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Archive for category Pakistan-A Nation of Hope

Are we wrong about Pakistan? – Telegraph & Comments To Editor

Posted by admin in BALOCHISTAN-A RAY OF HOPE FOR PAKISTAN, Pakistan's Beauty, Pakistan-A Nation of Hope, Pakistan-A Nation of Love & Romance, Pakistan-A Nation of Many Faiths, Pakistan-A Polaris of Earth, PAKISTAN-LAND OF ROMANTICS & DERVISH POETS on December 2nd, 2014

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Khalid Nizami Saheb
Salam masnoon. I often say that don’t accept as the ultimate truths everything that western authors/mediamen say. They are Fasiq in Qur’anic terms: most of the time ignorant, a sizable number of them intentionally writing bad, knowing well that they are telling lies and their state of belief is questionable. The Qur’an commands: “O believers, if a Fasiq (sinner, liar, disobedient to Allah) comes to you with news, investigate, lest you harm people out of ignorance and later regret what you have done” (Al-Hujurat 49:6). This Ayat is about Muslim newsgivers and rumor-mongers. By that token I don’t have any trust of even the so-called Muslim media. They “sell” hot news and char it so that it reeks; they do never go for the truth. I know this by personal experience.
 
This tendency to accept everything from the sahib as the most right and denigrating Muslims however pious, honest, reliable they may be, was started by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and his associates, so much so that now we often present opinions of Carlisle, Margoliouth, Montgomery Watt as testimony of truthfulness, good character and success of the Rasool-Allah, knowing nothing about the original sources of Islam and the early masters who are now insulted publicly.
 
As for Pakistan, let the Pakistanis know that with14 August 1947 as the baseline, the ratio of progress made by Pakistan is far higher than that of India, given the economic conditions and state of infrastructure inherited from the British by the two countries.
 
Present sociopolitcial situation of Pakistanis due mainly to wrong leadership it has been suffering from for decades and failure of the people to know their friends and foes; and more than that failure to know their strengths and relevance.
 
Change the perception and see the difference. It is not as difficult as people think.
 
Muhammad Tariq Ghazi
Saturday 29 November 2014
 
 
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Are we wrong about Pakistan? – Telegraph

When Peter Oborne first arrived in Pakistan, he expected a ‘savage’ back water scarred by terrorism. Years later, he describes the Pakistan that is barely documented…
 
 
 

Are we wrong about Pakistan?

 
When Peter Oborne first arrived in Pakistan, he expected a ‘savage’ back water scarred by terrorism. Years later (Feb 2012), he describes the Pakistan that is barely documented – and that he came to fall in love with
 
 
The beautiful Shandur Valley of Pakistan Photo: GETTY
By
 

It was my first evening in Pakistan. My hosts, a Lahore banker and his charming wife, wanted to show me the sights, so they took me to a restaurant on the roof of a town house in the Old City. My food was delicious, the conversation sparky – and from our vantage point we enjoyed a perfect view of the Badshahi Mosque, which was commissioned by the emperor Aurangzeb in 1671.

 

It was my first inkling of a problem. I had been dispatched to write a report reflecting the common perception that Pakistan is one of the most backward and savage countries in the world. This attitude has been hard-wired into Western reporting for years and is best summed up by the writing of the iconic journalist Christopher Hitchens. Shortly before he died last December, Hitchens wrote a piece in Vanity Fair that bordered on racism.

Pakistan, he said, was “humourless, paranoid, insecure, eager to take offence and suffering from self-righteousness, self-pity and self-hatred”. In summary, asserted Hitchens, Pakistan was one of the “vilest and most dangerous regions on Earth”.

Since my first night in that Lahore restaurant I have travelled through most of Pakistan, got to know its cities, its remote rural regions and even parts of the lawless north. Of course there is some truth in Hitchens’s brash assertions. Since 2006 alone, more than 14,000 Pakistani civilians have been killed in terrorist attacks. The Pakistan political elite is corrupt, self-serving, hypocritical and cowardly – as Pakistanis themselves are well aware. And a cruel intolerance is entering public discourse, as the appalling murder last year of minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti after he spoke out for Christians so graphically proves. Parts of the country have become impassable except at risk of kidnap or attack.

 

Yet the reality is far more complex. Indeed, the Pakistan that is barely documented in the West – and that I have come to know and love – is a wonderful, warm and fabulously hospitable country. And every writer who (unlike Hitchens), has ventured out of the prism of received opinion and the suffocating five-star hotels, has ended up celebrating rather than denigrating Pakistan.

