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Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Former Italian Foriegn Minister with Dr.farooq Sattar
Former Italian Foriegn Minister Prof. Gianni de Michelis, President of IPALMO and Mr.Massimo Di Pietro from Uil Prosud, a prominent Italian Labour Union called on Federal Minister for overseas Pakistanis Dr.farooq Sattar in Islamabad on April 23, 2009- Photo by Fawiza Khan NNA
Impacts of ‘panic deal’ with Taleban - OPINION by Sameera Aziz
When I wrote about the ‘Talebanization of Karachi’ on the basis of my analysis of the ground reality on a visit to Pakistan in connection to with PhD program, many voiced their opposition to my view. Today, these ‘worms of extremism’ are expected to make their way to the capital of Pakistan. All those political parties, including Pakistan Muslim League (N), who were supporting the Swat deal with Taleban, have made a volte-face.
Opposition is building toward the peace deal aimed at ending Taleban violence in the northwestern region after they have challenged the democratic rule and have started taking over new areas.
The parliament, which had unanimously approved the peace accord in the Swat valley and its adjoining areas, is now being criticized. President Asif Ali Zardari gave his assent to the deal despite criticism from the US, other Western governments, as well as opposition by Pakistani liberals and rights groups.
Certainly, the dissatisfaction and criticism of the Pakistani government’s efforts by the US administration and their repeated insistence to ‘do more’ is not new. These words echo time to time to shame Pakistan, which has always been under pressure from internal political forces to say ‘no more’.
However, the time has come for Pakistan to seriously think about the situation by doing ‘something more’ effectively for the sake of its own security and to protect its writ. The Swat deal has given a taste of victory to the Taleban militants, sparking global concerns as in the US administration, whose fears grow as the Taleban gain strength both in Pakistan and in the neighboring Afghanistan.
Unfortunately, while many political parties are in acceptance of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) opposition to the Swat deal, there is no national consensus on this matter.
The civil society, political parties and the administrations of the four provinces need to demonstrate that they can mutually manage their internal issues, and that the US as well as other global bodies should not criticize and concern themselves with the country’s internal matters.
Indeed, Pakistan is still suffering from the menace of suicide attacks and terrorism. Interior minister Rehman Malik has asked for the international community’s help to cope with the various issues. But what can the international community do in this situation? The US has been unsuccessful in stopping suicide attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now the US is trying to tackle extremism in Pakistan with airborne drone attacks, which is not easy, given the region has a tribal tradition of revenge. Since many innocent lives are being lost due to these drone attacks, it is difficult for the US to convince the Pakistani people that it wants to help Pakistan against Al-Qaeda and Taleban.
Unfortunately, the Taleban are gaining support by choosing locals, who have lost their near and dear ones in the drone attacks, to carry out suicide attacks in the cities of Pakistan. Hence, these attacks on militant hide-outs are proving to be useless as they are producing problems. Dialogue with more moderate Islamist groups will be helpful instead, but before that the US should understand that economic development is necessary in Swat and its border areas to defuse the insurgency.
The lone agreement in Swat was an attempt to create a local solution but unfortunately it did not yield the desired results.
In this situation, when the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admits that the US had a share in creating problems that now plague Pakistan, this should be considered a positive statement. The militancy issue in Pakistan is linked to the US-backed proxy war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. The US funded the militants (who were then called Mujahideen) and then deserted Pakistan to deal with the stingers.
The seeds sown by the US in Afghanistan were plenty with far-reaching effects in the neighborhood as well. So now if the US blames Pakistan for its failure without contributing to any development program, then accords like the Swat deal will happen due to the untrustworthy atmosphere to control the local pressure. The US should provide unconditional support to Pakistan to save it from extremists who want to devour the country, and perhaps, even the world.
To start with US should understand that peace cannot be achieved through violence; it can only be attained through understanding. Clinton has shown an understanding behavior towards the fateful land, which is the second largest Muslim country in the world and a nuclear power. Pakistan has already infuriated many anti-Islamic elements. It is a pity that even the so-called clerics have chosen to challenge the writ of the land and have tried to ruin the country’s constitution.
It is the government’s responsibility to protect the country’s constitution and keep its sovereignty intact instead of signing deals with local militants and community groups.
The objectives of the Taleban militants have been clear from the beginning. What kind of a message was given to the world by signing a deal with a banned militant group? It was like digging one’s own grave to leave the populace on the mercy of the Taleban.
It is indeed dangerous to enter into the so-called peace deals to temporarily satisfy the masses. The parliament should have understood its risks before unanimously approving it as the deal was tantamount to surrendering to the forces of obscurantism.
Islamic Shariah protects the rights of civilians and is very different from the Taleban’s version of Shariah.
This controversial deal with militants should be re-looked at as it has proved to be more a panic deal rather than a peace deal. – SG
Opposition is building toward the peace deal aimed at ending Taleban violence in the northwestern region after they have challenged the democratic rule and have started taking over new areas.
The parliament, which had unanimously approved the peace accord in the Swat valley and its adjoining areas, is now being criticized. President Asif Ali Zardari gave his assent to the deal despite criticism from the US, other Western governments, as well as opposition by Pakistani liberals and rights groups.
Certainly, the dissatisfaction and criticism of the Pakistani government’s efforts by the US administration and their repeated insistence to ‘do more’ is not new. These words echo time to time to shame Pakistan, which has always been under pressure from internal political forces to say ‘no more’.
However, the time has come for Pakistan to seriously think about the situation by doing ‘something more’ effectively for the sake of its own security and to protect its writ. The Swat deal has given a taste of victory to the Taleban militants, sparking global concerns as in the US administration, whose fears grow as the Taleban gain strength both in Pakistan and in the neighboring Afghanistan.
Unfortunately, while many political parties are in acceptance of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) opposition to the Swat deal, there is no national consensus on this matter.
The civil society, political parties and the administrations of the four provinces need to demonstrate that they can mutually manage their internal issues, and that the US as well as other global bodies should not criticize and concern themselves with the country’s internal matters.
Indeed, Pakistan is still suffering from the menace of suicide attacks and terrorism. Interior minister Rehman Malik has asked for the international community’s help to cope with the various issues. But what can the international community do in this situation? The US has been unsuccessful in stopping suicide attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now the US is trying to tackle extremism in Pakistan with airborne drone attacks, which is not easy, given the region has a tribal tradition of revenge. Since many innocent lives are being lost due to these drone attacks, it is difficult for the US to convince the Pakistani people that it wants to help Pakistan against Al-Qaeda and Taleban.
Unfortunately, the Taleban are gaining support by choosing locals, who have lost their near and dear ones in the drone attacks, to carry out suicide attacks in the cities of Pakistan. Hence, these attacks on militant hide-outs are proving to be useless as they are producing problems. Dialogue with more moderate Islamist groups will be helpful instead, but before that the US should understand that economic development is necessary in Swat and its border areas to defuse the insurgency.
The lone agreement in Swat was an attempt to create a local solution but unfortunately it did not yield the desired results.
In this situation, when the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admits that the US had a share in creating problems that now plague Pakistan, this should be considered a positive statement. The militancy issue in Pakistan is linked to the US-backed proxy war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. The US funded the militants (who were then called Mujahideen) and then deserted Pakistan to deal with the stingers.
