to fight to the end taking along a large Pakistani population. Before Al Qaeda is compelled to leave, it has to be isolated and separated from its local support base. Therefore Pakistan has to fight elements who benefit from the presence of Al Qaeda. This can be done only through re-establishing the writ of the state in the Tribal Areas. That is one reason why Pakistan concentrates more on the Taliban and not on Al Qaeda. The elimination of Al Qaeda and its extermination by blocking its exit may be an American objective but it lacks realism in the eyes of Pakistan. The organisation is amorphous and exists in many parts of the world. Pakistan doesn’t want more martyrs whose ghosts may haunt it in the future; it wants a return to normalcy with its people secured against violence.
A clear backing of the army operations from the civilian government has partly turned the battle against Al Qaeda and signs of this reversal are visible. Suicide-bombers are still being sent out but they are less and less effective. With time, as vigilance and pre-emptive action increases, these attacks will lose their appeal, certainly for those who do it partly for money. In the NWFP, political power is with people who fight the war for the survival of Pakhtun identity. The religious parties who helped entrench terrorism in the Tribal Arras are out of power and are now embroiled in scandals. This is the tipping point in Pakistan’s war against Al Qaeda. No slippage from this point should be allowed. (Daily Times)
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The ANP members of the Parliament use abusive language against PML-N's leader Nawaz Sharif. The PML-N's MNAs demand that their leader's name must not be uttered without having ablutions.
PML-N slams ANP for using Pakhtoon Khawa for NWFP
ISLAMABAD: Pandemonium was created in the lower house on Friday when PML-N and ANP clashed over use of Pakhtoon Khawa instead for NWFP province.
Members of PML-N on Friday strongly protested in National Assembly when NWFP was called Pakhtoon Khawa. In response the ANP members protesting over it criticized Nawaz Sharif and used abusive language against him.
Earlier, on a point of order in NA, PML-N Captain Safdar took serious notice of calling NWFP as "Pakhtoon Khawa" urging there is no such name in the Constitution urging Members to avoid it.
Mian Raza Rabbani was of the view that no one will be allowed to violate Constitution adding that we want full assurance of Provincial autonomy.
While participating in the Debate, Deputy Parliamentary Leader of MQM Haider Abbas Rizvi also criticized PML-N stressing that in the Constitution, name of the province is North West Frontier Region thus calling NWFP is also not legitimate.
On a point of Order in NA, Awami National Party’s Pervez Khan on objection raised by PML-N against Pakhtoon khawa started character assassination of Nawaz Sharif. This turned the house into a chaos and both PML-N and ANP exchanged hot words.
This prompted Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi to expunge the remarks against Nawaz Sharif from the proceedings and read out the presidential orders adjourning the session sine dine. (On Line News, 21 Nov 2008, http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=136524)
Friday’s row erupted when a young PML-N lawmaker from the NWFP, Mohammad Safdar, a son-in-law of party leader Nawaz Sharif, objected to the use of “Pakhtunkhawa province” by MQM deputy parliamentary leader Haider Abbas Rizvi in a speech on Thursday and use of the description “Pakhtunkhawa government” by Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Raza Rabbani while referring to a reported missile attack in Bannu district of the NWFP, calling the usage a violation of the constitution.
PML-Q president of NWFP Amir Muqam supported Mr Safdar’s argument and, like him, said their parties would accept the new name if the constitution was amended by the required two-thirds majorities in both houses of parliament.
PPP”s Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Raza Rabbani, a strong advocate of the new name who seemed to be incensed by Mr Safdar’s allegation of the constitution being “torn into pieces” by those using the word, joined the fray and reiterated his party’s commitment to get NWFP name changed as demanded by the provincial assembly twice through what he called its unanimous resolutions.
Mr Safdar had also talked of an attempt to foist the view of what he described as “40 percent (Pakhtun population of the province) over 60 percent” (non-Pakhtuns).
ANP member Pervez Khan added fuel to the fire by making some remarks about Mr Nawaz Sharif, which the chair expunged at Mr Rabbani’s request, with Mr Safdar responding with a greater gusto recalling what he called his party leader’s political favours taking it in a PML-N government in the 1990s and bringing it in the mainstream politics and suggesting that the ANP member should have done ablutions before uttering Mr Sharif’s name. (The Pakistani, 21 Nov, http://thepakistaninewspaper.com/news_detail.php?id=12420)
(Nawaiwaqt, 22 Nov 2008)
PPP's and PML-N's Allegations against each other
(Abdul Qadir Hassan, Express)
(By Dr. Safdar Mehmood, Jang, 21 Nov 2008)
Mind your language, PPP warns Sana
Source: Our STAFF REPORTER (The Nation)
LAHORE- PPP Punjab President, Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan and PPP MPA, Qasim Zia ,in a joint statement, took strong exception to outbursts of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah against Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, saying that it was unbecoming of a cultured person to indulge in mudslinging over any person or his family just to score political points.
The PPP leaders said that it was not wise for a person belonging to a respectable family to use derogatory words for family members of any person just for political gains.
‘He should have thought of his own family members before uttering such words’, they said, and ,added, that even worst enemies are careful about their families when they are engaged in fight.
‘Rana Sana should keep in mind that our family traditions keep us from saying some thing against the families; otherwise, the romantic tales and scandals of his and his leaders’, if made public, they would not be able to find place to hide themselves out of shame’, they alleged.
The two leaders said it was impossible to deceive the people by developing fake pictures in this age of computers.
They said Punjab Governor Salman Taseer belonged to a respectable family and was performing his Constitutional duties in Punjab as Governor, and nobody could stop him from doing so.
They said it was Constitutional right of Governor to issue advice to the Chief Minister. The letters sent to the provincial govt were in line with the Constitution and law and the Provincial Minister should have control over himself, they said.
The PPP leaders advised Rana Sana to study the Constitution to acquaint himself with the legal status of Governor.
Meanwhile, two members of Punjab Assembly, Najaf Sial and Samina Khawar Hayat have also condemned what they called derogatory language used by the Law Minister against Salman Taseer. Condemning the statement, they said that one should avoid targeting families to achieve political ends.
They said people have not yet forgotten the romantic tales of ‘Honey Bridge’ and other such stories of his (Rana’s) leaders. ‘If they promote filthy politics, then nothing would remain to cherish about’, they added.
Peoples houses were bulldozed by Nawaz Sharif (when he was in power) all around his area and many people were displaced and the land from local authority has been merged into his personal property.
But it is not true that Lahori’s love him.
Number of reasons: Yellow cab scheme failed badly
Old bus services were replaced by air-conditioned ones but the fair was high.
He promised business to people but he failed them by demolishing and repossessing a lot of encroached land which is left unused anyway and people suffered economically. People had loans to start these businesses but were not compensated in any way.
People who were working in scrap or any business to do with iron were completely left without anything because Sharifs are in this business.
He forced Government College Lahore to take down its boundary wall and replaced by the grills so that area looks beautiful.
No doubt Government College is a beautiful building with gorgeous front lawn but that is for students to study to relax………now it is exposed to all noise and pollution…..
Kinnaird College was suppose to suffer in the same manner but the resistance was high and I think American Embassy etc were involved because the college gets grants from them, so it was spared .
His daughter got admission in a prestigious college without coming on merit further shock was when she got good marks in Intermediate???
He himself claims to have studied at GC Lahore where as we never found anyone who remember to be his class fellow there???????
His wife is MA Urdu Literature and a very able Professor was writing her thesis for Mphill or PHD
Apart from all above he failed to create jobs, business I remember Anar Kali, Liberty market every where it was quite in those days.
Mr. Shahbaz Sharif built the bridge over the railway line to connect Lahore Cantt with Gulberg ,there was underpass already .Lahoris call it HONEY BRIDGE apparently one of his Darlings was residing in Lahore defence and he could not wait in the queues? Being a Cantt resident I dislike this bridge it has brought a lot of noise, pollution and traffic jams instead of improving the situation.
Both Sharifs were busy Tapping the phones of their female partners (i do not want to use any rude word)……..that was the jobs of Top officials as per News papers of the time. Mr. Sharif was incapable of communication at a person to person level.
There was huge number of unjudicial killings of people at Shaikhupura ,apparently people who were in jails were taken to outskirts of Lahore than police will ask them to run away in the middle of nowhere when the person will be running police will shoot him. Claiming that he tried to run away from Police custody. The numbers of such killings was so huge that HRCP International raised their concerns? Lahore Residents are very mature and indifferent .As we have seen Generals, Intellectuals ,Journalists and Prime Ministers and Presidents.
The only party basis I have seen there is of PPP. The workers are ready to demonstrate, sleep on the roads to see Benazir.
Nawaz Sharif promised Androon Shaher Kashmirees that he will liberate Kashmir the answer was his KARGIL?
The family is commonly known as LOHAR and Choor who have thrown their own sister inlaw into BHATTI because she was asking for her share in the business? Lahore lights know Sharifs too well?All the politics and votes you see are bought?????? No question about it.
I have no problem feel free to use the material anywhere you want.