 

A paradox is at work. Pakistan regularly experiences unspeakable tragedy. The most recent suicide bombing, in a busy market in northwestern Pakistan, claimed 32 lives and came only a month after another bomb blast killed at least 35 people in the Khyber tribal district on January 10. But suffering can also release something inside the human spirit. During my extensive travels through this country, I have met people of truly amazing moral stature.

 
Take Seema Aziz, 59, whom I met at another Lahore dinner party, and who refuses to conform to the Western stereotype of the downtrodden Pakistani female. Like so many Pakistanis, she married young: her husband worked as a manager at an ICI chemical plant. When her three children reached school age, she found herself with lots of time on her hands. And then something struck her.
 
It was the mid-Eighties, a time when Pakistan seemed captivated by Western fashion. All middle-class young people seemed to be playing pop music, drinking Pepsi and wearing jeans. So together with her family, Seema decided to set up a shop selling only locally manufactured fabrics and clothes.
The business, named Bareeze, did well. Then, in 1988, parts of Pakistan were struck by devastating floods, causing widespread damage and loss of life, including in the village where many of the fabrics sold by Bareeze were made. Seema set out to the flood damaged area to help. Upon arrival, she reached an unexpected conclusion. “We saw that the victims would be able to rebuild their homes quite easily but we noticed that there was no school. Without education, we believed that there would be no chance for the villagers, that they would have no future and no hope.”
 
So Seema set about collecting donations to build a village school. This was the beginning of the Care Foundation, which today educates 155,000 underprivileged children a year in and around Lahore, within 225 schools.
 
I have visited some of these establishments and they have superb discipline and wonderful teaching – all of them are co-educational. The contrast with the schools provided by the government, with poorly-motivated teachers and lousy equipment, is stark. One mullah did take exception to the mixed education at one of the local schools, claiming it was contrary to Islamic law. Seema responded by announcing that she would close down the school. The following day, she found herself petitioned by hundreds of parents, pleading with her to keep it open. She complied. Already Care has provided opportunities for millions of girls and boys from poor backgrounds, who have reached adulthood as surgeons, teachers and business people.
 
I got the sense that her project, though already huge, was just in its infancy. Seema told me: “Our systems are now in place so that we can educate up to one million children a year.” With a population of over 170 million, even one million makes a relatively small difference in Pakistan. Nevertheless, the work of Care suggests how easy it would be to transform Pakistan from a relatively backward nation into a south-east Asian powerhouse.
 
Certainly, it is a country scarred by cynicism and corruption, where rich men do not hesitate to steal from the poor, and where natural events such as earthquakes and floods can bring about limitless human suffering. But the people show a resilience that is utterly humbling in the face of these disasters.
 
In the wake of the floods of 2009 I travelled deep into the Punjab to the village of Bhangar to gauge the extent of the tragedy. Just a few weeks earlier everything had been washed away by eight-feet deep waters. Walking into this ruined village I saw a well-built man, naked to the waist, stirring a gigantic pot. He told me that his name was Khalifa and that he was preparing a rice dinner for the hundred or more survivors of the floods.
 
The following morning I came across Khalifa, once again naked to the waist and sweating heavily. Pools of stagnant water lay around. This time he was hard at work with a shovel, hacking out a new path into the village to replace the one that had been washed away.A little later that morning I went to the cemetery to witness the burial of a baby girl who had died of a gastric complaint during the night. And there was Khalifa at work, this time as a grave digger. Khalifa was a day labourer who was lucky to earn $2 (£1.26) a day at the best of times. To prejudiced Western commentators, he may have appeared a symbol of poverty, bigotry and oppression. In reality, like the courageous volunteers I met working at an ambulance centre in Karachi last year, a city notorious for its gangland violence, he represents the indomitable spirit of the Pakistani people, even when confronted with a scale of adversity that would overpower most people in the West.
 
As I’ve discovered, this endurance expresses itself in almost every part of life. Consider the Pakistan cricket team which was humiliated beyond endurance after the News of the World revelations about “spot-fixing” during the England tour of 2010. Yet, with the culprits punished, a new captain, Misbah-ul-Haq has engineered a revival. In January I flew to Dubai to witness his team humiliate England in a three-match series that marked a fairy-tale triumph.
 