The seeds sown by the US in Afghanistan were plenty with far-reaching effects in the neighborhood as well. So now if the US blames Pakistan for its failure without contributing to any development program, then accords like the Swat deal will happen due to the untrustworthy atmosphere to control the local pressure. The US should provide unconditional support to Pakistan to save it from extremists who want to devour the country, and perhaps, even the world.
To start with US should understand that peace cannot be achieved through violence; it can only be attained through understanding. Clinton has shown an understanding behavior towards the fateful land, which is the second largest Muslim country in the world and a nuclear power. Pakistan has already infuriated many anti-Islamic elements. It is a pity that even the so-called clerics have chosen to challenge the writ of the land and have tried to ruin the country’s constitution.
It is the government’s responsibility to protect the country’s constitution and keep its sovereignty intact instead of signing deals with local militants and community groups.
The objectives of the Taleban militants have been clear from the beginning. What kind of a message was given to the world by signing a deal with a banned militant group? It was like digging one’s own grave to leave the populace on the mercy of the Taleban.
It is indeed dangerous to enter into the so-called peace deals to temporarily satisfy the masses. The parliament should have understood its risks before unanimously approving it as the deal was tantamount to surrendering to the forces of obscurantism.
Islamic Shariah protects the rights of civilians and is very different from the Taleban’s version of Shariah.
This controversial deal with militants should be re-looked at as it has proved to be more a panic deal rather than a peace deal. – SG
Poll Results - President Zardari Should Resign?
As in our last poll about resignation of President Zardari we get following results. This poll was posted for 6 days on Daily Khabarnama.
Zardari should resign or not?
According to results
Total Votes: 54
42 votes were that Zardari should resign which is 78% of total
12 votes were that Zardari should not resign which is 22% of total
Many people gave their comments about President Zardari
Zardari should resign or not?
According to results
Total Votes: 54
42 votes were that Zardari should resign which is 78% of total
12 votes were that Zardari should not resign which is 22% of total
Many people gave their comments about President Zardari
Black Coat Revolution needs to be strengthened
Lahore March 18, 2009: The Black Coat Revolution of March 16 which is the manifestation of the will of the people of Pakistan needs to be strengthened. This was stated in a press statement by Dr. Khalil Ahmad, Executive Director Alternate Solutions Institute, first free market think tank of Pakistan. Highlighting the importance of the Black Coat Revolution, Dr. Khalil said, “In Pakistan’s 62 years of history, this revolution is the first victory of the ordinary people of Pakistan. The restoration of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan, to his rightful and lawful position, will ensure the ordinary people of Pakistan their dignity and their fundamental rights. It is tantamount to moving of the Pakistani nation and society in a direction where rule of law, independence of judiciary and supremacy of the constitution will prevail.”
He cautioned, “We need to be on guard against those elements and forces who have been opposing the restoration of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice of Pakistan and other deposed judges of the higher courts of Pakistan, and creating hurdles in their reinstatement.” Dr. Khalil further said, “In order to thwart the success of the Black Coat Revolution, the counter revolutionary elements and forces have started conspiring against it. They do not want the status quo of Pakistan to change in favor of the ordinary people. We must foil their attempts to keep the elitist state of Pakistan intact. For this, we should always be vigilant.”
Dr. Khalil highlighted the role of lawyers and civil society who kept the movement alive. He said, “Media, especially electronic media, has come out prominently as an ally of the ordinary people of Pakistan.” He extolled the role of Pakistan Muslim League (N) and especially its leader, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, who bravely led this revolution to success through the dangers of the Container Politics of Zardari regime. He said, "Other political parties such as Jamat-e-Islami, Tehrik-e-Insaf and various smaller groups also contributed to the success of this movement." Dr. Khalil disclosed that Alternate Solutions Institute will be celebrating the Black Coat Revolution next week in a befitting manner where it will formally launch its Sign the Charter of Liberty Campaign. This Campaign aims at making the citizens’ fundamental rights, ensured in the Constitution of 1973, inviolable.
Email: khalil@asinstitute.org
He cautioned, “We need to be on guard against those elements and forces who have been opposing the restoration of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice of Pakistan and other deposed judges of the higher courts of Pakistan, and creating hurdles in their reinstatement.” Dr. Khalil further said, “In order to thwart the success of the Black Coat Revolution, the counter revolutionary elements and forces have started conspiring against it. They do not want the status quo of Pakistan to change in favor of the ordinary people. We must foil their attempts to keep the elitist state of Pakistan intact. For this, we should always be vigilant.”
Dr. Khalil highlighted the role of lawyers and civil society who kept the movement alive. He said, “Media, especially electronic media, has come out prominently as an ally of the ordinary people of Pakistan.” He extolled the role of Pakistan Muslim League (N) and especially its leader, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, who bravely led this revolution to success through the dangers of the Container Politics of Zardari regime. He said, "Other political parties such as Jamat-e-Islami, Tehrik-e-Insaf and various smaller groups also contributed to the success of this movement." Dr. Khalil disclosed that Alternate Solutions Institute will be celebrating the Black Coat Revolution next week in a befitting manner where it will formally launch its Sign the Charter of Liberty Campaign. This Campaign aims at making the citizens’ fundamental rights, ensured in the Constitution of 1973, inviolable.
Email: khalil@asinstitute.org
A Patriotic Pakistani 4 Liberty
"Before It's Too late"
By Saqlain MEHDI
Before it's too late, consider your fate.
Before it's too late, observe where you stand.
Before it's too late, take action against those
Who lie and deceive to destroy our beloved homeland!
Before it's too late, take time to do homework.
Look into the options not fed by the "Man".
His money owns media and works in dark places.
His soul has been sold to destroy all he can.
Before it's too late, to fight for your Liberties,
Before all the doors have closed to our stand,
Before it's too late, speak out for your freedoms
They're leading this nation like birds in their hands.
Before all is over and this great land fails
And citizens rot in their new master’s jail
Before Martial Law demands your respect
Before all you didn't do, you come to regret
Before you watch families, left out on the streets
And hear all the agony of regret and defeat
Before New World Order is "Soup of the Day"
Before every Liberty is taken away
Before all the poor are devoured, enslaved
And patriots lay in freshly dug graves
Before they stop by to pick up your guns
Before you pack light and live on the run
Give Wisdom her hour, and listen with care
She speaks for your freedom and warns of despair
She cries through the mouths of the lowly and poor
She walks your street shouting, and pounding on doors
Awake, you who slumber
Awake those who sleep
Awake before Wolves
Devour the Sheep
Awake to the process, so cleverly designed
By devils and foxes who devour the creeping plant
The fruits of this Nation, the poachers do steal
While blissfully you slumber, accepting their deal
Let no one deceive you, let no lying lips
Cause further destruction and fast sinking ships
For fear and control they set up these crimes
And do well by media to sell all their lies
Search for the people, take care who you follow
This may be the last time we all get to follow!!!
Help get Pakistan back "for the people, by the people and of the people", before the elite finally trample all the people once and for all times!!
The writer is a Senior Journalist & Initiator of Missing Person’s Case in Pakistan--saqlainmehdi@gmail.com
By Saqlain MEHDI
Before it's too late, consider your fate.