If you are digging deep please do get your material from The Friday Times Lahore……full marks to Najam Sethie’s Work that is an excellent diary of all times.
Jung group has forgotten the story they run when the government raided SHAHBAZ Residence in 1999,what they found there?????
His bedroom including the bed (imported from abroad with innumerable positions) was a set of some porn film or adult shop stuff.
Road to Raiwind was interesting ,many a times poor policeman on Naaka found interesting guests for whom Prime minister was calling to let go of without the questioning ,during routine stop and search?
Very interesting stories about Prime Minister having dates in his private jet……… …hmmmmmm
no wonder men envy him so much……..
While we the ordinary students were even not alloud to have simple college excursion trips because, Sharif family ka Islam Khatrai main parh jata hai…….
Honey Bridge? hehe... u r referring to "Jinnah Flyover" right? Well, I have been told it was completed 10 months BEFORE the scheduled completion date. That maybe a bit exagerrated. Yes, Shahbaz Sharif really pulled off quite a coup in the way he developed Lahore in the short time he was the CM.
Jinnah Flyover built by then Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Shahbaz Sharif to connect Gulberg with Cavalry Grounds over the railway track.
Also called Honey Bridge after the CM's alleged girlfriend. His frequent visits to Defence were plagued by long waits, hence the bridge was constructed to ease their meetings. http://wikimapia.org/453342/Jinnah-Flyover
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Sectarian terrorists of Taliban cum Sipah-e-Sahaba once again attack Shia Muslims in D.I.Khan.
10 die in DI Khan funeral procession blast Updated at: 1250 PST, Friday, November 21, 2008 (The News)
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Ten people have been killed and several injured in a blast occurred in funeral procession on Bannu Road near Kotli Imam on Friday.
According to sources, ten people have been killed and several injured in a blast occurred during funeral prayer of yesterday’s targeting killing victim.
Angry protestors opened fire on police after the blast. Security forces have cordoned off the area and security put on high alert in the city.
The bodies and injured have been shifted to district headquarters hospital.
......
Sectarian curse Sunday, November 23, 2008 The bomb that exploded at the funeral of a Shia cleric in Dera Ismail Khan brought to a climax the flurry of sectarian violence seen in the town ahead of the attack. The cleric being buried had been shot a day earlier; hours before his funeral took place the caretaker of a Shia mosque was gunned down outside his home. The bombing at the funeral, in which ten people died and 43 were injured triggered violence by mobs that rampaged through the streets setting vehicles ablaze.
Such scenes of anger are of course familiar to us. We have lived with worsening sectarian hatred over the past two decades or more. Killings and counter-killings organized along the lines of sect have seen areas such as Hangu in the tribal areas literally descend into chaos and a frenzy of killings. Similar violence has been seen in other areas at various points in time. Shias, who make up somewhere between ten and twenty per cent of the population, depending on which set of data you believe, live in a state of fear. Many have chosen to give children names that cannot instantly identify their sect; guards stand outside the homes of many prominent Shias and informal surveys suggest there are more and more people in the country, from amongst the pre-dominantly Sunni majority, now question the right of Shias to call themselves Muslim. Myths are deliberately spread about the school of thought and its practices. The growth of intolerance, which led to anti-Ahmadi laws being ushered in 1974, under which the group was declared 'non-Muslim', continues. Shias fear they could be the next target.
The question is what is being done to check the tide. It seems evident a well-planned strategy is needed to eradicate the menace of hatred that is now a part of lives. As a step towards this, laws that pertain to the spread of sectarian hatred must be enforced. Currently, we have a situation in which certain television show hosts, many newspapers and other publications have been able to add to intolerance in many places. CDs and video cassettes available in the market deliver the same message with still less subtlety. We also need to address the issue within school curriculums and resist the opposition to such changes that comes from orthodox elements each time an attempt is made to bring in change. And as the month of Muharram approaches, adding to the tensions, the government needs to send out a clear signal that sectarianism will not be tolerated. The current practice, of banning the entry of specific persons to various districts, is largely useless given that hatred can be disseminated easily in this day and age through cassettes or even over the Internet.
Changing society is not an easy task. In most cases it takes years, if not decades, to achieve. It also becomes a particularly difficult task when hatred has been woven deep into the fabric of society and is retained there through the teachings imparted at madressahs and indeed in many other places. Prayer leaders at Sunni mosques have been known to make their own vicious attacks on Shias. But despite these challenges, an effort to halt the tide of hatred must be made now – otherwise we will face still greater mayhem and violence in the days ahead. (The News, 23 Nov 2008)
It may be noted that Taliban have previously claimed responsibility for such sectarian attacks in D.I.Khan including an attack on a hospital earlier this year in which 28 people lost their lives.
After supporting Taliban for years, now Imran Khan calls them "illiterate religious beggars" and tells Newsweek that Pashtuns will turn in Osama bin Laden if America pays them. Readers may remember that when in 1997 Attorney Robert Horan made a similar derogatory statement the then Nawaz Sharif Government rightfully asked Mr. Horan to apologize to the Pakistani people (http://edition.cnn.com/US/9708/18/briefs.pm/kansi.court/index.html). Mr. Horan ended up apologizing. When will Imran Khan apologize to the Pashtuns?
Excerpts from the interview
So what do you advocate? Look, it's a mess. It was a mistake to turn the Taliban against you. They were just illiterate religious beggars. Those people, the more you kill them, the more they're going to come after you. Now you have to separate the Pashtuns from Al Qaeda and start negotiations. It will be a slow process, but they are very good at negotiation. That's the route to go. But how do you persuade Pashtuns to allow the United States to go after Al Qaeda? Pay them. For a fraction of the money spent on the war, they might have delivered Osama bin Laden. A little bit of money would have given them a stake in peace.
How do you start the process now? You [must] have credible brokers. Musharraf is now attracting terrorists. The fundamentalists are targeting him. The Pashtuns are targeting him. So you need to have free and fair elections to set up a genuine elected government that can negotiate.
Do you see a figure emerging from elections who could hold the country together? My contention, after watching the mess Musharraf has made, is that even a bad democrat would be better than a military man. Army men are not equipped to deal with the world. They are used to giving and taking orders, no debate. They have always made a mess of the country. Whatever emerges from democracy—it'll be messy, I'm not saying we'll have utopia—but we'll be going in the right direction.
Comments:
Gul says:
IK: Core issue in manifestos are neither here nor there, generally, wouldn’t you agree? Nevertheless, I don’t particularly doubt (or otherwise) IK/PTI claims, but just consider Imran Khan a political light weight, not even moderately cerebral, and a at least one of the following:
a beardo and a hypocrite and/or a genuine schizophrenic
It’s my opinion about a public figure, and not meant as a personal affront to anyone on this forum. By the way, I hold him in very high esteem as a cricketer and a philanthropist.
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A STUDY of terrorism from a historical perspective would shed light on the origin of this phenomenon and the motivation behind it. It has manifested itself in different hues and colours.
Terrorism has emerged in different circumstances with different aims and objectives. One of its earliest forms was directed against individuals when political or religious groups resorted to violence against people who posed a threat to their existence. Monarchies and dictatorial regimes were especially vulnerable as all power was concentrated in one individual. Those who suffered attempted to assassinate the ruler with the aim of changing the situation in their favour. By their act the terrorists also conveyed a message to those at the helm that they should not adopt a policy of exploitation or hostility.
In Islamic history we find such an example in the case of the followers of Hassan bin Sabah who assassinated their rivals. The order was known as the hashishiya, the root of the word ‘assassins’. The same pattern was followed in Italy and Germany in the 18th century where secret societies were formed by young people to adopt terrorism as a tool to fight foreign occupying powers and those who collaborated with them.
Such societies were formed by youths with deep nationalist sentiments and acted as terrorists for a nationalist cause. Members of these secret societies attempted to kill those who were involved against the nationalist cause or implemented policies perceived to be against the public interest. In Russia before the 1917 revolution members of such societies tried to kill the czar and high officials, thus hoping to change the structure of government.
During the British Raj in India at the time of the partition of Bengal in 1905 Bengali nationalists adopted terrorism when all peaceful and democratic means failed to achieve their objectives. They were well organised and made a number of attempts to assassinate the governor general and high colonial officials. The governor general on the occasion of his daughter’s wedding received a bouquet of flowers which contained a bomb. As a result of the explosion many people were killed, though the governor and his daughter escaped death.
After the First World War, Bhagat Singh and his friends resorted to terrorism because they felt there was no other way to force the colonial government to change its oppressive anti-people policy. He and his friends were hanged in 1931 on the charge of killing a British police officer. Their acts of terrorism served to help people shed the feeling of fear and awe they felt for the colonial authority. That’s why Frantz Fanon approved such violence which was found necessary to embolden people and to create a new spirit of resistance among them to fight the colonisers.
Keeping in view this historical perspective, it is clear that there are two causes for the origin of terrorism: the state and imperialism. Whenever the state blocks all avenues of expression and adopts terror to control its own people the result will be violence and terror as a reaction. Hitler and his fascist government terrorised people by using the Gestapo and the police. The response was that his enemies hatched conspiracies to remove him by an act of terror.
