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Archive for category Politics

Itefaq nama: A fictitious diary of Nawaz Sharif

Itefaq nama: A fictitious diary of Nawaz Sharif

Meray aziz humwatno, God has kept me. Allah nay rakha hai. As you know, I came from London next week.

I mean last week. I and your bhabi were in a plane and as it began driving down the run away, suddenly there was loud crash and the whole plane quivered and trembled like a new dulhan (bride) and then the pilot braked hard and soon he told all us passengers that we had to go back.

Because the nose of the plane had fallen off. Hain ji, I asked the air hostess. She said, ‘Just imagine’ and walked off. Then I called the steward. He was Urdu speaking from Krachi.

‘What happened, hain ji?” I asked. He said ‘Captain has announced that the nose has fallen off. Aap nay suna naheen? Naak kat gayee hai, Mian Sahab, naak kat gayee hamari. Jee haan”. I asked steward kay now what. He said, ‘istewardess say poochhiye’.

I asked her. She said, ‘Don’t worry. Captain is asking Heathrow if they can give us a new nose. Just imagine.’ After one hour we were still stewing in plane. I asked steward kay now what.

He said, ‘you know goras. They are being too ismart. They are saying we don’t do nose jobs and certainly not on a Sunday’.

Air hostess again said, ‘just imagine’ and walked off. Perhaps Asif Zardari has cut off nose of plane to delay me, I thought. I again asked steward. He said, ‘no, no Mian Sahab. It is work of CIA and Masood’.

Who Masood is, I asked. He said, ‘Israeli Secretive Service’. Then he told me, ‘they are always doing these things to malign Muslims. CIA and Masood. Everybody knows they did 9/11. Also, last time a Pakistani plane crashed it was in Kenzania or some place in Africa where there was CIA-Masood training camp. This is their tit for tit. They are taking badla.’

Finally, new aircraft was prepared and we flew home. When we were about to land, steward came back to my seat and started chatting.

He loves beloved Lahore, he told me, specially that nice restaurant in Shahi Mohalla, Cuckoo’s Nest.

I have fantastic sense of human so I smiled and said, “‘One Flew Over Cuckoo’s Nest, hain ji?’

As we were disembarking I noticed two Mummy-Daddy buoys at the back of cabin.

They were saying loudly-loudly that they were Imran Khan supporters. I think so because they wanted me to hear. I said to older buoy, ‘beta, aap kay valid hayat hain?’ He started laughing and said, ‘naheen ji, Malik Aurangzeb hain’.

At that I said, ‘does your father know what his sahibzada is doing?’

To which he again replied, ‘Why should he care? Sahibzada Yaqub Khan can do what he likes’ and started laughing again. Just imagine!

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What’s the big deal about Benazir Bhutto?

The Makaar Bhutto, Nawaz, Gujrati Chaudhry Families have done enough damage to Pakistan. Enough already. Lets Boot the scoundrels out!
What’s the big deal about Benazir Bhutto?
Bhutto’s contributions to the country are not all positive 
I’m watching the thousands of doting followers streaming into Naudero. I’m listening to soundbytes of Benazir devotees describing how she changed their lives forever. I’m reading all the comments flowing into this site, but I just don’t get it: what’s the big deal about Benazir Bhutto?
I’d sworn off writing for The Express Tribune blogs after the negative criticism, but really, has everyone taken off their critical thinking hats today?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Ms Bhutto and the PPP fail to run Pakistan. Twice? Where is the glory in that?
Okay fine – so people tell me it’s not Benazir Bhutto the individual who is such a big deal, but it is the “Bhutto legacy” and the “PPP ideology” which make Benazir (the individual) so precious. But Wikipedia tells me that it was the PPP which lost fair and square against the Awami League in 1970. So technically, it is the same party that (in some part) played a role in us losing East Pakistan and altered the course of the nation forever, not to mention added in a historic chapter so heinous that it does not even appear in our history books. Not much of a legacy there.
Wait, wait I know – Benazir is a big deal because she is Pakistan’s first and only female prime minister. But really, what’s the big deal in that, given that her father was a big-shot landlord, who also happened to be prime minister of Pakistan? Last I checked, no one gets credit for stuff they inherit.
No wait. She was killed by the Taliban, and that’s what the whole fuss is really about people tell me – its a tragedy. Well last I checked, there are thousands who have been killed off by the Taliban, sometimes dozens in a single day. What makes Benazir’s death at the hands of terrorists more special? That she was born rich and lucky enough to get an education abroad and offered the role of leading Pakistan on a silver platter? Her death is horrific and tragic, but I’m simply not convinced guys.
Then there are some arguments based on the (pathetic few) programs and schemes set up by Benazir. Is the First Women’s Bank really that big an accomplishment? What did she actually do for women (or men) anyway? Let’s not even look at a national level; the plight of women in Sindh, and Larkana, her home-town, is just pitiful.
Did she deliver a lot of lectures on women’s right?
Yep.
Did she repeal the Hudood laws when she had a chance?
Nope.
Did she yell “roti kapra makaan” a lot?
Yep.
Did that have any impact on poverty in Pakistan today?
Nope.
I could continue like this for pages and pages, but it all comes back to the same thing. Loving Benazir Bhutto is fine, but let’s not toss in all these (misguided) slogans regarding her ‘guts and glory’ as a leader. She was a human, just like the rest of us. Got a few things right, got a lot of things wrong, but mostly, got lucky (or unlucky?) in inheriting a political dynasty. And just like her father, she has seen to it that the dynasty continues via Bilawal (Bhutto) Zardari.
May she rest in peace.