Before it's too late, observe where you stand.
Before it's too late, take action against those
Who lie and deceive to destroy our beloved homeland!
Before it's too late, take time to do homework.
Look into the options not fed by the "Man".
His money owns media and works in dark places.
His soul has been sold to destroy all he can.
Before it's too late, to fight for your Liberties,
Before all the doors have closed to our stand,
Before it's too late, speak out for your freedoms
They're leading this nation like birds in their hands.
Before all is over and this great land fails
And citizens rot in their new master’s jail
Before Martial Law demands your respect
Before all you didn't do, you come to regret
Before you watch families, left out on the streets
And hear all the agony of regret and defeat
Before New World Order is "Soup of the Day"
Before every Liberty is taken away
Before all the poor are devoured, enslaved
And patriots lay in freshly dug graves
Before they stop by to pick up your guns
Before you pack light and live on the run
Give Wisdom her hour, and listen with care
She speaks for your freedom and warns of despair
She cries through the mouths of the lowly and poor
She walks your street shouting, and pounding on doors
Awake, you who slumber
Awake those who sleep
Awake before Wolves
Devour the Sheep
Awake to the process, so cleverly designed
By devils and foxes who devour the creeping plant
The fruits of this Nation, the poachers do steal
While blissfully you slumber, accepting their deal
Let no one deceive you, let no lying lips
Cause further destruction and fast sinking ships
For fear and control they set up these crimes
And do well by media to sell all their lies
Search for the people, take care who you follow
This may be the last time we all get to follow!!!
Help get Pakistan back "for the people, by the people and of the people", before the elite finally trample all the people once and for all times!!
The writer is a Senior Journalist & Initiator of Missing Person’s Case in Pakistan--saqlainmehdi@gmail.com
Zardari should resign or not?
What are your opinions about Zardari, should he resign or not?
Post your comments on blog comments section. Thanks
Post your comments on blog comments section. Thanks
PPP-PMLQ Deal Finalised (Guest Post)
As per reports from various TV Channels, PPP and PMLQ have reached a power sharing formula.
Ch. Shujaat will be leader of house after resignation of Raza Rabbani who will be appointed as Law Minister and Farooq Naek will be Senate Chairman.
Punjab Chief Minister will be from PPP and PMLQ will get 18 minstries and one senior minster will be from PMLQ.
Sources are saying that todays press conference by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was announced after finalization of this deal.
Chaudhry Shujaat had met Asif Zardari 2 days ago for final round of discussions between both parties.
It has also been reported that all major leadership of PMLN and other opposition parties and Lawyers will be arrested in coming days, most probably immediately after Chairman senate election on 12th March morning.
PPP govt. has decided to call Punjab assembly session on 15th or 16th March when most of the main leaders of PMLN will be under arrest or struggling to inject some strength in Long March.
Ch. Shujaat will be leader of house after resignation of Raza Rabbani who will be appointed as Law Minister and Farooq Naek will be Senate Chairman.
Punjab Chief Minister will be from PPP and PMLQ will get 18 minstries and one senior minster will be from PMLQ.
Sources are saying that todays press conference by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was announced after finalization of this deal.
Chaudhry Shujaat had met Asif Zardari 2 days ago for final round of discussions between both parties.
It has also been reported that all major leadership of PMLN and other opposition parties and Lawyers will be arrested in coming days, most probably immediately after Chairman senate election on 12th March morning.
PPP govt. has decided to call Punjab assembly session on 15th or 16th March when most of the main leaders of PMLN will be under arrest or struggling to inject some strength in Long March.
Zardari Musharraf Don't fall for the same lies (Guest Post)
Their are rumors that judiciary will be restored. This is only to create more confusion. Remember this is the same lie they used against the people of Pakistan, not once, not twice but thrice by Asif Zardari.The Long March to restore the judges and overturn all unconstitutional acts of Zardari and his inspiration, Musharraf, must go on.
Register with the Local Bar Association to send Mr. 10 % back behind bars and stabilize Pakistan.
If you supported Musharraf you are responsible for what is wrong in Pakistan today:
1) You supported Musharraf
2) Musharraf gave NRO
3) NRO gave Zardari
4) Zardari causing instability.
If only you had supported the lawyers:
1) Judges still functioning.
2) NRO declared unconstitutional
3) Zardari, Musharraf behind bars.
4) Pakistan stable.
Lesson: Never support a military dictator.
______________________
Emergency mailing list: Emergency@lists.hcs.harvard.edu
German Parliamentarian supports justice Iftikhar
German member of Parliament Mrs. Ute Koczy issues a statement to support the lawyers movement after meeting with Shahid Riaz Gondal, president of Pak-German Council for culture and Democracy.
Original Youtube message, please click here
Statement in solidarity with Pakistani lawyers movement as a Member of the Committee on Economic Development and Cooperation in the German Federal Parliament I am especially interested in Pakistan. Together with other Members of Parliament I visited Pakistan in October 2008 and I was deeply impressed by the beauty and the hospitality of the country. We met with representatives of the Pakistani government, parliament, as well as nongovernmental organisations.
Pakistan is an important regional power. Instability in Pakistan means instability in the whole region. Instability in the region leads to instability worldwide. That is why the European Union and Germany cannot stand aside but have to support stability, peace and the rule of law in the region and Pakistan.
Furthermore, without democracy stability is unlikely. Under its new President Asif Ali Zardari Pakistan has the chance for a democratic new beginning. I urge the political leaders of Pakistan to support this democratic new start.
Pakistan’s problems, such as the treat of religious and political extremism, can only be overcome through a long process of democratic development. This process cannot be successful without a strong and vibrant civil society. The lawyers’ movement has shown that such a civil society exists in Pakistan. These brave people are real patriots of their country. They have contributed significantly to the current democratic new beginning.
Therefore, I ask the Pakistani government to support the lawyers’ movement and to abolish all political verdicts against activists of the movement. All judges must be allowed to return to their former positions. This includes first of all Chief Justice Mr. Chaudhry.
I want to express our respect and solidarity to all the many people in Pakistan who engage in advancing the rule of law and human rights. We strongly encourage them to continue with their highly important efforts.”
Original Youtube message, please click here
Statement in solidarity with Pakistani lawyers movement as a Member of the Committee on Economic Development and Cooperation in the German Federal Parliament I am especially interested in Pakistan. Together with other Members of Parliament I visited Pakistan in October 2008 and I was deeply impressed by the beauty and the hospitality of the country. We met with representatives of the Pakistani government, parliament, as well as nongovernmental organisations.
Pakistan is an important regional power. Instability in Pakistan means instability in the whole region. Instability in the region leads to instability worldwide. That is why the European Union and Germany cannot stand aside but have to support stability, peace and the rule of law in the region and Pakistan.
Furthermore, without democracy stability is unlikely. Under its new President Asif Ali Zardari Pakistan has the chance for a democratic new beginning. I urge the political leaders of Pakistan to support this democratic new start.
Pakistan’s problems, such as the treat of religious and political extremism, can only be overcome through a long process of democratic development. This process cannot be successful without a strong and vibrant civil society. The lawyers’ movement has shown that such a civil society exists in Pakistan. These brave people are real patriots of their country. They have contributed significantly to the current democratic new beginning.
