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Who will we be defending ourselves from on THIS September 6th?
Sunday, August 24, 2008
By
Zakintosh
For many years Pakistanis have observed September 6th as the National Defense Day (also dubbed Army Day), albeit with decreasing fervour. The decline in excitement, other than one that any joyous escape from school a holiday brings, has been caused, partially, from the passage of time from the 1965 war: most of the readers of this blog had not even been born then, while others now have a better understanding of the misadventure. Another factor, however, is also the growing disenchantment with, and opposition to, the political role of the Army.
This September 6th, again, if the Presidential Election takes place, the Army may be on many minds – or at least in the warped minds of those who continue to look upon it as the only possible political saviour. Let us hope, however, that politics is not on the Army’s mind – an oxymoron, some would argue – and General Kiyani (despite the warning bells that the letter quoted Ardeshir’s column today echoes) will continue to depoliticize the Army.
But, hey, there is such a thing as pushing someone too far! And we may be leaning too hard on him already.
President Zardari? asks the headline in today’s Dawn, announcing the acceptance of the proposal (to contest the presidential election) by arguably the most controversial figure Pakistan’s politics has ever seen.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Saturday formally named its Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari as its candidate for the office of the president.
“Being the party’s deputy secretary-general, I am pleased to announce that PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has accepted the will of the party to become Pakistan’s next president,” said the Leader of the House in the Senate, Mian Raza Rabbani, while announcing the decision of naming Zardari as the candidate for the office of the president.
The News, another national newspaper, featured a story yesterday, spelling out why many are afraid of such a possibility. Here’s how it ends:
Zardari’s nomination has generated a stir among the political, social, bureaucratic, and security circles of the capital. It would be for the first time that a single person would run the state, the government and all its organs, as well as the country’s biggest political party.
If elected, president Asif Ali Zardari will also be Chairman National Security Council, who will be armed with the authority to appoint the Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, provincial governors, Chief Election Commissioner, Attorney General, and the powers to dissolve the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies under Article 58-2(b).
Compared to Musharraf, Zardari as president will be much more powerful as he will also control Pakistan’s biggest political party bequeathed to him by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto along with all her political and monetary assets.
After having a hand-picked, “yes” prime minister, compliant judiciary, presidential powers under 17th Amendment and the biggest political party which would wait for his nod for any action, Zardari is set to become more powerful than Musharraf or any politician in Pakistan would ever have dreamt of.
[Aside: Does no one at The News know that a preposition is not something you end a sentence with?]
Dawn’s headline proved really disturbing for a dear friend, Tony Afzal, living in the USA. He was horrified enough to write a letter to the newspaper’s editor, suggesting things I wouldn’t suggest. I cannot quote it in full, since it has not yet been published – though he did send me a copy. This is what he asks all of us: As a people, have we now come to this? Are we all collectively deranged?
My short answer: Yes! (Based on my conviction that the majority is always wrong. After all, when everyone thinks the same, no one really thinks. And those that try to do so, loudly, get shafted!)
Source: http://www.kidvai.com/windmills/2008/08/who-will-we-be-defending-ourselves.html
The Filth of Pakistani Politics
by
Asif Nawaz
The face of Pakistani politics today became more deformed than ever. Musharraf’s resignation comes as a prime example of a country that has, in its ONLY recent history focused on more on the past than the present or the future, and that shows in the country’s economic status, political climate, and global alliances.
A country of many failures, the present government has once again shown that blaming the predecessor is the way to go; rather than making the most of an opportunity to repair a nation full of civil, political, financial, class and ethnic differences, the government of the Pakistan People’s Party, coupled with the childish attitude of Nawaz Sharif, has today shown how any good of one’s past can be overshadowed by policial enemity.
The Fall of Musharraf
Rasul Bakhsh Rais
President Pervez Musharraf has departed, having resigned to escape the humiliation of impeachment. Yet another painful chapter of Pakistan’s political history has been closed, ending the political uncertainty the country has been facing for the past five months.
Why painful? It may be considered a polite expression for an era when the General-President overthrew an elected government to save his position as the Chief of Army Staff. At least in previous military interventions there was a political crisis and some kind of government breakdown. That was not the case on October 12, 1999.
The ruling party had a comfortable two-thirds majority in the National Assembly and all political parties with remarkable consensus had passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Pakistan was on the road to democratic recovery but with the usual traits of autocracy that are embedded in the country’s political culture.
Musharraf came to power and ruled the country only as COAS, like his three predecessors. His uniform was his first line of defence and the army an instrument of self-empowerment and control. The day he doffed his uniform, he was no longer the master of his or the country’s fate.