Beyond that there is the sheer beauty of the country. Contrary to popular opinion, much of Pakistan is perfectly safe to visit so long as elementary precautions are taken, and, where necessary, a reliable local guide secured. I have made many friends here, and they live normal, fulfilled family lives. Indeed there is no reason at all why foreigners should not holiday in some of Pakistan’s amazing holiday locations, made all the better by the almost complete absence of Western tourists.
 
Take Gilgit-Baltistan in the north, where three of the world’s greatest mountain ranges – the Hindu Kush, the Himalayas and the Karakorams — meet. This area, easily accessible by plane from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, is a paradise for climbers, hikers, fishermen and botanists. K2 – the world’s second-highest mountain – is in Gilgit, as are some of the largest glaciers outside the polar regions.
 
Go to Shandur, 12,000ft above sea level, which every year hosts a grand polo tournament between the Gilgit and Chitral polo teams in a windswept ground flanked by massive mountain ranges. Or travel south to Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, cradle of the Indus Valley civilisation which generated the world’s first urban culture, parallel with Egypt and ancient Sumer, approximately 5,000 years ago.
 
Of course, some areas of Pakistan are dangerous. A profile of Karachi – Pakistan’s largest city and commercial capital – in Time magazine earlier this year revealed that more than 1,000 people died in 2011 in street battles fought between heavily armed supporters of the city’s main political parties. Karachi is plagued by armed robbery, kidnapping and murder and, in November last year, was ranked 216 out of 221 cities in a personal-safety survey carried out by the financial services firm Mercer.
 
But isn’t it time we acknowledged our own responsibility for some of this chaos? In recent years, the NATO occupation of Afghanistan has dragged Pakistan towards civil war. Consider this: suicide bombings were unknown in Pakistan before Osama bin Laden’s attack on the Twin Towers in September 2001. Immediately afterwards, President Bush rang President Musharraf and threatened to “bomb Pakistan into the stone age” if Musharraf refused to co-operate in the so-called War on Terror.
The Pakistani leader complied, but at a terrible cost. Effectively the United States president was asking him to condemn his country to civil war by authorising attacks on Pashtun tribes who were sympathetic to the Afghan Taliban. The consequences did not take long, with the first suicide strike just six weeks later, on October 28.
 
Many write of how dangerous Pakistan has become. More remarkable, by far, is how safe it remains, thanks to the strength and good humour of its people. The image of the average Pakistani citizen as a religious fanatic or a terrorist is simply a libel, the result of ignorance and prejudice.
 
The prejudice of the West against Pakistan dates back to before 9/11. It is summed up best by the England cricketer Ian Botham’s notorious comment that “Pakistan is the sort of place every man should send his mother-in-law to, for a month, all expenses paid”. Some years after Botham’s outburst, the Daily Mirror had the inspired idea of sending Botham’s mother-in-law Jan Waller to Pakistan – all expenses paid – to see what she made of the country.
 
Unlike her son-in-law, Mrs Waller had the evidence of her eyes before her: “The country and its people have absolutely blown me away,” said the 68-year-old grandmother.
After a trip round Lahore’s old town she said: “I could not have imagined seeing some of the sights I have seen today. They were indefinable and left me feeling totally humbled and totally privileged.” She concluded: “All I would say is: ‘Mothers-in-law of the world, unite and go to Pakistan. Because you’ll love it’. Honestly!”
 
Mrs Waller is telling the truth. And if you don’t believe me, please visit and find out for yourself.
 
This article also appeared in SEVEN magazine, free with The Sunday Telegraph. Follow SEVEN on Twitter @TelegraphSeven

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THE MAN WHO FOUGHT BACK BY RIMMEL MOHYDIN

Posted by admin in PAKISTAN'S HERO, Pakistan-A Nation of Hope, Pakistan-A Polaris of Earth on October 9th, 2014

Pakistan Think Tank Hero

 

 

THE MAN WHO FOUGHT BACK

BY RIMMEL MOHYDIN
Arjumand

IN CONVERSATION WITH ARJUMAND AZHAR HUSSAIN, ONE OF THE MUTINY LEADERS OF FLIGHT PK 370.