Therefore, I ask the Pakistani government to support the lawyers’ movement and to abolish all political verdicts against activists of the movement. All judges must be allowed to return to their former positions. This includes first of all Chief Justice Mr. Chaudhry.
I want to express our respect and solidarity to all the many people in Pakistan who engage in advancing the rule of law and human rights. We strongly encourage them to continue with their highly important efforts.”
Protest against US, India and Israel in Lahore
Pic. Protest against US, India and Israel in Lahore Pakistan
Guest Post: Jirga System
| PAKISTAN: Jirga Justice: Getting Away With Murder  | ||
|
Baseer Naveed  Jirgas are court-like gatherings of tribal men which have been declared illegal by the superior courts in Pakistan (Photo: www.dailylife.com) Several months ago eight women, three of them minors, were buried alive in Balochistan, reportedly by the same men. Those responsible were found to have close ties with the provincial government and to the police; and investigations into the case have gone through a Kafkan array of delays and setbacks. To conquer these practices, which go against the nation's constitution, Pakistan needs to look deep into its own system and make strong, confident changes. It is time for the government to show its seriousness about becoming a respectable twenty-first century power, and safeguarding the rights of its people. Many men serving in parliament today have been a part of Jirga courts and a serious resolution of the issue will never be met with such men in power. Those who have conducted Jirgas should be banned from holding public office, and those already in office must be ejected. Political will is required for curbing this menace. A clear signal should be sent that the constitutional law of Pakistan needs to be respected. |
--
________________________________________________
Baseer Naweed
Senior Researcher, South Asia Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
19/F Go-Up Commercial Building
998 Canton Rd, Mongkok
Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
baseer.naweed@ahrc.asia
Tel: (852) 2698 6339 Ext 113
Fax: (852) 2698 6367
Mob: (852)6402 5943
Zardari Gilani Qureshi why humiliate pakistan
Aoa Respected Sir hoping you will be all ok.Here is a very important writting which shows a real picture of pakistani top class govt officials,ministers etc.Readers are expected to decide about them and their actions,so that to reach at a decision if these activities are pakistan-loving or otherwise?.Please send to your friends,relatives,all kith and kin and the important personalities who matter in society.It is also vert humbly requested to send and forward this column to all audio-video medias,print medias and all known journalists,magazines,newspapers,radio-tv channels especially news channels etc with a request for its vast publications.I shall be highly obliged for that,as this being a matter regarding very integrity,solidarity and soverignty of islamic republic of pakistan.wasallam. Dr Mian Ihsan Bari
Zardari-Gilani-Qureshi- Durrani: Why Humiliate Pakistan?Now Mr. Zardari has owned Indian airspace violations. He already `owns' American violations as well.In less than ten days, the Zardari-Gilani government transformed Pakistan into the main culprit in the Mumbai attacks.So keen was President Zardari for Pakistan to be implicated that his prime minister offered the ISI chief to the Indians, in partial admission of guilt. It was also an attempt to put the Pakistani military under the spotlight. Subsequently, every opportunity was missed to confront India about loopholes in its story. And lastly, our government confirmed Pakistan's guilt by taking action against its own citizens without evidence and offered no resistance to a biased U.N. resolution that is entirely based on Indian and American ideas. Even Chinese diplomats were stunned at the Pakistani government's behavior. So are we.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—On a talk show on Express News TV, I watched Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira, a federal minister in the Zardari-Gilani government, excitedly defend his government's partial admission of responsibility in the Mumbai attacks and the orders to arrest Pakistani citizens to please the Indians. The only word that came to my mind was `shameless'. He was under orders from President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani, and the national security adviser Mehmood Ali Durrani, to lie. He was lying through his teeth. He could have chosen to resign and refuse to compromise on Pakistan's honor. But obviously he has no respect for his people and his homeland–a standard practice for Pakistani politicians who normally seek support and approval abroad, especially in Washington. Washington, coincidentally, happens to be the godmother of this current Pakistani government. Almost all the seniors in office in Islamabad today owe their luck to a deal brokered by the U.S. Department of State with a weak Pervez Musharraf a year ago. Minister Kaira could have said his government had to do whatever it did under pressure; that he doesn't like it but there was no other way. Instead, Mr. Kaira was in pain to turn an Indian problem – the Mumbai comedy of failures – into a Pakistani problem. "How can we allow non-state actors to sideline state actors?" the minister questioned in a phony display of sincerity. Almost all the ministers of the Zardari government are following the same line, with the silliest one reserved for the world's most courageous defense minister, Mr. Ahmed Mukhtar, who lied to reporters when he said over the weekend his government had no option but to accept the biased U.N. Security Council resolution to avoid being declared a terrorist state. The statement created a mini stir in Washington when reporters there besieged Bush admin spokespeople to know if Washington had actually made the threat to Pakistan. They had to deny, of course. In the short span of ten days, President Zardari, his prime minister and his cast of ministers have led Pakistan into a series of diplomatic defeats, turning Pakistan into the main culprit in the Mumbai attacks, something that the Indians could not have achieved on their own no matter what. Indian lies are passing without check, not even from Pakistan's side, where the government and its media and diplomatic arms should have been at the forefront of ripping apart the Indian version of the story, which is filled with loopholes that are conveniently ignored by the British-American media, especially regarding the lone surviving attacker. The lone survivor was also the only one who was photographed by an unknown Indian photographer. The other nine attackers conveniently escaped the camera. They were all killed, fake photos of Pakistanis in Indian jails were produced as evidence, and there is no word about their bodies, fingerprints, DNA tests, etc. Now reports are emerging from Kathmandu, Nepal, revealing that the lone survivor also happens to be someone who disappeared during a visit to Nepal in 2006. A case filed by his lawyer before the Nepal's Supreme Court accuses Nepalese police of handing him over to Indian intelligence officers posted at the Indian embassy there. On Sunday, Mr. Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, had the audacity to lecture Pakistanis on how terrorist acts in Britain were traced to Pakistani soil. We are sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Brown, but you shouldn't forget your country's share of the problem. And it's a huge share. A smarter and a more nationalist Pakistani President standing beside you could have reminded you of this. Sad that Mr. Zardari didn't. London during the 1990s emerged as a global safe haven for terrorists and anarchists from countries as far away as Saudi Arabia and Russia. The British intelligence used them as political leverage. Many of the anarchists from the Middle East were religious extremists who were accorded protection by the British government despite protest from their home countries. Maybe those people radicalized your own Muslim population, Mr. Brown. And let's not forget how your country cut and ran from Afghanistan in 1992, leaving Pakistan to deal with the mess. Mr. Zardari's foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, was humiliated in New Delhi for three days, where the Indian prime minister and foreign minister refused to meet him. You would think he would turn down a second chance to meet the Indians. Not so. Mr. Qureshi rushed to attend the Paris Conference of Afghanistan' s neighbors and superpowers. Iran refused to attend the event because Tehran was angry at a statement made by France's president. Pakistan should not have attended the conference at all. First of all, Indians are not direct neighbors of Afghanistan and Pakistan should not endorse any such conference attended by the Indians, unless of course the Pakistani government endorses the expanded Indian intelligence and military presence in that country under American protection. Second, Pakistan should have shown its displeasure at the blatantly pro-Indian positions of the British and the American governments, the parties most troubled by the developments in Afghanistan. What A NationalistPakistani Govt. WouldHave Done The Zardari-Gilani-Qureshi-Durrani team could have taken a bold and clear stance from the start, based on four principles: Pakistani sympathy for Indian tragedy victims
Help India in any way possible
Reject accusations without verifiable evidence
Reject any Indian attempt to exploit the tragedy for political mileage
Ambassador Munir Akram, our staunchly patriotic and Pakistani nationalist envoy to the United Nations, was humiliatingly removed from his position by the Zardari-Gilani government and replaced by Mr. Husain Haroon, an inexperienced person who couldn't state Pakistan's position when the Indians and our so-called American friends pushed a biased resolution in the Security Council that reflected Indian claims without verifiable evidence. Such a move would have been artfully confronted by Ambassador Akram. No wonder the Zardari government had him removed and replaced by the likes of Mr. Haroon and Mr. Husain Haqqani, our ambassador in Washington, who continues to take defeatist stances on Pakistani issues with the main concern – both his and his government's - being appeasing Washington and its pro-Indian lobby. A more competent team in Washington and New York would have challenged the Indian and American attempt to include Pakistani names in the U.N. resolution without concrete evidence. It would have forced India to at least share the strong evidence they claim to have. A better prepared team looking after Pakistani interest and not American interest would have dispelled the impression that Jamaat al-Daawa is a front for a banned group and thereby dispel the impression that Pakistan was hiding something. The Daawa people in fact did a better job than the Haroon-Haqqani team by immediately opening their huge compound in Muridke near Lahore to foreign journalists to confirm the group's charity credentials through actual work on the ground. If the government had any competent people, they would have been able to use this opportunity in order to defend Pakistan against spurious allegations.