The Shah of Iran escaped assassination attempts a number of times which clearly reflected popular hatred for his rule. Israel practises the worst form of state terrorism against the Palestinians. They respond to it by adopting terrorism as a mode of vendetta as well as to fight for their freedom. Russian state terrorism destroyed Chechnya but its victims also responded by challenging Russian authority by using terrorism.
The American policy of terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan that results in the death of civilians including women and children has provoked reactive terrorism. Thus we know that terrorism begets terror. It becomes a vicious cycle which devours thousands and thousands of innocent people.
In Pakistan we have two types of terrorism: one is sectarian and the other is a reaction to the actions of the American and Pakistani states. The sectarian terrorism is the result of religious extremism when every sect believes in its own absolute truth and regards all others as misguided. Such extremists target religious places and kill the opposite sect’s followers to create in them a sense of insecurity. Sometimes there are targeted killings of professionals who belong to particular sects. The purpose is to weaken the professional base of the victimised sects. However, sectarian terrorism is not a permanent feature. It is used by vested interest groups politically.
The recent wave of global terrorism is the result of the US occupation of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s willingness to take action against the Taliban. In reaction the terrorists have attempted suicide bombings on government buildings, police checkposts and public monuments to demonstrate the government’s inability to protect its buildings or officials. Thus these acts are designed to discredit the government and its agencies in the public eye.
The key question to be asked is whether state terrorism or violence by groups is a solution to the problems? The answer is no. Terrorism or violence is the result of weakness and not of power. States or parties who adopt these methods have no intellectual creativity and instead of convincing their opponents by intellectual arguments they resort to violence to force the other side to cow down and accept defeat. It always causes chaos and disorder. That’s why most of the terrorist organisations in the end give up this method and adopt peaceful and non-violent means for achieving their objects such as the IRA and the ANC of South Africa, which abandoned violence to struggle on moral grounds and ultimately overthrew the apartheid regime.
However, it is important that the state should also refrain from acting violently and provide an opportunity to negotiate and understand the point of view of others. The same holds true of the occupying powers. If they continue their occupation and kill those who are fighting for freedom, terrorism will remain the only weapon available to fight against them. (Dawn)
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Re: Governor Punjab Salman Taseer & His Family in Pictures
I cant see anything awkward in all those pictures with the perspective of the class these people belong to. A big QUESTION that we have to ask from ourselves is that " What we will do if we are in their place?" Wont we be doing the same. Its a big question over which we have to ponder and then if in our concious if we see that we will also do the same things then its a situation to get disturbed. So we shall start by correcting ourselves first, then our family and then the rest of the world. Islam is not a religion which shall be embraced in a situation when there are no opprtunities for you to do the things but its true test is WHEN you are capable of doing it but you refrain from them. A POINT TO PONDER MY FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!! What do u think???
Cupertino Re: Governor Punjab Salman Taseer & His Family in Pictures With all due respect to everyone, I think posting pictures of one's family members without their permission is totally wrong. This is some pretty personal stuff. Salman Taseer is a public figure so I can understand his pictures but his kids or wife should be off-limit to public scrutiny or comments.
temporarynick
Re: Governor Punjab Salman Taseer & His Family in Pictures Well, the dancing pics were i guess from a wedding and its pretty common not only in upper class but in poor families as well that girls dance in the wedding functions... Anyways, I dont see how the modern living style of his kids relate to the IHTISAB or AGAINST PAKISTANI LAW. He is a rich businessman and belong to the ELITE class before becoming the governor. Are we saying demolish the upper class totally or what? I am not sure how many of ppl protesting here have HIJAB and islamic dresses implemented in their families. Our MUJAHIDEEN only look for raise Islam flag on such topics and dont do anything about the bigger problems...
waqas105's Re: Governor Punjab Salman Taseer & His Family in Pictures i just say, Shame on you Mr,Notorious.. Who gives you the rights to print the pictures of others. What you trying to proved that you r real muslim, true pakistani and this kind of ur act help pakistan or muslim. you just did bull****.....just study the islam basic stuff then think what you did..........Please stop these kind of bull**** stuff.............dont give the comments that ":nice daughter"............Kuch Khada ka khooof karo.....chaley hu dunyiea fateh kernay aur morally failed nation.
shazan04 Re: Governor Punjab Salman Taseer & His Family in Pictures As if we think as a Muslim community, that is all bull-****. But if we think like if our daughter or sister go and stay in any hostel life even in Pakistan, you may have images like that (except swimming & sea view) in the rooms with their class mates. On the other hand, swimming & sea view pictures are totally right if we send our daughters / sisters to the foreign countries for studies then why should we feel shame while sending them in totally different & vulgar culture.
Only one quote I prefer to share with you that
JAISA DES, WAISA BHES
If we want to stop all these ****s then we should clean ourselves from our homeland not dare to blame on others. Tell me how many persons don't drink or don't like to swim with girls even in this "FORUM". Who can say that his sister / daughter don't wear clothes like "Shehrbano" used to wear in "PHOTO GALLERY" ??? Please don't be spark, be calm & try to vanish all that from our own, then we can ask Governors or Ministers what they should do.
Sorry for using harsh compliments but these are as true as they are.
Thanks for the patience.
Regards
MohammadA Re: Governor Punjab Salman Taseer & His Family in Pictures THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE. Why is it so important for people to pay attention to what the (as the title of it says) "elite" does. What people need to realize is that everyone has their own lifestyles and what might be normal in one household might be forbidden in another. I would really suggest for this blog to be taken off the Internet since there are a lot of people displayed in the picture who's reputations are going down the drain. Keep your opinions and thoughts to yourself, there is no need for anyone to make it so public. Another point i would like to add: there are a lot of people in these pictures who are not directly related to Salman Taseer and his family, so why are there pictures being displayed on the web?
7248999 Re: Governor Punjab Salman Taseer & His Family in Pictures Quote: Originally Posted by sadani View Post @last pic now we'll be having a gay rule in Punjab :-)
Hi everyone
This is just ridiculous and interference in any one's private life. Islam also prohibites not to look into someone's personal life. We people are living two faced life. Although we would like to be a part of modern society. In my opinion, Salman Tasser & his family are not doing anything wrong. Its their right to do anything as they wish. Some stupid, bull**** man who wants to be in good books of PMLN's leaders did all this evassive effort. I'm sure the people behind all this activity are also part of same class. I live in England and I have seen PMLN leadership and their family as well and some of them are still in UK and living english life. All Lahore knows abt "Kon kitna Shareef hai?" I am sure if anyone post their pics, what will happen? This world is glabal village now and every one is visible. It is shameful act and I strongly condemn this.
Salaam
Pakistan ka Aazad Shehri
amhere Re: Governor Punjab Salman Taseer & His Family in Pictures Dear ones!!! I respect views given by all of you people but I have my own views and want to share with you. I think its all right for his family to wear and do what they think is right. Sin or something immoral is in the minds and hearts of men. Those people who think that it is wrong and immoral are lacking exposure about civilizations and societies in general (this is what i think)
I givev you two examples. If you go to England, females there wear short dresses which is generally thought of as bad in our society. But in England two boys cannot hug each other. If they do so, they are thought of as being gays. But in our society we hug each other generally and never does the thought of gayism strike our mind. So its everyone's own feeling and idea about things.
Secondly, if you go to Kohistani areas, north of PAkistan, you would see people refraining their women from watching even News on Ptv. They do so because they do not want to allow their females to see a "Na-Mahram Mard". Now females at my home watch news on Ptv and i do not mind it and i am sure many of you would also not mind them but if a Kohistani sees you like this, he would term you and me "Begherat" "Besharam" "Jahanam Ka Eendhan" and all that stuff.
So its time to get out of this stuff and behave. I feel sorry for Rana Sanaullah (Law Minister, Punjab) who stood on the Punjab Assembly Building and showed pictures of Salman Taseer and his son. Is this the politics we are heading towards ?? We should positively criticise the government. However, we the viewers should understand one thing. Its easy for PPP to start a campaign against PML-N leaders and their families. Intelligence is a federal subject and is under the federal government. It can ask the IB to sic the PML-N leaders and their families. But this would be wasting the money of the people to do something bad. IB should work for proper intelligence gathering and not for such a things.
Salman Taseer was a rich businessman even before becoming Minister and then Governor. And the Constitution does not bar anyone to enjoy his own money. He has the money so he is enjoying. I do not want to get into the truth or fakeness of these pictures but this is not a topic on which we should be wasting our time. People spend their time enjoying so that they can work the next day and we spend all our day commenting on those enjoyments. I have a humble advice to Rana SanaUllah "Go for positive criticism"
Personal character assassination will lead us no where
Thanks for the patience to read what i think
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Dirty Politics Starts With Nude Photos of Salman Taseer By Gul Raiz • Nov 20th, 2008
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah brandished nude pictures of Salman Taseer with some ladies and the pictures of some naked women and dance parties in the governor house, and right after that Raja Riaz of PPP accused that Rana Sana get drunk daily after saying his prayers. That is the beginning of a new round of dirty and disdainful political round in the Pakistan.