 

The Man Who Got Two VIP’s Off The PIA Flight…

When the law doesn’t work, when the judicial system doesn’t work, when Parliament doesn’t work, then you’re only left with one way of dealing with problems: the media.
Cellphone videos of the anti-VIP mutiny on PIA’s Karachi to Islamabad flight PK 370 have become a viral sensation, even in India. The flight was originally scheduled to take off at 7 p.m. on Sept. 15 but was delayed, according to the government, by 90 minutes because of technical reasons and another 25 minutes because of Sen. Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s former interior minister, who was running late. The passengers revolted and, through their jeering, forced the also-tardy Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, a lawmaker from the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), off the plane. When Malik finally made his way toward the plane, he was forced to turn back as angry passengers shouted at him. Malik’s party members have claimed this was a conspiracy, replete with allegedly inebriated passengers and plants from the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, to defame the senator and his Pakistan Peoples Party. This is stretching it. We recently spoke with Karachi-based Arjumand Azhar Hussain, one of the mutiny leaders and who has worked in the hospitality sector and for PTV, about the extraordinary scenes from PK 370 that most Pakistanis view as inspirational. 
Excerpts:
The scenes you filmed have been hailed by most Pakistanis and inspired an anti-VIP campaign in India. Did you expect this act of rebellion to become so widely appreciated?
No, I really did not. God has His own plans, and maybe I was chosen for this particular thing. I’ve been thinking my whole life, when are we going to change this VVIP culture? I want to leave, in my own humble capacity, a better Pakistan for my kids.
What convinced you to take a stand and confront the two politicians?
I’ve taken this stand several times before. I was driving one night from Peshawar to Islamabad and right behind me was this car with about six floodlights on—essentially blinding me and people on the opposite road. Eventually the car overtook me. I chased after it and told the driver to pull over. I saw that the car belonged to a judge. I got down and said to him, ‘Sir, do you realize you’re a judge of the Supreme Court and you are breaking the law?’ He said nothing. He smiled, seemed a little embarrassed but didn’t do anything. I have been on many flights which faced delays because of politicians, chief ministers, generals, judges. I just always sat there thinking that one day it has to stop.
How do you end the undue privilege accorded to VIPs?
We have to change our attitude, and fight back every time and on every front. If you’re in a queue at a bank, make sure you and others follow it. If you’re in an aircraft and you see somebody delaying the plane, stop him, immediately. This must continue, and it will continue. I’ve heard that [the prime minister’s daughter] Maryam Nawaz Sharif was also given the same treatment [as Vankwani and Malik] recently, so it’s already started. The bullet has been fired. I don’t know whether the protests in Islamabad will change anything or not, but somehow I think the entire pattern is beginning to change.
The PPP has suggested that you and the other protesting passengers may have been put up to it by Imran Khan’s PTI.
Not at all! The PTI wanted me to come to their demonstration [in Islamabad] and I said, Sorry, I’m not a political worker. I’m not affiliated with the PMLN and certainly not with the PPP, obviously. I’m not even a supporter of Tahir-ul-Qadri. I’m just an ordinary Pakistani. I’ve been getting compliments and messages of support on Facebook. People keep calling me and children have come up to me asking for a picture.
Not everyone has celebrated your actions on PK 370. Some have criticized the mutiny as ‘vigilantism’ and ‘mob justice.’ Is this fair?
You can call me a vigilante or anything else you like, but I’m not going to lie down and take it anymore. The Quran tells us, categorically, that you have to protect yourself and your family. The government and the system are not giving us what we need, whether it is security or clean water or even an on-time flight. So we have to do things for ourselves or at least for the next generation. The power of the individual is paramount. It took a Rosa Parks to change everything in the U.S.
Who do you hold responsible for the flight delay that day, PIA or the politicians?
Oh, absolutely the politicians. PIA people shake in their pants when a VIP comes in. I have seen this with [PPP’s] Khurshid Shah, I have seen this with judges, and I have seen this with generals. Just wait and see: flights will take off on time because now every aircraft will have a ‘vigilante.’ They will have another person who is like me and will ask questions about why passengers are being made to wait. PIA’s inefficiency is, of course, another matter.
What was the flight crew’s reaction to the mutiny?
A stewardess told me that the delay was because a few passengers were late. Then another crew member whispered in my ear that we were waiting for Mr. Rehman Malik. You’ve seen what happened next. The crew was extremely happy that we said and did something. They told me that they were fed up with this [VIP] attitude and the flight delays it causes. They all thanked me once we took off.
Why was it so important to film these events?
When the law doesn’t work, when the judicial system doesn’t work, when Parliament doesn’t work, then you’re only left with one way of dealing with problems: the media. Today’s media is more powerful than Parliament and we’re going to continue using it until we achieve some sanity in this country.