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Pakistani Defense Minister urges reopening border to NATO

Pakistani Minister urges reopening border to NATOAfghan refugee children who fled their country with parents and their family members, play in a slums of Islamabad, Pakistan where thousands of famili

AP – Afghan refugee children who fled their country with parents and their family members, play in a slums …

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s defense minister said Tuesday that the country should reopen its Afghan border crossings to NATO troop supplies after negotiating a better deal with the coalition.

Pakistan closed the crossings over two months ago in response to American airstrikes that accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at two Afghan border posts. The closure has forced the United States to spend six times as much money to send supplies to Afghanistan through alternative routes.

Pakistani Defense Minister Ahmad Mukhtar told the private Geo TV that the government should negotiate new “terms and conditions” with NATO, then reopen the border.

He did not provide specific details. But other Pakistani officials have suggested that the government levy additional fees on the coalition for using the route since the heavy trucks cause damage to the roads.

Pakistan’s parliament is expected to vote on a revised framework for relations with the U.S. in mid-February that could pave the way for the government to reopen the supply line.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said last week that she didn’t think it would be much of a problem to reopen the route after the parliament vote.

The defense minister echoed this view, saying “I think the people who are deciding, who are giving recommendations, will make the right decision.”

For most of the 10-year war in Afghanistan, 90 percent of supplies shipped to coalition forces came through Pakistan, via the port of Karachi. But over the past three years, NATO has increased its road and rail shipments through an alternate route that runs through Russia and Central Asia. The northern route was longer and more expensive, but provided a hedge against the riskier Pakistan route.

Before the accidental American airstrikes on Nov. 26, about 30 percent of non-lethal supplies for U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan traveled through Pakistan.

The U.S. has since increased the amount of supplies running through the northern route, but this has cost it a lot more money. Pentagon figures provided to the AP show it is now costing about $104 million per month to send supplies. That is $87 million more per month than when the cargo moved through Pakistan.

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Time Australian takes issue over skewed article on Pakistan…

The Editor
Time Magazine
Dear Editor,
 I recently returned from a
charitable trip to Pakistan , whereby I visited both Karachi and
Islamabad. I spoke with several universities, key businesses,
prominent business leaders and several religious people from all
generations….On the day I returned to the office, someone had placed
your magazine (January 16, 2012), on my desk. I read with interest
your article on Karachi and the city in doom. For a person to have
just returned from the very same place that your magazine described
was somewhat bizarre, so I read with great detail your writer (Andrew
Marshall’s) account.
Let me begin by saying that I often flick through your magazine and
find the articles of great interest, but on this particular day and
this particular article, I found certain comments to be both one sided
and indeed very negative. I say that because I saw a different
Pakistan to what was portrayed in your article. I do not and will not
comment on the political or religious problems that the country faces,
but I will go so far as to say that not everything is as bad as the
image that your magazine paints. Sure there are deaths in the cities.
Please show me a city in the world, that is free from political
fighting and unrest. Sure there are differences in the political party
opinions. Please show me a country in the world where the political
parties agree. Sure the innocent are suffering. Please show me a
country in the world where wealth and power is equal and the innocent
don’t suffer. Sure corruption is in Pakistan . Please show me a country
in the world that is corruption free. My list could go on, but my
point is that Pakistan does have problems…but so does every other
country in the world in some way or another. However, in the case of
ALL other nations, there are often good things to report and the media
goes out of its way to promote these good things across the globe,
whenever possible.
The ridiculous amount of shootings in the USA are balanced off by the
success of Google, Microsoft and Apple. The financial dilemmas of
Greece are lost in the marketing of the Greek Islands as a holiday
destination of choice. The child slave industry of India , is brushed
under the carpet in favour of the nation’s growth in the global
software boom. What I am trying to say, is that someone needs to look
further into Pakistan and see that there are millions of great stories
to write about, which would portray the country in a different light,
to that what is being portrayed by your article.
When I was in Pakistan , I visited a towel manufacturing company
(Alkaram Towels). They produced some $60million in export in 2011 and
are aiming at $85million in 2012. A substantial increase in sales…in
a recession I would remind you. The company was started by the current
Chairman, Mr. Mehtab Chawla, at the tender age of nine, after his
father passed away. Today the very man employs 3000 staff. Now that’s
a story. I visited universities of NED, Hamdard, Karachi , Szabist and
NUST. The students are unbelievably intelligent. They spend their
spare time developing APPS for android and apple. They are involved in
cutting edge technology and no one in the world knows this. Why not
send a reporter to Pakistan to look into this. Why not research good
things in this nation, rather than just the bad things.
At NUST (National Institution for Science and Technology – Islamabad ))
there were 38,000 applications for medicine. There are only 83 seats
for the medicine course  on offer. The competition is unbelievable. In
short it pushes the best to be even better. But the world doesn’t
know this. Why? Because no one wants to report on it, or no one knows
about it…or both !!Please do not get me wrong. I understand that
news is news, but it is high time that the western world stopped
promoting these terrorists and political wars in Pakistan and started
to write something that would help the nation. Something positive. If
we really care about global partnerships and economic growth, then I
suggest we try and give Pakistan a helping hand.
There are 180 million people in Pakistan , 65% are under the age of 25.
The youth of Pakistan is its strength.. it is like a sleeping giant.
If you think that India is a booming nation. I suggest you stop a
second and look at Pakistan . Given a little help from the western
world, Pakistan can become a dominant economy. She doesn’t want aid
and she doesn’t need money… she just wants the chance to be seen in
a different light.  I believe we have a fundamental obligation to
assist. The only question is, who will reach out first.
Warmest regards,
Tony Lozoro.
Date: Sunday, January 29, 2012, 11:17 AM