Leader of Punjab Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Rana Sanaullah has accused Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer of being involved in ‘unethical and un-Islamic activities’ and said the provincial government would take a strict notice of it. He said if a poor man was found involved in an un-Islamic activity, he was caught by police but the governor was left scot-free. Then similar blames were hurled at the Rana Sana from the PPP ranks.
Bitterness is found among the PML-N rows since Asif Ali Zardari has appointed Salman Taseer as the new governor of Punjab. He is a known bitter rival to the Sharif Brothers, and he has been busy in destabilizing the Punjab government from the day of his appointment. PML-N also considers him one of remnants of former president Pervez Musharraf. But that doesn’t warrant anyone to start using such degraded tactics. Political rivalries aside, but personal attacks of such low degree must be shunned. PML-N top leadership must control its apparatchiks.
Rana Sanaullah, the PMLN law minister in the Punjab, has stooped to conquer. He stood on the steps of the Punjab Assembly two days ago and brandished two pictures before the media. One showed a son of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer on a beach with two “girl” friends. The other showed Mr Taseer at a dinner table with family and friends at some private function, a bottle of Whisky on the table (which is “doctored” into the picture, according to PPP spokesmen). Mr Sanaullah has accused Mr Taseer of turning the Governor’s House into a “den of sin”. Earlier, anonymous e-mailers had sent pictures culled from Facebook albums to all and sundry showing the 16-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son of Mr Taseer with school friends at family and class get-togethers. One rag in Islamabad has actually printed these pictures.
This is a most despicable smear campaign against Mr Taseer and his family. It undermines everything that our family-oriented culture holds dear and sacred, the privacy and sanctity of its “chardevari”. It is remarkable that the conservative Muslim League- Nawaz should have trampled on its own turf. But it is not surprising. The Muslim League’s dirty tricks department is as old as the party itself. We recall how it smeared Benazir Bhutto and even Mrs Nusrat Bhutto in the 1988 elections by spraying the province with “computer-doctored” pictures of the two ladies in ostensibly “compromising” situations.
Are wives and children of politicians fair game for opponents? If so, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth policy would lead to many similar revelations about the secret wives and mistresses and errant children of many PMLN leaders and politicians. All the federal government has to do is to sic the Intelligence Bureau on them and play back their tapped phone conversations and SMSs to the salivating media. Indeed, if the PPP were now to “doctor” pictures of the Chief Minister Punjab or dig up alleged or “doctored” skeletons from his family cupboard, we shouldn’t be surprised.
Behind this vicious personal campaign against Governor Taseer is a political tussle for control of the province. The PMLN opposed Mr Taseer’s appointment from Day One because of his anti-Sharif credentials, which date back to the 1980s and 1990s when, as a PPP stalwart, he suffered imprisonment and torture at the hands of Sharif governments in the province. Recently, the thunder of the have-nots and the unwashed during open-day public events in the Governor’s House has also displeased many in the chattering classes. Mr Taseer’s ready Punjabi phrase and refusal to pander to hypocritical piety didn’t go down too well either with stiff-upper lip types. But the straw that broke the PMLN’s back is the Governor’s insistence that PMLQ horses should not be traded to buttress the PMLN, and the PPP should have its fair share in coalition cabinet formation, both legitimate positions. The PPP is also upset that the PMLN, a coalition partner in the Punjab, is lending covert support to the lawyers’ movement to destabilise the federal government. Two recent complaint letters by the Punjab Governor to the Punjab Chief Minister about the provincial government’s policies or lack of them in certain areas seem to have provoked the latest personal attack on him.
Of course, the PMLN has genuine grievances against the PPP federal government which has blithely broken important pledges to restore Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry as chief justice and repeal the 17th amendment. The PMLN is also angry that the sword of disqualification hangs over the heads of the two Sharif brothers. Naturally, too, the PMLN covets the PMLQ so that it can dispense with the PPP in the Punjab and go on to destabilise the federal government and dislodge it from power. But this is politics as usual. What Mr Sanaullah did, however, is not acceptable politics. It is personal, dirty, mean and low. It would be unfortunate, but perfectly understandable, if the PPP were now to stoop to the same personal level to malign the PMLN by trampling all over its chardevari. (Daily Times)
Is it an action replay of Nawaz Sharif's smear campaign against Imran Khan in 1990s?
Timely smears knock Khan's chances for six Independent, The (London), Feb 1, 1997 by Jan McGirk Lahore
Leading a national team to triumph in cricket, with its clear-cut rules, is quite distinct from mastering the murky intrigues of Pakistani politics. Two days before the election for prime minister, Imran Khan, who five years ago was idolised for winning his nation the World Cup, is reeling from the smear campaign aimed at his anti-corruption idealism.
His seasoned opponents, both former prime ministers, were cynical enough to appropriate the gist of his reformist zeal into their own sketchy party manifestos. Mr Khan has conceded in public that a victory now "would be a miracle" and that his Movement for Justice (Tehreek-i-Insaaf) Party "may not even win a single seat".
While local newspaper headlines gloated yesterday over new accusations that Mr Khan had once slapped Sita White, the heiress whose paternity suit against him in Los Angeles has made their alleged illegitimate daughter one of the hottest topics of this race, Mr Khan has retreated to campaign in the Northwest Frontier province of Swat. The conservative Pathans there welcome him as a clan brother and his admiration for their ethos has become obvious, at least since his mid- life crisis, when he gave up his Armani suits for traditional tunics and baggy trousers. Mr Khan's recent book, published in Urdu, extolled the austere life of Pathan warriors and advocates their code of honour. But by suggesting that offenders who steal from the nation ought to be executed, the Oxford graduate has stunned the country's intelligentsia. Many now feel his best chance of success as a mainstream politician lies in distancing himself from religious extremists. Ms White dropped her plan to confront Mr Khan in Pakistan over his denial of fathering Tyrian Jade, aged four. But yesterday she denounced him from California in an interview with The Nation, an English daily, published in Lahore. "He was the father, " she said. Her earlier allegations that he had tried to talk her into an abortion because the baby was not male damaged Mr Khan's popular image as a man committed to Islamic ideals. Mr Khan countered her attack by proxy through his young British wife, Jemima, who extolled his virtues on television and dismissed the "salacious reports" as "above all, so un-Islamic. No one benefits from reading this nonsense," she said. Mrs Khan, 22, had left her baby, Sulaiman, with his nanny while she addressed two women-only rallies in her halting Urdu. In the interview in The Nation, Ms White described in detail how she had provoked the aspiring prime minister by berating his hunting prowess. She recounted how Mr Khan crossed in front of a friend during a shooting expedition and bagged the bird for himself. "We were all discussing it. Imran had fired past him. Then Imran actually slapped me across the face in front of everybody. I was just in shock. I had never seen that side of his personality." Afterwards, Mr Khan reportedly told his stricken girlfriend: "Even if the tiger is wrong, you should say that he is right." Ms White dismissed reports in the London papers that she was jealous of her replacement in Imran's affections. "I don't know Jemima," she said. "She seems very young and innocent, and easy to push around. I feel sorry for her." Naseem Zehra, the spokeswoman for Mr Khan's party, said: "We think this whole Sita White business is tacky. The timing is vicious. We do not want to comment." Tonight, the candidate will fly home for the final innings before the vote. Mr Khan's followers accuse Nawaz Sharif, who most analysts believe will win the election, of manipulating Sita White into timing her embarrassing paternity suit for the election campaign. But a spokesman for Mr Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League shrugged this off, saying: "If Imran's past catches up with him, we are not to blame."
Will the supporters of Al-Qaeda and Taliban in Pakistan (namely Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Imran Khan, implicitly supported by certain leaders in Nawaz Sharif's PML-N) condemn this statement? Or will they keep dodging the Pakistani nation by their ambiguous stance towards terrorism?
The second-in-command of Islamic militant network al-Qaeda has called on Muslims to harm "criminal" America.
In a message purportedly from Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al-Qaeda deputy accused US President-elect Barack Obama of betraying his Muslim roots.
He likened him to a "house slave" - who had chosen to align himself with the "enemies" of Islam.
Mr Obama has said stamping out al-Qaeda "once and for all" will be a top priority during his administration.
On Sunday, he said capturing or killing Osama Bin Laden was "critical" to US security.
He has also promised to bolster the US presence in Afghanistan - a policy that would fail, said the al-Qaeda deputy.
The US said the message did not signal any increased threat against America.
You were born to a Muslim father, but you chose to stand in the ranks of the enemies of the Muslims, and pray the prayer of the Jews Al-Qaeda message
This is undoubtedly a message aimed at sustaining anti-American sentiment among Muslims in the face of Barack Obama's election, says the BBC's defence correspondent Rob Watson.
But it is a risky approach, our correspondent says.