DR MIAN IHSAN BARI (m.b.b.s,r.m.p,phs(1)
CHAIRMAN ANJUMAN FALAH-E-MAZLOOMAN PAKISTAN
BARI FREE SERVICE PAKISTAN(FOR PHYSICAL,ADMINISTRATIVE,LEGAL,MEDICAL AND GOVERNMENTAL DISEASES)
Remained Student Leader as, Chairman Pakistan Students Council, Acting Chairman and General Secretary Punjab Students Council, President Pakistan Doctors Organisation,General Secretary Nishtar Medical College Students Union Multan. President Khatam-e-Nubawat Students Organisation
KHADIM-E-AALA,ALLAH-O-AKBAR TEHRIK PAKISTAN
Bahawalnagar:
Office: Allah -o- Akbar Tehrik Pakistan, City Chowk, Opposite Girls High SchoolBahawalnagar HULLO+FAX 063-2277121,WIRE LESS:063-2015677CELL: 0333-6311421
Haroonabad
BARI HOUSE,BARI ROAD,CANAL COLONY HAROON ABAD DISTT;BAHAWAL NAGAR RES:HULLO:063-2251121,063-2256121
Chishtian
OPPOSITE RAILWAY STATION CHISHTIAN DISTT;BAHAWAL NAGAR :RES HULLO: WIRELESS:063-2006588 ,CELL:0300-6986900
mian bari
Zardari-Gilani-Qureshi- Durrani: Why Humiliate Pakistan?Now Mr. Zardari has owned Indian airspace violations. He already `owns' American violations as well.In less than ten days, the Zardari-Gilani government transformed Pakistan into the main culprit in the Mumbai attacks.So keen was President Zardari for Pakistan to be implicated that his prime minister offered the ISI chief to the Indians, in partial admission of guilt. It was also an attempt to put the Pakistani military under the spotlight. Subsequently, every opportunity was missed to confront India about loopholes in its story. And lastly, our government confirmed Pakistan's guilt by taking action against its own citizens without evidence and offered no resistance to a biased U.N. resolution that is entirely based on Indian and American ideas. Even Chinese diplomats were stunned at the Pakistani government's behavior. So are we.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—On a talk show on Express News TV, I watched Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira, a federal minister in the Zardari-Gilani government, excitedly defend his government's partial admission of responsibility in the Mumbai attacks and the orders to arrest Pakistani citizens to please the Indians. The only word that came to my mind was `shameless'. He was under orders from President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani, and the national security adviser Mehmood Ali Durrani, to lie. He was lying through his teeth. He could have chosen to resign and refuse to compromise on Pakistan's honor. But obviously he has no respect for his people and his homeland–a standard practice for Pakistani politicians who normally seek support and approval abroad, especially in Washington. Washington, coincidentally, happens to be the godmother of this current Pakistani government. Almost all the seniors in office in Islamabad today owe their luck to a deal brokered by the U.S. Department of State with a weak Pervez Musharraf a year ago. Minister Kaira could have said his government had to do whatever it did under pressure; that he doesn't like it but there was no other way. Instead, Mr. Kaira was in pain to turn an Indian problem – the Mumbai comedy of failures – into a Pakistani problem. "How can we allow non-state actors to sideline state actors?" the minister questioned in a phony display of sincerity. Almost all the ministers of the Zardari government are following the same line, with the silliest one reserved for the world's most courageous defense minister, Mr. Ahmed Mukhtar, who lied to reporters when he said over the weekend his government had no option but to accept the biased U.N. Security Council resolution to avoid being declared a terrorist state. The statement created a mini stir in Washington when reporters there besieged Bush admin spokespeople to know if Washington had actually made the threat to Pakistan. They had to deny, of course. In the short span of ten days, President Zardari, his prime minister and his cast of ministers have led Pakistan into a series of diplomatic defeats, turning Pakistan into the main culprit in the Mumbai attacks, something that the Indians could not have achieved on their own no matter what. Indian lies are passing without check, not even from Pakistan's side, where the government and its media and diplomatic arms should have been at the forefront of ripping apart the Indian version of the story, which is filled with loopholes that are conveniently ignored by the British-American media, especially regarding the lone surviving attacker. The lone survivor was also the only one who was photographed by an unknown Indian photographer. The other nine attackers conveniently escaped the camera. They were all killed, fake photos of Pakistanis in Indian jails were produced as evidence, and there is no word about their bodies, fingerprints, DNA tests, etc. Now reports are emerging from Kathmandu, Nepal, revealing that the lone survivor also happens to be someone who disappeared during a visit to Nepal in 2006. A case filed by his lawyer before the Nepal's Supreme Court accuses Nepalese police of handing him over to Indian intelligence officers posted at the Indian embassy there. On Sunday, Mr. Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, had the audacity to lecture Pakistanis on how terrorist acts in Britain were traced to Pakistani soil. We are sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Brown, but you shouldn't forget your country's share of the problem. And it's a huge share. A smarter and a more nationalist Pakistani President standing beside you could have reminded you of this. Sad that Mr. Zardari didn't. London during the 1990s emerged as a global safe haven for terrorists and anarchists from countries as far away as Saudi Arabia and Russia. The British intelligence used them as political leverage. Many of the anarchists from the Middle East were religious extremists who were accorded protection by the British government despite protest from their home countries. Maybe those people radicalized your own Muslim population, Mr. Brown. And let's not forget how your country cut and ran from Afghanistan in 1992, leaving Pakistan to deal with the mess. Mr. Zardari's foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, was humiliated in New Delhi for three days, where the Indian prime minister and foreign minister refused to meet him. You would think he would turn down a second chance to meet the Indians. Not so. Mr. Qureshi rushed to attend the Paris Conference of Afghanistan' s neighbors and superpowers. Iran refused to attend the event because Tehran was angry at a statement made by France's president. Pakistan should not have attended the conference at all. First of all, Indians are not direct neighbors of Afghanistan and Pakistan should not endorse any such conference attended by the Indians, unless of course the Pakistani government endorses the expanded Indian intelligence and military presence in that country under American protection. Second, Pakistan should have shown its displeasure at the blatantly pro-Indian positions of the British and the American governments, the parties most troubled by the developments in Afghanistan. What A NationalistPakistani Govt. WouldHave Done The Zardari-Gilani-Qureshi-Durrani team could have taken a bold and clear stance from the start, based on four principles: Pakistani sympathy for Indian tragedy victims