What Everybody Has Done With Pakistan
Quaid-E-Azam :
Islamic Republic Of Pakistan
Ayob Khan:
Army Republic Of Pakistan
Bhutto :
Peoples Party Of Pakistan
Yahya Khan:
What So Ever Divided By 2 Pakistan
Zia-Ul-Haq:
Jihad Republic Of Pakistan
Ghulam Ishaq Khan:
ISI Republic Of Pakistan
Moeen Qureshi :
Taxation Republic Of Pakistan
Benazir Bhutto :
Zardari Republic Of Pakistan
Nawaz Sharif:
Abba Jee & Sons Republic Of Pakistan
Gen. Pervez Musharraf :
Pakistan (Pvt). Ltd.
People of Pakistan :
Immigration From Pakistan
U.S. Is Lying !
No Chance Of Another 9/11 From Pakistani Tribal Areas
The entire U.S. policy is focused on ensuring a head-on collision between the Pashtun tribes of the tribal area and the federal army of Pakistan. That would cause such a chaos and anarchy in the mainland through reactionary terrorism that Pakistan would be given the status of a failed state clearing the way for a massive invasion of the country to ‘secure’ the nuke assets to prevent them from falling into the ‘wrong’ hands.
By
ZAID HAMID
Tuesday, 22 July 2008.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—
‘Pakistan, for example, had no enemies in the Taliban or al Qaeda until (the Pakistani leader) made them such at our behest. Likewise, there could have been no better Afghan government for Pakistan than the Taliban regime, and yet (the Pakistani leader) helped America destroy it and replace it with the Karzai regime, a government that has allowed an enormous increase in the Indian presence in Afghanistan. ‘To date, Pakistan has lost more soldiers killed and wounded than the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan. More dangerously, the offensives are stoking the fires of a potential civil war between Islamabad and the Pashtun tribes that dominate much of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. This situation is heaven-sent for Pakistan’s enemies, the Karzai regime, and India, to fuel Pashtun irredentism. ‘
Writing the above in the Washington Times on 7 April 2006, a CIA insider, Michael Scheuer, admits the reality of the situation and the blunders of the Pakistan government as well as threats which the U.S. war on terror has brought for Pakistan from Afghan and Indian sides.
“Pakistan in 2015. Pakistan, our conferees concluded, will not recover easily from decades of political and economic mismanagement, divisive politics, lawlessness, corruption and ethnic friction. Nascent democratic reforms will produce little change in the face of opposition from an entrenched political elite and radical Islamic parties. Further domestic decline would benefit Islamic political activists, who may significantly increase their role in national politics and alter the makeup and cohesion of the military—once Pakistan’s most capable institution. In a climate of continuing domestic turmoil, the central government’s control probably will be reduced to the Punjabi heartland and the economic hub of Karachi.”
From NIC, http://www.dni.gov/nic/NIC_globaltrend2015.html (U.S. government think tank plans to truncate Pakistan by 2015. the analysis is stunningly in line with proposed new maps below for the Middle East released by U.S. armed forces journal earlier).
We have no doubt in our mind that U.S. does have almost identical plans for Pakistan in the same way that it collaborated with the Indians directly to dismember Pakistan in 1971. The way U.S. is sponsoring the Pashtun sub-nationalist group ANP, which happens to rule NWFP these days, and they way U.S. is supporting Balochistan Liberation Army and has a very suspicious relationship with Mr. Zardari and Mr. Altaf Hussain, we remain seriously concerned that another game plan to dismember Pakistan is already on the roll.
Welcome To PPP Democracy – Jiyala Jamhuriyat!
By COL. RIAZ JAFRI (RETD.)
Monday, 23 June 2008.
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan—Liaqat Bagh to be renamed Benazir Bhutto Bagh, Murree Road to be renamed Benazir Bhutto Road, 27 December to be declared official holiday after Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary, Lahore to be turned into Larkana, Presidency to be taken over by a PPP worker, the Prime Minister commutes all death sentences to life imprisonment as Benazir Bhutto’s birthday gift to the nation (read ‘gift to murderers’). All this, of course, without any authority.
The Co-Chairperson – not even an Member of National Assembly – being given full protocol and allowed the use of bullet proof SUV with tainted glasses (who says it violates the law?); the construction of Tarbela Dam abandoned at the whims of someone, anyone, without even being discussed in the Parliament, PM announcing publicly without any hesitation to restore the judges immediately on receipt of orders from Zardari (what a Prime Minister!), PM performing Umra with 80 plus guests and hangers-on, of course at your and my expense; and then BB death probe by U.N. – at what colossal costs and with what outcome – anybody’s guess, et al.
What is all this? Is it the democracy or the government of a person, for a person, by a person? Where is the Parliament, which unlike the previous ones is claimed not to be a rubber stamp? Are these acts democratic in nature and spirit? Or, is the present democracy yet another facet of the maadar pidar azaad Jiala jamhuriat? Jo jee mein aye karo, yahaan kaun poochhaney wala hai ?!!
Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd) is based in Rawalpindi. His commentary is appears frequently in several national Pakistani dailies. He can be reached at jafri@rifiela.com
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