Barack Obama is hugely popular world-wide and his colour and background make him a much tougher target to attack than President George W Bush in the eyes of a global audience, he says.
'Trespassing crusader'
Zawahiri, an Egyptian by birth, is often referred to as Osama Bin Laden's right-hand man and the chief ideologue of al-Qaeda.
The audio message, which ran with photographic stills and some video footage, appeared on militant websites.
Mr Obama's election did not mean that US policy towards the Muslim world had changed, Ayman al-Zawahiri said, according to the 11-minute message.
Barack Obama on 17 November Obama wants to "stamp out" al-Qaeda
He warned Mr Obama of failure if he followed the policies of the Bush administration.
The change of leadership in the US did not mean that America should be perceived differently, he added.
"America, the criminal, trespassing crusader, continues to be the same as ever, so we must continue to harm it in order for it to come to its senses," he said.
Zawahiri also criticised Mr Obama - whose father is Muslim - for betraying the Islamic world.
"You were born to a Muslim father, but you chose to stand in the ranks of the enemies of the Muslims, and pray the prayer of the Jews, although you claim to be Christian, in order to climb the rungs of leadership in America," he said.
Mr Obama was not an "honourable black American" like Malcolm X, he said, but an "abeed al-beit" - a word that translates as house slave but was rendered "house negro" in the message's English subtitles.
The audio was accompanied by footage of a speech by Malcolm X in which he distinguished between "field negroes" who hated their white masters and "house negroes" who, he said, were loyal to them.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack described the message as "more despicable comments from a terrorist".
Mr Obama visited Israel in July and expressed his "abiding commitment" to its security.
On Sunday, in his first television interview since his 4 November election win, he reiterated his commitment to shift more US troops to bolster the military presence in Afghanistan.
The last message purporting to be from Zawahiri emerged on 8 September. He is thought to be in hiding in the Afghan-Pakistan border area. (BBC News)
Read more...
Ugly squabble Thursday, November 20, 2008 (The News, Editorial)
The running feud between the PML-N government in Punjab and the provincial governor, which has been simmering angrily since Mr Salman Taseer was appointed to his present post in May this year, has now assumed truly ugly proportions. The PML-N law minister has accused Taseer of indulging in 'immoral and un-Islamic' activities of various kinds and has suggested he be punished. He has also said the government does not see him as a part of the PPP setup but as a remnant of the Musharraf era.
By alluding to 'drink and dance parties' at the Governor's House, Law Minister Rana Sanullah has struck, as it were, below the belt. However it must be said that Mr Taseer himself has done little to create harmony in his province. Indeed, he often seems bent on stirring things up. Whether this is part of a broader strategy, as is suspected by many, or because he has at a personal level made no attempt at all to disguise his animosity to the PML-N is not clear. Most recently, it is two rather strongly worded letters sent to the Punjab chief minister, accusing him of failing to protect the sanctity of the courts against protesting lawyers and of not filling cabinet posts, which has irked the government. It can hardly be blamed for being annoyed. The governor is quite openly eager to act beyond the role of a figure-head. Indeed he has taken to commenting on almost every deed of the government, usually critically. The time has come for the centre to step in. The increasingly unpleasant war or words in Punjab is creating a great deal of unpleasantness. It is also marring smooth functioning of the provincial administration. A crisis in Punjab would damage democracy and the standing of the central government. For these reasons the games currently being played must be halted, the governor brought into line and a maximum effort created to re-build cooperation in a province where too much dirty linen has already been hung out in public. (The News)
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It may be recalled that it was same PML (Nawaz Sharif) and Jamaat Islami which back in 1990s started a dirty campaign against Imran Khan. Now Imran Khan is an angel in their eyes (for political gains) whereas Salman Taseer is bad... Why double standards?
During the 1970s and 1980s, Khan became known as a socialite due to his "non-stop partying" at London nightclubs such as Annabel's and Tramp, though he claims to have hated English pubs and never drank alcohol.[5][2][7][8] He also gained notoriety in London gossip columns for romancing young debutantes such as Susannah Constantine, Lady Liza Campbell and the artist Emma Sergeant.[5] One of these ex-girlfriends, the British heiress Sita White, daughter of Gordon White, Baron White of Hull, became the mother of his alleged illegitimate daughter. He has denied paternity but a judge in the U.S. ruled him to be the father of Tyrian Jade White.[9] About this lifestyle, he has said, "I am a humble sinner."[5]
2. "Imran Khan: ‘What I do now fulfils me like never before’", The Sunday Times (2006-08-06). Retrieved on 5 November 2007. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article601339.ece 5. "The path of Khan", The Observer (2006-07-02). Retrieved on 5 November 2007. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1807210,00.html 7. Forsyth, James (2005-05-31). "Khan Artist", The Weekly Standard. Retrieved on 5 November 2007. http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/658vhcpk.asp?pg=1 8. Lancaster, John (2005-07-04). "A Pakistani Cricket Star's Political Move", Washington Post. Retrieved on 5 November 2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/03/AR2005070301078.html 9. Imran slogs it out in the rugged world of Pakistani politics", Deccan Herald. Retrieved on 5 October 2007.http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Nov152007/foreign2007111535867.asp?section=updatenews
Jawabdeh:
Capital Talk:
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Some news clips from Daily Jang, Updates on 19 November 2008
Qazi Hussain Ahmed, thin on votes, thick on ambitions. The notorious Mulah-Military Alliance active against democracy once again....
Read this op-ed by Ataul Haq Qasmi
Dirty Propaganda against Salman Taseer and his family by the pro-Taliban right-wing agents of Nawaz Sharif, Jamaat-e-Islami and Imran Khan
Comments by ordinary Pakistanis
dara Says: November 19th, 2008
We are as nation spine less , brainless and powerless. We have been looted and murdered four or may be five times bu military generals and we couldn’t do anything (generals had worse life styles compare to Salman taseer).
We have lost four wars and half of the country and still celebrate 6th September. We have been fooled in the name of Islam by one Munafiq e azam four 11 years. To people who are calling Indian “Kunjars”, recently “Kunjars ” had a debate in there cabinet to give Pakistan some Aid (5 billion reported in media) so that we mustn’t be selling our nuclear assets.
Those “Kunjars” landed on moon one week back and what a achievement for us to steel and up load Pictures of some one daughters on internet, congratulations perfect Muslims Pakistanies, you must be proud of yourselves, really Salman Taseer’s Family life is the biggest issue of this melting country….
Ghost Of TK Says: November 14th, 2008
Since when these Amreeka’s piThoo, right winger reactionaries, the destroyers of Pakistan, the hitmen of kissinger, unwitting accomplices of the zionists, ie; the MULLAH’S … have become the “keepers” of the lawyer’s movement?
I would request to publish the names of the featured article writers because it would certainly be interesting to see who actually wrote this thing … thanks.
P.S. Good on the Sargodha University students. I think we can do without right wing religious nutbag (loaded) rants. The lawyer’s movement doesn’t need bearded rats who have betrayed Pakistan and the Islamic ideals to now rape the LMFJ.
makhalil Says: November 14th, 2008
can some one point out what is Salman taseer’s anti-Pakistan campaign?
and regarding the word used “whiskey Ridden” i specially protest that how can this report be independent when their are attacking on someones personal attributes.
Just beacuse he is liberal, secular not a religious, muslim league, Rai wind going Governor of Punjab.
I think he has been victimised by the right wing {zia Ul Haqqeee} ruminants in media and politics for being a upright, leftist, secular and PPP governor of Punjab.
some quoted the reference from Jassarat newspaper which is run by Jammat-e-Islami.
and i dnt need to say anything about the character of Jammat
they said the same things about ZA Bhutto and history has prove them wrong. They said the same things about Benazir Bhutto and history has proven them wrong.
when we have no argument to back ourselves then we start attacking some ones personal life , their family life, their family members.
did salman taseers daughter killed any innocent or has been involved indirectly.
do they propagate hatred against people.
do they ‘force’ others to do things. what they think is right.
gditpp Says: November 14th, 2008
In all fairness can the author of this post share with us the “anti-Pakistan statements and activities of, Salman Taseer”, and by the way who is in fact the author. Most propoganda in newspapers is done by baynamay yellow journalists.
that's what the right wing people did with Jinnah sahab Bhutto Benazir Zardari Bilawal
grow up man. grow up
and in their eyes the most pious women in Pakistan are
1-umm-e-Hasaan 2-Dr Afia Siddiue 3-Amina Jajua
they are all Maulvi Sarwer {who killed Zil Huma saying that he killed her because she doesn’t observe purdah}
If Joyala means not to agree with the following 1-yourself 2-PML 3-Ghazi Rashid 4-Hamed Gul 5-Jammat Islami 6-Al Qaeda 7-Tablighi Jammat 9-taliban 10-Neo-Islam
Then i don't have problem what ever you Label me.