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SOME SELECTED TWEETS – ISLAMABAD OFFENSE – August 31, 2014:

Posted by admin in PAKISTAN'S CONSTITUTION, PAKISTAN'S CORRUPT POLITICAL PARTIES:PPP, PAKISTAN'S ELECTION RIGGING, PAKISTAN'S ENEMIES, PAKISTAN'S ENEMIES:NAWAZ SHARIF & GEO, PAKISTAN'S ENEMY NEW YORK TIMES, Pakistan-A Nation of Hope, Pakistan-A Polaris of Earth on September 6th, 2014

SOME SELECTED TWEETS – ISLAMABAD OFFENSE – August 31, 2014:

artworks-000065465805-9ya02r-t200x200

 

Violence in Islamabad against the protestors. May Allah help all of us – Aameen. Imran Khan, Dr. TuQ and the protestors have been fighting for us, the whole nation.

 

To understand a bit of the picture, you can go through a selection of tweets below copied between 1 AM to 2 AM on August 31, 2014. These tweets will give you an idea about what some people are saying about this incident:

 

“I am afraid it will go much beyond Nawaz & Shahbaz resignations; their lust for personal power has created a very dangerous situation.” – Moeez Pirzada

 

“I wonder how Policemen were injured when both #IK and #TUQ had stated that they were unarmed.” – Raja Mujtaba

 

“BREAKING eyewitness: A special Punjab squad started violence. Plan is to blame the peaceful protesters.” – Ahmed Quraishi

 

“My respects & salutes to the brave Pakistanis who are holding their ground against tyranny of a retarded dynasty destined to its doom now!” – Zaid Hamid

 

“Unacceptable behavior by the govt ! Worse than a democratic govt. They have no right to rule now!” – Jasmeen Manzoor

 

“Crowds in Islamabad only represented tip of an iceberg; this tragedy in Islamabad will lead to violence across many parts of country, Sad!” – Moeed Pirzada

 

“Police is hiding injured Pakistanis behind containers to avoid media courage. They will die there you son of rascal Ch Nisar!!!” – Saqib Masood

 

“I am at Shar-e Dastoor now.Unbelievable Use of State Power. Shame on those who ordered this ruthless crackdown on Peaceful Protestors!” – Dr. Shahid Masood

 

“Gen Raheel, nation waits for you now ! God speed…” – Zaid Hamid

 

“Dear IK and Dr TUQ, why are you inside the containers ?? Come out and be with your followers! This is the time to lead your troops !” – Zaid Hamid

 

“Imran Khan standing on container and moving forward.” – Jasmine Manzoor

 

“BREAKING #PMLN’s #Punjab Police opens fire and shelling even on #PTI ladies who were far from PM House .” – Ahmed Quraishi

 

“Sad very sad even after Lahore incident this govt had learnt nothing at all!.” – Jasmine Manzoor

 

“I definitely support the movement of PTI & TUQ to remove this regime. But seriously dispute their political/ideological vision to come after.” Zaid Hamid

 

“I have heard Dr. TUQ talking about less taxes & free lawyers! This is NOT khilafat e Rashida model indeed. In Islam, NO lawyers, NO taxes!” – Zaid Hamid

 

“Both IK & TUQ have used the terms “Khilafat e Rashida” model but have NEVER explained its contours. Even their followers remain confused.” – Zaid Hamid

 

“Baba Iqbal has give new terms of Political science ! “Spiritual Democracy” & the concept of “Benevolent Dictatorship” ! Amazing concepts !!.” – Zaid Hamid

 

“Quaid e Azam had said to this affect “every revolution has a philosopher behind it & Iqbal is the philosopher behind Pakistan movement.” – Zaid Hamid

 

“You can read my book on Khilafat e Rashida model here. This is NOT democracy, NOT capitalism, NOT anglo-saxon laws. http://takbeeremusalsal.blogspot.com/search/label/Zaid%20Hamid%27s%20Books” – Zaid Hamid

 

“If you have “Khilafat e Rashida” model, then there can be NO Capitalism, NO democracy, NO free media, NO anglosaxon laws! yes, WE WANT this!” – Zaid Hamid

 

“Dear Dr. sb, you say you want to bring “pure’ clean western democracy here. I am sure you know that Democracy is the religion of Capitalism?.” – Zaid Hamid