Help India in any way possible
Reject accusations without verifiable evidence
Reject any Indian attempt to exploit the tragedy for political mileage
Ambassador Munir Akram, our staunchly patriotic and Pakistani nationalist envoy to the United Nations, was humiliatingly removed from his position by the Zardari-Gilani government and replaced by Mr. Husain Haroon, an inexperienced person who couldn't state Pakistan's position when the Indians and our so-called American friends pushed a biased resolution in the Security Council that reflected Indian claims without verifiable evidence. Such a move would have been artfully confronted by Ambassador Akram. No wonder the Zardari government had him removed and replaced by the likes of Mr. Haroon and Mr. Husain Haqqani, our ambassador in Washington, who continues to take defeatist stances on Pakistani issues with the main concern – both his and his government's - being appeasing Washington and its pro-Indian lobby. A more competent team in Washington and New York would have challenged the Indian and American attempt to include Pakistani names in the U.N. resolution without concrete evidence. It would have forced India to at least share the strong evidence they claim to have. A better prepared team looking after Pakistani interest and not American interest would have dispelled the impression that Jamaat al-Daawa is a front for a banned group and thereby dispel the impression that Pakistan was hiding something. The Daawa people in fact did a better job than the Haroon-Haqqani team by immediately opening their huge compound in Muridke near Lahore to foreign journalists to confirm the group's charity credentials through actual work on the ground. If the government had any competent people, they would have been able to use this opportunity in order to defend Pakistan against spurious allegations.
DR MIAN IHSAN BARI (m.b.b.s,r.m.p,phs(1)
CHAIRMAN ANJUMAN FALAH-E-MAZLOOMAN PAKISTAN
BARI FREE SERVICE PAKISTAN(FOR PHYSICAL,ADMINISTRATIVE,LEGAL,MEDICAL AND GOVERNMENTAL DISEASES)
Remained Student Leader as, Chairman Pakistan Students Council, Acting Chairman and General Secretary Punjab Students Council, President Pakistan Doctors Organisation,General Secretary Nishtar Medical College Students Union Multan. President Khatam-e-Nubawat Students Organisation
KHADIM-E-AALA,ALLAH-O-AKBAR TEHRIK PAKISTAN
Bahawalnagar:
Office: Allah -o- Akbar Tehrik Pakistan, City Chowk, Opposite Girls High SchoolBahawalnagar HULLO+FAX 063-2277121,WIRE LESS:063-2015677CELL: 0333-6311421
Haroonabad
BARI HOUSE,BARI ROAD,CANAL COLONY HAROON ABAD DISTT;BAHAWAL NAGAR RES:HULLO:063-2251121,063-2256121
Chishtian
OPPOSITE RAILWAY STATION CHISHTIAN DISTT;BAHAWAL NAGAR :RES HULLO: WIRELESS:063-2006588 ,CELL:0300-6986900
mian bari
Guest Post: Indian Blame Games
Sat, 2008-12-27 02:14
By Yousaf Alamgirian
India is kind enough to involve Pakistan in every incident happening inside her territory. Indian governments are lucky in this regards that they can easily hide themselves behind the blames imposed on Pakistan in order to cover its failures to counter such acts. Be it Samjhota Express blast or recent incident of Mumbai, India with in no time found its connections with Pakistan and that too without having reached to the facts.
India is very fond of blame games .Keeping in view Samjhota express type incidents it seems India is expert enough in staging dramas to defame Pakistan. India once staged a plan hijack drama but retreated when exposed after failure in handling the same and later on declared that as a rehearsal.
Indian blame game once again has been exposed after involvement of an Indian Army Lieutenant Colonel PS Purohit's proved in samjhota express blast killing more than 60 innocent passengers mostly Pakistanis. PS Purohit procured the explosives used in the 2007 Samjhota Express train bombing and 2008 Malegaon blast, Indian police told a court in Nashik city. According to Maharashtra police Colonel had obtained 60 kilogrammes of the explosive from Jammu and Kashmir in 2006 according to a witness in the Malegaon blast case.
Meanwhile, Hindu ascetic Sadhvi Pragya Singh and Lt Col Purohit tested negative in narco tests on direct involvement in the Samjhota Express bombing, but gave important clues about their clandestine network. The Mumbai Police ATS is now tracing two followers of Sadhvi and an Indore-based Hindu Jagran Manch that they believe are the 'missing link' in the Samjhota Express bombing. The suitcases that were used to blow up three carriages of Samjhota Express were traced to Indore, which has emerged as a hub of clandestine activities of Hindu militant groups.
Indian government and its army both are very loving of making fake dramas and fake encounters and fortunately or unfortunately villain of every drama is Pakistan. So, Indian army is not behind than any of other Indian agency to plant such dramas. According to The Indian Express few months back Indian held Kashmir Police have arrested two persons in connection with the "fake encounter" at Larnoo Bandipore. It is said that a trooper of 3 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry regiment (JAKLI), Tahir Pathan, and an Army source, Riyaz Ahmad Chichi, have been arrested on charges of killing labourer Mohammad Ashraf Sheikh for monetary gains and later dubbing him as a militant.
Ashraf Sheikh disappeared from Srinagar where he had been working as a labourer. Soon after, the Budgam police arrested Chichi on charges of abducting the daughter of a soldier. Chichi along with the girl was traced to S D Colony, Batamaloo in Srinagar. Later, police recovered a card from Chichi, which identified him as an Army source in Bandipore. The Budgam police found out that their Bandipore counterparts were on the lookout for Chichi as they had information that he was seen with Sheikh before the "encounter". Chichi claimed he had hired Sheikh from Srinagar for Rs 200 a day, taken him to Bandipore where Armymen staged an "encounter", and placed a gun near his body to pass him off as a militant. They said Chichi claimed a Major had promised to "capture a militant for the unit" in exchange for Rs 1 lakh.
Mean while an Indian Army Colonel H.S. Kohli, has been dismissed and a major suspended for faking killings by splashing tomato ketchup on civilians and passing them off as dead separatists - in the hope of being awarded. Colonel H.S. Kohli, commanding an artillery regiment in Assam, had faked the killing of some separatists last year by making some civilians pose in photographs as enemy casualties after splashing their bodies with tomato sauce.