TK says:
bauti da’vay daar jamiat chmcha-e sarkar jamiaat amreeki aala-e kaar jamiat jurnailooN ki yaar jamiat
GhaaSib bad kirdar jamiat rishwat bhattay khwaar jamiat ilm-o-hunar peh baar jamiat sir ik vote ki maar jamiat
we_are_nuts Says: November 19th, 2008 at 4:07 am comment-top
What’s so controversial here? The guys drinking? Give me a break. For all the PML(N)/ANP/Judiciary movement/MQM/Everybody and their mother in the ruling class/Mullah lovers, know very well that they all drink.
hrw786 Says: November 19th, 2008
This is really dirty politics, these pics are released as conspiracy and there is be a political war gone personal. There are people worst than that in our country.
After this lots of political Alims will make a fatwa and Mr Taseer will never leave drinking and make circumstances worst for PML (n). Who will suffer people of Punjab.
NJ is right things are pretty bad after this program. My question is who runs the country?
I don’t know is running country agencies, PPP, PML N, PML Q, or America
Ghost Of TK Says: November 19th, 2008
The fact that PML-N has to resort to mullah kanjar sh!t like this means they really haven’t learned a goddamned thing and our ‘kleptablishment’ won’t sit still till they’ve run this focking country 500 miles into the ground.
Really? Drinking is a problem?
What about selling your mother and then combing your 3 foot long beard? YOU GODDAMNED FOOLS!
This can be fixed with proper education and internal democracy. But neither PML-N nor PZP are willing to listen to it until it will be too late for everybody.
srau Says: November 19th, 2008
not nice of pmln to start campaigning against taseers son and daughter….they should campaign against him not his children…if his daughter is dancing on a wedding they shouldnt make that an issue…its wrong
Ghost Of TK Says: November 19th, 2008
I don’t like this slide back into ‘77 as Nusrat put it. Salman Taseer has plenty wrong with him. You don’t have to drag his young daudghters dancing at a family function into it to phuk him up.
If PML-N is going to pull these beardo stunts. Than NO THANKS! I’m fine where I am. (FWIW)
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should the same criteria not be applicable to all politicians including those in pti & pml-n?
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zak:
I am not a big fan of judging [politicians by their own personal character. God knows families have enough scandals..but that doesnt correlate with being a good politician. After all Bush and Hitler didn’t drink and didn’t womanise..
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Unaiza Fatima:
I am not supporting Salman Taseer in any way…to make it clear right at the beginning. The point is…Was this picture taken before he was appointed as governer or after that? Yes it definitely does not mean that he may be refraining from these right now. But one cannot judge everything by loking at undated pictures. If the rule holds for previous acts as well, what about Imran Khan? He could never contest the elections on similar grounds for his immoral and vulgar past life (not sure about his present life either). Yet he contested right under the nose of “independent” judiciary led by Honorable Justice Iftikhar Ahmed in 2002.
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Barrister Ali K.Chishti:
it’s a very weak case any good solicitor could thrash the facts (agreeing the credibility and knowing atleast one of the sons) but point is do you seriously think any judge would have taken a suo-moto against someone with a bottle of alcohol in a picture? Comeon mate- you could do better then that….!
It’s such a small thing to discuss and I see cheapsters “yellow schooled” and Zia idolizers Shoaib Safar and Kashmiri making a fuss about alcohol and posting private pictures of someone’s daughter’s on there blogs – what if someone posts Shoaib’s mother pictures on a blog? I wonder how would he feel now?
God these guys considers: sleveless clothes as baysharmi? LOL
No one cares about people like you….get a life!!!!
PS.
That’s a nice french wine he’s having – looks vina cana rioja to me!
Hilarious – panjo-mentality comments at it’s best!
The captions with the snaps are like,
“HIS SON WITH A WOMAN?” WTF? Whats wrong with that?
“HIS DAUGHTER DANCING ON THE TUNES OF SATAN” LOL – that the most hilarious comment I ever read….where did you guys come from?
Get a freaking life….they reminds me those cheap Mirpuri’s and backward Asians Back in the UK who thinks of every white as a tramp! LOL – die of hate and jelousy you freaks….
.... Comment by Hamza:
Frankly speaking, if the constitutional clause regarding “good character” and “violation of islamic injunctions” is enforced, than the vast majority of the Pakistani parliament, including members of every single political party will be debarred from political office.
As an example:
1. Imran Khan (PTI) - fathered a daughter out of wedlock —> unislamic
2. Mian Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) - involved in numerous corruption scandals, most notably involving bribery and loan defaults —> unislamic
3. Any senior leader of the MQM —> You can choose any number of things for the MQM, but for sake of brevity, let’s say — political violence and thuggery —> unislamic
4. Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar - I don’t know where to start with this veteran politician, but his treatment of his wives is probably a good place to start. Again, for mistreating his wives, among other things — unislamic
Now, I’m not doubting that Mr. Taseer, by consuming alcohol, is indulging in un-islamic behaviour. But, let us judge our politicians by their administrative competency, not personal lives.
After all, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Founder of our dear country, is known to have drank alcohol(unislamic!), and married a Parsi (forbidden by Islamic law!). Yet, his consumption of alchohol, and supposed unislamic lifestyle didn’t make him a bad leader. Without him, after all, we would be all loyal subjects of the Republic of India.
In fact the only person who objected to Jinnah was the Jamaat-e-Islami. Maudoodi called him Kafir-e-Azam, citing the same reasons you have: that we drank alcohol, married a Parsi, etc.
Hopefully, we can all move on, and not judge our leaders based on their personal habits, and instead hold them accountable for their political actions.
This is directed to Mr Talkhaba or any of the other posters,
Based on the constitution of Pakistan, do you believe that Imran Khan, an honest and commited politician - by all accounts, should be disbarred from politics for life? After all, he has fathered a child out of wedlock, a profoundly unislamic act.
If the writer believes that Mr. Taseer is ineligible for political office, I hope for the sake of consistency, he should also call for Mr. Khan to retire from active politics. After all, the same criteria should apply to all politicians.
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Comment by ReallyVirtual:
Is the real issue whether they drink or not, or is it whether they drink out of their own pocket in their own private residences AFTER office hours (which is fine by me at least) or whether they burn OUR money to party and drink in the official government buildings during office hours - which would probably be wrong even in one of the “enlightened-since-establishment” “democracies”.
Did they bring the bottles and the boxes from their homes to “unwind” after the “stressful workday” or was the booze provided to them through public money
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Comment by Faisal.K on November 18, 2008 @ 11:43 am
No offense but i too receive pics like this and many others in email everyday, a persons private life is their own and we should be ashamed if we go around publishing moments from it on the net. I find this practice quite creepy.
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Comment by Hamza on November 18, 2008 @ 12:27 pm
Mr. Rafay Kashmiri:
1. Maulana Fazlur Rahman is also another person who I should have added to the list.
2. You are indeed correct. The JUI coined the term “Kafir-e-Azam”, and I made a mistake in my original post. I don’t want to belabor the point here by getting into the Jamaat’s opposition to the creation of Pakistan, but just to be clear, till 1947 Maudoodi maintained that he would not fight for Pakistan, that he did not believe in Pakistan, and that the demand for it was un-Islamic. Some ten years before Partition, while writing Mussalman Aur Maujooda Syasi Kashmakash, he had maintained that ‘Muslim nationalism is as contradictory a term as “chaste prostitute”. Jamaat literature would sometimes use the derogatory word Na-Pakistan for the proposed state and there were frequent indictments of Jinnah as lacking ‘an Islamic mentality or Islamic habits of thoughts’.
Having said that, the thrust of original argument still stands. If we really get into the details of which of our politicians exhibit truly unislamic behaviour, nearly everyone can be found guilty.
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Comment by KhanLala on November 18, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
For those comparing Salman Taseer with Imran Khan, Altaf Hussain and others, we have proof that’s asking for his removal. Especially, we can’t compare Imran Khan on the ground of his past. Look guys, I was one the guys who compelled Imran Khan to escape from Karachi University when he was invited to deliver a speech in favor of Mush and his “Najaez” referendum. But now when his present is right, I will not say a single word about him. We will try to acquire proofs and then demand the removal. And note the public office bearers have no personal life except in their own drawing and bed rooms. Look these guys are drinking in a function. Again my point, had we had independent judges, this evidence was sufficient for Salman Taseer removal.
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Comment by karachikhatmal on November 18, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
its quite disgusting to have anyone’s pictures be put on public display. its far worse when those pictures are of someone’s children.
dr. awab, you are one of the most respected members of our civil society, and these pictures are available through out the web. so why did you post them? is it fair to go after someone’s children, no matter how reprehensible that person’s character may be?
what bothers me the most is that if someone posts pictures of our siblings or children, it would rip our heart out.