 

“Both IK & TUQ should realize that they cannot drag the crisis indefinitely. IT MUST END on Friday ! They must push hard. NS wants to drag..” – Zaid Hamid

 

“The epic challenge for IK & TuQ now is not just to bring NS down but also to manage a smooth transfer of power to a neutral caretaker government.” – Zaid Hamid

 

FROM ROMAN AHSAN: A young woman died due to firing by police, inna lilla-hey-wa-inna-aliahay-rajayoon – When the government knew that there are many women also amongst the demonstrators then they should not have ordered the police to fire any shots. Check this post to understand the evils of PMLN government: http://together-we-rise.blogspot.com/2014/08/protests-concluding-moments-thursday.html

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HEAD OF REKO DIQ PROJECT:DR MUBARAKMAND:HONEST TO THE CORE SET ASIDE BY NAWAZ SHARIF TO REWARD IFTIKHAR CHAUDHRY’S SON ARSLAN IFTIKHAR:A CROOK

Posted by admin in Pakistan-A Nation of Hope on July 23rd, 2014

By Qaiser Butt

Published: July 4, 2014

Leading opposition legislators and media circles had raised a red flag on the appointment of the son of the former top judge to the post of vice chairman. PHOTO: INP/ FILE

ISLAMABAD: 

Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, the son of former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, quit the post of vice chairman of the Balochistan Investment Board (BIB) on Thursday in the face of growing criticism from opposition parties and the media.

Leading opposition legislators and media circles had raised a red flag on the appointment of the son of the former top judge to the post of vice chairman.

Confirming reports of Dr Arsalan’s resignation, spokesman for the provincial government Jan Buledi said that “it would be incorrect to suggest that he quit his job after Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch demanded his resignation.” Instead, he suggested that Dr Arsalan might have succumbed to public criticism.

The spokesman added that following the resignation, the issue of Dr Arsalan’s appointment should now be considered a “closed chapter”.

However, according to insiders, Dr Arsalan had been asked to resign due to his eagerness in resolving the multi-billion dollar gold and copper project at Reko Deq in Chaghi district of Balochistan.

“Dr Arsalan’s unnecessary interest in Reko Deq gold and copper mines created problems for the provincial government,” said Buledi. “Arsalan had nothing to do with the project,” he added. Buledi admitted that Arsalan’s interest in Reko Deq caused doubts about his designs in government circles.

Welcoming the resignation, spokesman of Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazal (JUI-F) Jan Achakzai said that the Balochistan government had no option but to seek Dr Arsalan’s resignation due to increasing political pressure. He added that the federal government should launch an investigation into the appointment of Dr Arsalan to ensure transparency in governance.

Asad Umar, a leading legislator of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said that a corruption tainted person had been appointed by the Balochistan chief minister against relevant rules and regulations. “It is good that the government has realised its mistake and removed an incompetent person from a highly important position,” Umer added.

Meanwhile, sources revealed that the establishment was also opposed to the appointment of Dr Arsalan and had conveyed its reservations to CM Dr Abdul Malik. However, the appointment became a serious issue for the provincial government after a select group of provincial cabinet members and parliamentarians, including those affiliated with the ruling National Party (NP), raised objections over Dr Arsalan’s appointment and asked the chief minister to reverse his decision. Despite repeated attempts, Dr Arsalan could not be reached for comment.

Bill Gates ki hasrat .Kaash me Arsalan Iftikhar… by videosfever

Arsalan Iftikhar BIGGEST FRAUD LIKE HIS FATHER.HOW AND WHY SHARIF FAMILY PROMOTE SUCH A CON MAN .
Arsalan Iftikhar Former Chairman Balochistan Investment Board in an exclusive interview with Saleem Safi in fresh episode of Jirga on Geo News.

http://www.awaztoday.tv/News-Talk-Shows/60652/Adviser-to-Balochistan-CM-illogical-justification-of-Arsalan-Iftikhar-as-Vice-Chairman-of-Balochistan-Board-of-Investment.aspx

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Bad News

Posted by admin in Pakistan-A Nation of Hope on June 30th, 2014

 Opinion

 

BAD NEWS

 

Owen Bennett-Jones

Pakistan - The Machinery Of War by Skulz Fontaine

 

 

The titles of books by leading Pakistanis – never mind the content – make for rather depressing reading. All the way from ‘Tales of a Sorry Dominion’ through ‘A Dream Gone Sour’ and ‘A Journey to Disillusionment’ via ‘Pakistan on the Brink’ and arriving at ‘The Most Dangerous Place’, it would seem that many Pakistani writers take a rather dim view of their county’s national development.