The "daring" colonel in fact tried to use the photographs to back his claim for a gallantry award and was subsequently tried and found guilty in a court martial. The colonel apparently took photographs of some civilians in an isolated place in southern Assam's Cachar district after pouring tomato sauce on their bodies and making the pictures look like an encounter, with blood splattered over the bodies.
The fraud came to light when the colonel's claims for a gallantry award were processed. It was indeed bizarre to find him claiming a bravery award for the kills, which in fact did not, took place at all.
The saucy scandal was not unique of its kind to rock the Indian Army as they had already proved their skills in Siachen scandal in which a major was accused of inventing enemy killings for the sake of gallantry awards. According to new norms, Indian Army officials are being graded and awarded promotions and bravery awards on the basis of the number of terrorists they capture and kill.
Being an ever coward nation Indians want to take benefit of presence of US and NATO troops at western borders of Pakistan.
In order to pressurize Pakistan India is trying to be over smart and is threatening to attack inside our borders. I don't know about Indian nation but Indian army knows valiant Pakistan Army troops very well. They know that Pakistan Army soldiers never go for fake encounters and they do use tomato ketchup but only during the tea breaks. India can well imagine that how our daring Air force fighters retaliated in the recent Indian planes violations or Pakistani territories. Indian planes had a narrow escape and ran back like jackals. India is fully aware of our capabilities as our Armed Forces are ranked among the best and professionally trained forces. Our forces are equipped with the latest and state of the art weapons and equipment. The Armed Forces of Pakistan have always proved their guts on the battle grounds.
Pakistan being the sovereign country enjoys bouquet of very strong, passionate and devoted masses that love their country and have courage to sacrifice their lives in defending boundaries of their motherland. India should not be deceived by Pakistan's certain internal problems. In time of test and trial our nation will not be having any sort of internal problem but to crush the enemy with unity and strength.
Yousaf Alamgirian is a freelance columnist and an author of a literary sketches based book "Khush Bashian". He is based in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
- Asian Tribune -
Guest Post: Indian Blame Games
Sat, 2008-12-27 02:14
By Yousaf Alamgirian
India is kind enough to involve Pakistan in every incident happening inside her territory. Indian governments are lucky in this regards that they can easily hide themselves behind the blames imposed on Pakistan in order to cover its failures to counter such acts. Be it Samjhota Express blast or recent incident of Mumbai, India with in no time found its connections with Pakistan and that too without having reached to the facts.
India is very fond of blame games .Keeping in view Samjhota express type incidents it seems India is expert enough in staging dramas to defame Pakistan. India once staged a plan hijack drama but retreated when exposed after failure in handling the same and later on declared that as a rehearsal.
Indian blame game once again has been exposed after involvement of an Indian Army Lieutenant Colonel PS Purohit's proved in samjhota express blast killing more than 60 innocent passengers mostly Pakistanis. PS Purohit procured the explosives used in the 2007 Samjhota Express train bombing and 2008 Malegaon blast, Indian police told a court in Nashik city. According to Maharashtra police Colonel had obtained 60 kilogrammes of the explosive from Jammu and Kashmir in 2006 according to a witness in the Malegaon blast case.
Meanwhile, Hindu ascetic Sadhvi Pragya Singh and Lt Col Purohit tested negative in narco tests on direct involvement in the Samjhota Express bombing, but gave important clues about their clandestine network. The Mumbai Police ATS is now tracing two followers of Sadhvi and an Indore-based Hindu Jagran Manch that they believe are the 'missing link' in the Samjhota Express bombing. The suitcases that were used to blow up three carriages of Samjhota Express were traced to Indore, which has emerged as a hub of clandestine activities of Hindu militant groups.
Indian government and its army both are very loving of making fake dramas and fake encounters and fortunately or unfortunately villain of every drama is Pakistan. So, Indian army is not behind than any of other Indian agency to plant such dramas. According to The Indian Express few months back Indian held Kashmir Police have arrested two persons in connection with the "fake encounter" at Larnoo Bandipore. It is said that a trooper of 3 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry regiment (JAKLI), Tahir Pathan, and an Army source, Riyaz Ahmad Chichi, have been arrested on charges of killing labourer Mohammad Ashraf Sheikh for monetary gains and later dubbing him as a militant.
Ashraf Sheikh disappeared from Srinagar where he had been working as a labourer. Soon after, the Budgam police arrested Chichi on charges of abducting the daughter of a soldier. Chichi along with the girl was traced to S D Colony, Batamaloo in Srinagar. Later, police recovered a card from Chichi, which identified him as an Army source in Bandipore. The Budgam police found out that their Bandipore counterparts were on the lookout for Chichi as they had information that he was seen with Sheikh before the "encounter". Chichi claimed he had hired Sheikh from Srinagar for Rs 200 a day, taken him to Bandipore where Armymen staged an "encounter", and placed a gun near his body to pass him off as a militant. They said Chichi claimed a Major had promised to "capture a militant for the unit" in exchange for Rs 1 lakh.
Mean while an Indian Army Colonel H.S. Kohli, has been dismissed and a major suspended for faking killings by splashing tomato ketchup on civilians and passing them off as dead separatists - in the hope of being awarded. Colonel H.S. Kohli, commanding an artillery regiment in Assam, had faked the killing of some separatists last year by making some civilians pose in photographs as enemy casualties after splashing their bodies with tomato sauce.
The "daring" colonel in fact tried to use the photographs to back his claim for a gallantry award and was subsequently tried and found guilty in a court martial. The colonel apparently took photographs of some civilians in an isolated place in southern Assam's Cachar district after pouring tomato sauce on their bodies and making the pictures look like an encounter, with blood splattered over the bodies.
The fraud came to light when the colonel's claims for a gallantry award were processed. It was indeed bizarre to find him claiming a bravery award for the kills, which in fact did not, took place at all.
The saucy scandal was not unique of its kind to rock the Indian Army as they had already proved their skills in Siachen scandal in which a major was accused of inventing enemy killings for the sake of gallantry awards. According to new norms, Indian Army officials are being graded and awarded promotions and bravery awards on the basis of the number of terrorists they capture and kill.
Being an ever coward nation Indians want to take benefit of presence of US and NATO troops at western borders of Pakistan.
In order to pressurize Pakistan India is trying to be over smart and is threatening to attack inside our borders. I don't know about Indian nation but Indian army knows valiant Pakistan Army troops very well. They know that Pakistan Army soldiers never go for fake encounters and they do use tomato ketchup but only during the tea breaks. India can well imagine that how our daring Air force fighters retaliated in the recent Indian planes violations or Pakistani territories. Indian planes had a narrow escape and ran back like jackals. India is fully aware of our capabilities as our Armed Forces are ranked among the best and professionally trained forces. Our forces are equipped with the latest and state of the art weapons and equipment. The Armed Forces of Pakistan have always proved their guts on the battle grounds.
Pakistan being the sovereign country enjoys bouquet of very strong, passionate and devoted masses that love their country and have courage to sacrifice their lives in defending boundaries of their motherland. India should not be deceived by Pakistan's certain internal problems. In time of test and trial our nation will not be having any sort of internal problem but to crush the enemy with unity and strength.