@ rafay kashmiri et al
please, lets have you malign the Quaid on the record. because he did drink and follow western habits and thoughts. don’t blame it on mushie. and don’t hide behind the private life excuse - his thought was imposed on us all in the form of our blessed, wretched country. and no, he didn’t have a “brit style in his early days” - he was
so please - lets get you loud and proud - was the quaid a “kala angrez?” did he lick the proverbial “boots of the west?” was he a “dog of the goray”
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Comment by karachikhatmal on November 18, 2008 @ 5:31 pm
(posted the previous comment a bit too hastily - damn my liberal, westernised impulses!)
its quite disgusting to have anyone’s pictures be put on public display. its far worse when those pictures are of someone’s children.
dr. awab, you are one of the most respected members of our civil society, and these pictures are available through out the web. so why did you post them? is it fair to go after someone’s children, no matter how reprehensible that person’s character may be?
what bothers me the most is that if someone posts pictures of our siblings or children, it would rip our heart out.
@ rafay kashmiri et al
please, lets have you malign the Quaid on the record. because he did drink and follow western habits and thoughts. don’t blame it on mushie. and don’t hide behind the private life excuse - his thought was imposed on us all in the form of our blessed, wretched country. and no, he didn’t have a “brit style in his early days” - he was the same through and through all his life in terms of his personal habits.
so please - lets get you loud and proud -
was the quaid a “kala angrez?” did he lick the proverbial “boots of the west?” was he a “dog of the goray”
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Comment by Hamza on November 19, 2008 @ 7:02 am
Mr. Kashmir, Dr. Jawwadkhan & Talkhaba,
Our discussion seems to have gone slightly off-track, and I’m partly responsible for that, having brought up the Jamaat, etc.
I was wondering if you could comment upon my original argument, that nearly all leading politicians in Pakistan, including Imran Khan, Maulana Fazlur-Rahman, Asif Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, etc, are guilty of violating Islamic injunctions. Therefore, if the article of the Constitution regarding a “good muslim” is to be enforced, they should all be disbarred from politics. Do you agree or disagree?
Also, is taking bribes or engaging in corrupt practices any less of a sin in Islam than drinking alcohol? Why do we judge our leaders simply based on their consumption of alcohol or supposed “western lifestyle”. If we really believe in accountability, shouldn’t we use honesty as a criteria to judge our leaders as well?
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Comment by Barrister Ali K.Chishti on November 19, 2008 @ 9:56 pm
I personally think that genuinely personal aspects of the life of a politician should indeed be granted the protection of privacy. So in this respect the politician is no different from anyone else. But the peculiar ethical demands of political life mean that this protected area is smaller for politicians and furthermore, not very secure. The privacy of a politician is always liable to be under scrutiny and what is to be regarded as private depends on the politician’s own wishes is not acceptable. It would make politicians judges in their own cases, whereas empirical studies of corruption show that politicians are very poor at drawing an ethically acceptable line between public life and what is properly private. So although the blogers community were justified in posting Governor’s pictures with the drinks but absolutely, broke all forms of decency by producing his family pictures since personal aspects of the life of a politician should indeed be granted the protection of privacy.
Politicians should have their personal lives protected only on the assumption that the way they behave in their lives – the character, principles, attitudes, beliefs and virtues they display are not only quite distinct from but are also greatly superior to their behavior and character in their private lives. While the Blogers fraternity should understand that publication of information or images about someone’s / anyone’s private life without that person’s consent is only acceptable where there’s a “legitimate public interest overriding the right of privacy’. Even politicians is entitled to respect for his or her privacy except where circumstances relating to his private life could affect the performance of his duties or public confidence in him or his position……
Very dispassionately, so where the blogers broke all norms of decency and ethics by putting up picture’s of ST’s family they are somewhat legitimate in posting the pictures with the glasses minus his kids pictures.
I also want to add that the Punjab’s Law Minister should be sacked for publicly ridiculing a member of a family – this is not a way atleast a law minister should act.
The argument is on: two wrongs does not make one right – lines. When PML-N claims to be on a higher moral standing then Salman Taseer then the act yesterday of the Punjab Law Minister (who in principle should be the a role model since he is heading the law ministry) was equally condemable and embarrasing for his masters in Raiwind Palaces but “principles”, “ethics” and “morality” are non-existant in anyone’s dictionary in Pakistan : be it politicians, generals or commons – so why just blame one party? This is hypocracy….I see an inevitable influence of class interests upon even the noblest of political ideals. It is impossible for this reason ever to rely altogether on reason or conscience in politics. Pressure must be put. It if is gradually applied and the new standard of justice is gradually approximated there is always a possibility that who lose privileges in the process will accept the loss voluntarily. If they should fail to be convinecd by it’s justice, and if only the threat of political powe should secure their acquiescene, their children may regard it as an established standard of society. So our society should move toward the goal of equal justice by gradual and evolutionary processes not the way Islamists and Communists in Pakistan propagates that would lead to total collapse of system.
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dara Says: November 11th, 2008 at 7:26 pm comment-top
@ javed khan and others What ever reported about Salman taseer and his family is not new. This has been there in the corridors of powers . There is no justifications for what Salman taseer doing period. My question to people is when Military people (generals and other officers) do the same things why you don’t condemn it. Yahya Khan very famous for his party life was a big hero of Jamat I Islami as he allowed Jamat to do whatever the wished in Bangla Desh in 1968 onward. so it is witch hunting that really doesn’t convince me. Why we are all against Salman taseer where as there are bigger criminals are free. Most of the pictures are from private life that i don’t appriciate. I must say i don’t appreciate Salman taseer throwing parties in the middle of economic crises.
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What is cooking between Salman Taseer and Imran Khan:
Malek said:
@shirkuh
didnt you notice in the ‘press statements’ by the Great Khan….that he didnt had the ‘courage’ to name his friend Taseer ……apart from this the statements appear more about his ’success’ of boycotting elections rather than condemning c@up of democratic govt
and the second one seems to be an answer to a question….so the ‘most principled politician in the history of Pakistan’ can provide a brief answer when specifically asked on such a significant matter……….but i will assume that otherwise he will always uphold democratic values?
if u read statements from even the likes of ANP or MQM they sound more ‘meaningful’
i agree with @TK about your claims on being vigilant agaisnt politicians etc etc…… but at the end of the day being a PTI supporter instead of admitting IK’s blund@rs will find justification in press cuttings here and there………so why blame MQM voters for sticking with ‘their kali mata
i repeat what i said earlier The issue is toppling of a democratically elected govt …….and keeping mum on it by PTI just because Khanzeer and IK attended ‘mahafils’ together…..is a biggest insult by the most ‘principled politician in the history of Pakistan’ to democracy!
Shirkuh said:
@GoTK
Easy, TK….I think you are way OFF track. To compare IK with Fazlu and company. That’s way too unfair. I would not even compare NS/SS with that scvmbag!
I don’t know why you try so hard hide your affiliation with PML-N. You are a PMl-N ally/supporter and if you really trust their policies in general I think you should be proud of it instead of pretend to be a neutral figure.
I still think you should expect PML-N to fight their OWN war with their former ally PPP. They didn’t consult PTI or maybe any other party when they opted for friendship with AZ, and gave him far too much time to consolidate his power. PML-N opted against the lawyers request and sided with PPP by participating in the elections. NS also disrupted the last dharna and not so long time ago they were still unsure whether they would participate or not in the dharna-2009.
I wonder what would have happened if NS/SS had not been disqualified. PTI and PPP are two different parties. You need to understand that they can have a common agenda on certain issues, but never expect PTI to fight a PML-N war they themselves can be blamed for because of their eagerness of wheeling –dealing i.e. to sort out dubious deals with the likes of PPP AND MQM. Maybe PTI also felt betrayed the SS made friendship attempts with MQM.
@shirkuh: I would say you know better, but obviously you don’t, and frankly, I don’t give a rat’s a$$ anmore that you don’t. No way in HELL am I neutral. I am a nationalist, and a fuvcking PARTISAN! And no way in HELL am I a N-league supporter. I don’t need to “defend” against these accusations. My posts (the ones taht don’t get deleted) are witness to that. The fact that you and the redundant pankha-bardars can’t see anything beyond silly bickering over IK’s celebrity induced status is not my problem.
This is what I hate about the butt-pluggs … they keep their heads firmly lodged in Imran Khan’s ARSE and refuse to use their heads as anything other than plugging Imran Khan’s holy arse … because, you know, his SHIT DON”T STINK!
Again: By making personal accusations and bringing up PPP/PML-N divide and trying to paint me as “X-supporter” or “Y-supporter”, you are distracting from the main point (and MY argument), that IK should openly condemn the Governor Rule and the Illegal Emergency. But he doesn’t. Is he afraid keh Salman Taseer kaheeN kachaa chaTThaa khol kaeh na rakh day?
maybe It is very hard for a die-hard PTI fan posting under various nicks to understand that sometimes, some issues are not mere bickering and “my leader can beat up your leader” pi55ing matches.
I know you’re trying to turn it into a personal fight to distract from the point being raised and I just won’t take your bait (anymore than I already have) … sorry!
@Supercreature: NO, the issue is not Legal/Illegal Dogar court. The governor rule has nothing to do with the ruling of the court .. (in the sense that it doesn’t flow from it) .. You should be able to separate the two and see that Illegal Imposition of Emergency was a cynical coup against the mandate of the People of Punjab!