If that’s not enough, just take a look at those self-flagellating articles written to mark any Jinnah anniversary. Each year even the most patriotic and enthusiastic Pakistani writers come out with their hardy annual: a long list of national faults that, they point out, Jinnah would have been shocked by.

Needless to say, no serving state official would publish this kind of material whilst in post. Of course, it’s not only in Pakistan that those who are taking a government salary feel honour bound to paint their country in the most glowing light – especially in the company of foreigners. But it is a counterproductive approach. Saying something is fine does not make it so. In fact failing to face up to problems can make things even worse.

Remember Deng Xiaoping’s most important maxim when he was trying to reform China: ‘seek truth from facts’. Obvious enough, but the consequences can be profound.

In the UK this year there have been a number of discussions and seminars about Pakistan in leading British academic institutions. And even if such events tend to raise the profile of difficult issues – in fact perhaps because of that – they should be welcomed. The US may matter to Islamabad much more than London but because of the Pakistani diaspora and because of the significant aid that the UK gives Pakistan (even if much of it is wasted) any engagement of UK opinion formers with Pakistan is a good thing.

But there is a tendency at such events for speakers with Pakistan government connections – even pretty tenuous ones – to give the impression that everything is going fine. It leaves many of the Brits and other foreigners present somewhat confused. ‘Isn’t Pakistan in the middle of a civil war?’ they wonder, as they hear the repeated claim that it’s the journalists who exaggerate the problems by dwelling on the bad news.

The sort of positive remarks that official Pakistanis put forward include the claims that: Modi won’t be too bad; India needs Pakistan (for energy supplies); anti-Shia violence has a long history and is not especially new; the TTP is supported by only a minority of Pakistanis and its importance is often exaggerated; most Fata residents are loyal to Pakistan and the new, most favourite piece of good news rolled out at such events, not withstanding Geo’s situation, that there is now a vibrant and independent media holding everyone to account.

Of course, there is another way of looking at all of these issues. After all, the election of a hard-line Hindu nationalist to power in India is, on the face of it, bad news for Pakistan. Yes, hard-line leaders can be the ones best placed to deliver concessions but more often than not hard-line leaders remain hard line and have no desire to make concessions. So it may well be with Modi.

Asked during the recent campaign whether Modi wanted peace with Pakistan, one of his closest advisers answered with another question: “What kind of peace?”

What he meant was that the BJP is happy enough to leave things as they are for the moment. The status quo is, after all, peace of a sort. But since there is no realistic expectation of Pakistan meeting basic Indian demands such as arresting the religious leaders and state officials involved in the Mumbai attack, the ‘reset’ of the Indo-Pak relationship that many Pakistani military officers and diplomats speak of simply will not happen.

No doubt Modi is so popular he could deliver all sorts of concessions. But why would he? What reason does anyone have to believe that he will want to reach out to Pakistan when his whole political history suggests he will do no such thing?

Not only that, but should there be a Pakistani provocation – for example a spectacular attack of some sort – then Modi can only be expected to respond with strength. The BJP leader would welcome the chance to flex his muscles on a nationalist issue and would not hesitate to do so.

Many of the other attempts to put a positive gloss on Pakistan also fail to stand up to much scrutiny. Yes, anti-Shia violence does have a long history but it’s getting worse right now. Sure, most Pakistanis don’t support the Taliban but its surely more salient to note that a troubling number do and the organisation has been strong enough to kill tens of thousands of people. Many Fata residents are indeed loyal to Pakistani but the problem is that some are not. And they are the ones causing difficulties,

As for that vibrant media it would perhaps be more useful at the moment not to be celebrating press freedom but rather defending it. We are all witness after all to a bare-knuckle fight between the media and those who want to control what it says.

So yes, you can put on those rose-tinted spectacles and hope everything works out fine. But while hoping for the best it’s maybe wise to prepare for the worst. That way you can’t be taken by surprise.

The writer is a freelance British journalist and one of the hosts of BBC’s Newshour. 

Twitter: @OwenBennettJone

Email: bennettjones@hotmail.com Tuesday, June 24, 2014

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