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Arab Spring comes to Pakistan?

Arab Spring comes to Pakistan?

Jan 31, 2012 11:35 Moscow Time

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Interview with Gennady Yevstafiev, retired Lieutenant General of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.

The present political situation in Pakistan is of particular interest. The so called Memogate, which is in the run in a newspapers and political circles which happened almost half a year ago is getting a very, I would say, dangerous turn. In my personal opinion the Memogate is an attempt by Americans, who sponsored Mr. Zardari and Mr. Gilani, through these fellows like American businessmen of Pakistani origin Mr. Ijaz and Pakistani former Ambassador to Washington Mr. Haqqani. It was sponsored on the real nod on the part of American Administration to start the whole business.

It is a source, it is a variant of Arab Spring. But it quite understandable why – because Pakistan is military strong power, it is a nuclear power and secondly Pakistan is a vital country for American withdrawal from Afghanistan. So, they had to act as if they were not present, as if something happened by the initiation of local politicians. In fact I’m quite sure that the sign “go” was given by Americans and Zardari and Gilani were very much in the know about this memoir which was given to Mr. Mullen – former head of Chiefs of Staff.

But what was the idea behind it?

The idea was to get the military under control totally in order to arrange the smooth operation of withdrawal and smoother operations for the Americans inside Pakistan of which the military are not very fond of, because the attack on Osama bin Laden and his killing really shocked the military establishment. And we have to admit – there are some people, nationally minded people. And the military establishment though most of them studied in the United States and Britain but they are nationally minded people and for them it was a sort of humiliation through which they had to go.

The main enemy of the Pakistani military – the Vice-President of the United States Mr. Biden right from the beginning, after the assumption of power, was really skeptical and really against the military of Pakistan. And we have now a very precarious situation, because with the rather clumsy actions of Mr. Zardari and Gilani, they have created politically explosive situation and Pakistani military don’t want to give them credit, after several coups and dictatorship they have learned that another coup will be out of place and they are not going to be supported by the population.

So, they acted in a very clever, totally judicial way of trying to get rid of Mr. Gilani, and the final aim of the military is to get rid of Mr. Zardari. Zardari is extremely vulnerable person, because he is a well know corruptionist and really the fate of Zardari is I think is under a big question.

So, we have a very particular situation developing – the attempt at this stage by Americans and local pro-American forces failed. And we have to take into account that the Chief of Staff of the Pakistani Army Mr. Kiyani, he was extended on two years and he is also in a very difficult situation, because his temporal office is going to end this year, and military have think how are they going to proceed, because there is an evident attempt by Americans and local so called democrats, if we can say so, to get rid of the military and put them under control.

So, the situation still remains very explosive, but we have to admit that the military, they act very clearly, in a very balanced way. At the moment I feel that they are gaining the upper hand. The only thing here, you see, they have to work against different kinds of forces, and people speak now about the elections and every chance is for Mr. Nawaz Sharief – leader of Muslim League and who could gain the upper hand. But we should not forget that Mr. Sharief is very close to Saudi Arabia ruling family. Saudi Arabia ruling family saved Mr. Sharief, because he tried to get rid of military and that’s why it led to Pervez Musharraf dictatorship.

The game is multi-sided, extremely complicated and we have to expect events unraveling with a high speed and it is a situation to watch. It is a situation in which Americans could take preventive actions, they would try to press the military to the pressures of the Americans and to the pressures of the certain political forces in Pakistan who are basically owe Americans so much for their existence.

 

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