It has NOTHING to do with the fvcking sharif brothers! why the HELL can’t IK apologists pull their heads out of Imran Khan’s ARSE and see that there is a bigger picture out there than imran khan and his fragrant sphincter !!!!
A sitting parliament was fvcking sent packing! that shehbaz sharif was one of the victim (and PMLN) is one MINOR consequence. The bigger issue is that this is an Undemocratic, UNJUST and Unconstitutional step and an encroachment over the democratic rights of the People!
This is as heinous as Nov 3rd Emergency. And all Imran Khan, our only hope {LOL} , can do is quicklly slide over the issue like a dancing ballerina on slippery ice.
No offence, but Every frikking discussion is not necessarily an opportunity for the fan club to support their beloved fvcking leader! Regardless of the ramifications for the nation at large.
@SHIRKUH: “but never expect PTI to fight a PML-N war”
Dude, with all due respect, PTI CANNOT fight PML-N’s war. and should NOT. The point I’m trying to make, is that THIS IS NOT PML-N’s war. This is a constituional coup, and PTI should have opposed it in PRINCIPLE, (because, you know, they cry themselves HOARSE every night talking about principles and Justice!)
This is not PML-N’s war, Just like the lawyer’s movement is NOT Iftikhar’s war.
I don’t care if PML-Q or PPP make a govt in punjab, but Democratic Representatives MUST NOT be stopped by cynical imposition of UNWARRANTED emergency provisions.
And when that happens, ALL, and especially those who BRAY LOUDLY about “insaaf” all day long, should categorically CONDEMN it in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, and DEMAND that it be repealed.
tharapolitics said:
@Fanclub, TK, and Malek
Forget that Imran will call Salman Taseer’s name in any debate or speech. I have no objection on Imran’s personal life(though political figures are public property and their matters too) but if he include zardari’name more than 20 times in one”byte” then why not salman taseer’s name in his comments!!!!
AClarionCall said:
Imran is the biggest deceptive liar and champion deciever in our political system. Why does he support Talibans? Why is he a puppet of Gen Hameed Gul? Same with Ansar Abbasi who is third class journalist.
beauty said:
Hamid mir imran khan and ansar abbasi are the agent of Taliban who kill the innocent people. Nawaz sharif is also got NRO from Musharaf to save their life and left country. Every Politicion in Pakistan are corrupt. They all have fudeal mantility. Sorry if some body hurt. Thanks
AClarionCall said:
Both Imran Khan and Ansar Abbasi are spokeperson for Talibans and they are responsible for promoting Taliban’s dirty cause in this country.
![[1100529553-2+qurbani.gif]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vbc4oO2rGiw/STD5I76Us7I/AAAAAAAAAt0/Oo0F7tCeGP8/s1600/1100529553-2%2Bqurbani.gif)
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@shirkuh
didnt you notice in the ‘press statements’ by the Great Khan….that he didnt had the ‘courage’ to name his friend Taseer ……apart from this the statements appear more about his ’success’ of boycotting elections rather than condemning c@up of democratic govt
and the second one seems to be an answer to a question….so the ‘most principled politician in the history of Pakistan’ can provide a brief answer when specifically asked on such a significant matter……….but i will assume that otherwise he will always uphold democratic values?
if u read statements from even the likes of ANP or MQM they sound more ‘meaningful’
i agree with @TK about your claims on being vigilant agaisnt politicians etc etc…… but at the end of the day being a PTI supporter instead of admitting IK’s blund@rs will find justification in press cuttings here and there………so why blame MQM voters for sticking with ‘their kali mata
i repeat what i said earlier
The issue is toppling of a democratically elected govt …….and keeping mum on it by PTI just because Khanzeer and IK attended ‘mahafils’ together…..is a biggest insult by the most ‘principled politician in the history of Pakistan’ to democracy!
@GoTK
Easy, TK….I think you are way OFF track. To compare IK with Fazlu and company. That’s way too unfair. I would not even compare NS/SS with that scvmbag!
I don’t know why you try so hard hide your affiliation with PML-N. You are a PMl-N ally/supporter and if you really trust their policies in general I think you should be proud of it instead of pretend to be a neutral figure.
I still think you should expect PML-N to fight their OWN war with their former ally PPP. They didn’t consult PTI or maybe any other party when they opted for friendship with AZ, and gave him far too much time to consolidate his power. PML-N opted against the lawyers request and sided with PPP by participating in the elections. NS also disrupted the last dharna and not so long time ago they were still unsure whether they would participate or not in the dharna-2009.
I wonder what would have happened if NS/SS had not been disqualified. PTI and PPP are two different parties. You need to understand that they can have a common agenda on certain issues, but never expect PTI to fight a PML-N war they themselves can be blamed for because of their eagerness of wheeling –dealing i.e. to sort out dubious deals with the likes of PPP AND MQM. Maybe PTI also felt betrayed the SS made friendship attempts with MQM.
@shirkuh: I would say you know better, but obviously you don’t, and frankly, I don’t give a rat’s a$$ anmore that you don’t. No way in HELL am I neutral. I am a nationalist, and a fuvcking PARTISAN! And no way in HELL am I a N-league supporter. I don’t need to “defend” against these accusations. My posts (the ones taht don’t get deleted) are witness to that. The fact that you and the redundant pankha-bardars can’t see anything beyond silly bickering over IK’s celebrity induced status is not my problem.
This is what I hate about the butt-pluggs … they keep their heads firmly lodged in Imran Khan’s ARSE and refuse to use their heads as anything other than plugging Imran Khan’s holy arse … because, you know, his SHIT DON”T STINK!
Again: By making personal accusations and bringing up PPP/PML-N divide and trying to paint me as “X-supporter” or “Y-supporter”, you are distracting from the main point (and MY argument), that IK should openly condemn the Governor Rule and the Illegal Emergency. But he doesn’t. Is he afraid keh Salman Taseer kaheeN kachaa chaTThaa khol kaeh na rakh day?
maybe It is very hard for a die-hard PTI fan posting under various nicks to understand that sometimes, some issues are not mere bickering and “my leader can beat up your leader” pi55ing matches.
I know you’re trying to turn it into a personal fight to distract from the point being raised and I just won’t take your bait (anymore than I already have) … sorry!
@Supercreature: NO, the issue is not Legal/Illegal Dogar court. The governor rule has nothing to do with the ruling of the court .. (in the sense that it doesn’t flow from it) .. You should be able to separate the two and see that Illegal Imposition of Emergency was a cynical coup against the mandate of the People of Punjab!
It has NOTHING to do with the fvcking sharif brothers! why the HELL can’t IK apologists pull their heads out of Imran Khan’s ARSE and see that there is a bigger picture out there than imran khan and his fragrant sphincter !!!!
A sitting parliament was fvcking sent packing! that shehbaz sharif was one of the victim (and PMLN) is one MINOR consequence. The bigger issue is that this is an Undemocratic, UNJUST and Unconstitutional step and an encroachment over the democratic rights of the People!
This is as heinous as Nov 3rd Emergency. And all Imran Khan, our only hope {LOL} , can do is quicklly slide over the issue like a dancing ballerina on slippery ice.
No offence, but Every frikking discussion is not necessarily an opportunity for the fan club to support their beloved fvcking leader! Regardless of the ramifications for the nation at large.
For FVCKS SAKE!
Ghost Of TK said:
@SHIRKUH: “but never expect PTI to fight a PML-N war”
Dude, with all due respect, PTI CANNOT fight PML-N’s war. and should NOT. The point I’m trying to make, is that THIS IS NOT PML-N’s war. This is a constituional coup, and PTI should have opposed it in PRINCIPLE, (because, you know, they cry themselves HOARSE every night talking about principles and Justice!)
This is not PML-N’s war, Just like the lawyer’s movement is NOT Iftikhar’s war.
I don’t care if PML-Q or PPP make a govt in punjab, but Democratic Representatives MUST NOT be stopped by cynical imposition of UNWARRANTED emergency provisions.
And when that happens, ALL, and especially those who BRAY LOUDLY about “insaaf” all day long, should categorically CONDEMN it in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, and DEMAND that it be repealed.
tharapolitics said:
@Fanclub, TK, and Malek
Forget that Imran will call Salman Taseer’s name in any debate or speech. I have no objection on Imran’s personal life(though political figures are public property and their matters too) but if he include zardari’name more than 20 times in one”byte” then why not salman taseer’s name in his comments!!!!Imran is the biggest deceptive liar and champion deciever in our political system. Why does he support Talibans? Why is he a puppet of Gen Hameed Gul? Same with Ansar Abbasi who is third class journalist.
Hamid mir imran khan and ansar abbasi are the agent of Taliban who kill the innocent people. Nawaz sharif is also got NRO from Musharaf to save their life and left country. Every Politicion in Pakistan are corrupt. They all have fudeal mantility.
Sorry if some body hurt.
Thanks
Both Imran Khan and Ansar Abbasi are spokeperson for Talibans and they are responsible for promoting Taliban’s dirty cause in this country.