Yousaf Alamgirian is a freelance columnist and an author of a literary sketches based book "Khush Bashian". He is based in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
- Asian Tribune -
Guest Post: Zardari in search of financial aid for Pakistan
Dr Mian Ihsan Bari.
Zardari visits Kingdom for assistance in midst of Pakistan crisis While the United States elections were the talk of the town, the visit of Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari was of interest only for those who are concerned with Pakistan and its issues. No doubt Pakistan has become the center of global attention since the scenario of international politics changed after 9/11.
Now when Pakistan is in midst of a serious economic crisis, Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud invited the President to visit the Kingdom. Zardari's purpose is to seek Saudi Arabia's assistance for the deferred payment for oil facility to help the country deal with the balance of payments crisis. He visited Saudi Arabia before his election as president in July as part of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's delegation for this purpose. Pakistan with 170 million people needs billions in assistance to avoid defaulting on its international loans. It is hampered by high inflation, chronic power outages and a sinking currency, as well as a violent Islamist insurgency. Some analysts have warned that Pakistan should prepare for International Monetary Fund (IMF) assistance.Though it is not the best way to solve the problem.
Effort is important. But knowing where to make an effort makes the difference. So Zardari is taking efforts in the right direction. Some friends are as valuable as brothers. They hold you up, allow you to lean on them, and sometimes, it's sufficient to know they are standing by you. The relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia stand on a similar note. Zardari and King Abdullah exchanged views on bilateral, regional and international pssues. In his talks with the Saudi leadership, Zardari discussed ways to attract more investments into Pakistan in areas like energy, infrastructure development, agriculture and industry. Saudi businessmen are taking great interest to invest in Pakistan's agriculture sector. The delegation of Saudi traders would visit Pakistan in March 2009 to explore business opportunities in Pakistan. Since, Pakistan is a great agricultural economy and also has one of the biggest canal systems in the world, it can re-build itself if proper collaboration and investment are made. Agricultural collaboration with Pakistan will be beneficial for both countries.
Firstly, it will be the great step for Saudi Arabia to reach agreements in agricultural sector with Pakistan, as the Kingdom depends on other countries for food production. The Kingdom is the biggest food importer in the Gulf region and the world's largest importer of barley, as well as the fifth largest importer of rice.
Food prices on the world market have risen, particularly those of rice rose over 90 percent last year. Pakistan can be right choice for Saudi Arabia to collaborate and invest in agricultural sector where investment can be made to ensure food security. Pakistan has ample and vast fertile land and people with know-how and with the induction of capital and technology, it can provide food to Mid-east region.
On the other hand, the collaboration of Saudi Arabia in Pakistan's agricultural area can solve its disputes involving neighbors as well. There have been complaints in Pakistan that India has allegedly diverted water to fill up the reservoir of the Baglihar hydel power station in Jammu and Kashmir. The investment activities in Pakistan by Saudis in agricultural sector would be leading to tackle the problems of the decrease in the supply of water from the Chenab River by India. India would be reckless to act against its largest supplier of oil, Saudi Arabia.
In the last financial year, India bought 539,780 bpd Saudi Arabia crude oil. Earlier in the middle of this year, India has raised the petrol price by Rs 5.00 a liter, diesel by Rs 3.00 a liter and domestic LPG by Rs 50.00 per cylinder fuelling inflation rate to 13th year-high. India's economic ties with Saudi Arabia received a significant boost with the signing of the Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement and the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement. Since its independence in 1947, India has sought to maintain strong ties with Saudi Arabia, an important state and trading base in West Asia. The opportunities of investment exist both in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In Pakistan, due to its geo-strategic location since it is the gateway to the landlocked Central Asian countries and as such is the biggest market of the region.
Meanwhile, Saudi market is the largest market of the region and a gateway to the African countries. Six million people are expected to perform Umrah and Haj in the new year and all investment in the services sectors will be of immense benefit to the investors.
President Zardari had several core issues to discuss with Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz. The two leaders exchanged views on challenges facing Muslims around the world, the inter-faith initiative launched by the Saudi monarch and efforts to curb terrorism and extremism. Moreover, president Zardari sought to seek Saudi Arabia's assistance for the newly formed Friends of Pakistan group as well as on the issue of negotiating with the Taleban.
However, there was another potential topic which should be addressed so far and indeed, Saudi Arabia is the only country with whose help, the issue can be solved. This issue is none other than 'the dilemma of stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh'. They have been living under indescribable conditions in Bangladesh for over a quarter of a century for no reason other than their pride in calling themselves Pakistanis. The reactivation of 'Rabita Trust' can play the key role for the rehabilitation of those stranded Pakistanis. It was frozen in October 2001 due to some embezzlement charges which proved to be wrong by the auditors M/S Fergusson.
Saudi Arabia in general, always supported the cause to help those ill-fated stranded Pakistanis. For example, King Abdullah sent 200 tons of dates to their camps last year. Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz authorized treatment of late Nasim Khan, head of Stranded Pakistanis General Repatriation Committee (SPGRC). Dr Abdullah Omar Naseef, President of World Muslim Congress (a recipient of Hilal-e-Pakistan) visited the camps last year. International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) maintains several health clinics and schools in camps. The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) sends every year 5,000 carcasses of sacrificial goats to them.
Indeed, all this shows the desire to support stranded Pakistanis. The only need is the attention of Pakistani Government to this forgotten issue in such meetings with Saudi Arabia for promoting bilateral relations. It should be noticed that one step forward to fulfill this forgotten pledge can be beneficial for Pakistan's own economy. As for the Pakistan Repatriation Council's (PRC) proposal for the settlement on self-finance basis , it recommends the employment in Saudi Arabia and Middle East for the male members of stranded Pakistanis.
According to Sa'ad Al Badah, chairman of the National Recruitment Committee at the Saudi Council of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, "Saudi Arabia, which has an expatriate workforce of an estimated six million workers, is facing an acute shortage of foreign manpower." Some analysts say that the country need over million foreign manual labor for the current development programs. Hence, according to the proposal of PRC, if Saudi Arabia as well as the other Gulf countries are approached to issue 37,000 visas for employment for which Pakistani High Commission in Dhaka would have to issue passport to them, this would ultimately help to increase the foreign exchange reserves which have fallen by three-quarters this year. When their families would be settled in Pakistan with the help of 'Rabita Trust', they would send remittances to them in Pakistan. Pakistan is facing grave challenges but, many neglected issues can be the pathway to resolve or at least reduce some major hurdles. It just needs to plan and to realize that the small obstacles may lead to big impediments, if ignored. A good leader is needed in motivating the country in toughest times. He prepares the country for future succession. Currently, Zardari seems to be optimistic and deferential by saying that Pakistan needs trade, not aid. His allies should prove themselves by doing their best to save Pakistan. If we are basically positive in attitude, we will attract and create people, situations and events which confirms to our positive expectations. Falling down is not defeat. Defeat is when you refuse to get up.All pakistanies should come forwards and gird up their lions for prosperity of their home land on this critical juncture.We are really in hot waters these days and there seems no way to get rid of this awkward situation in presence of unluckily a corrupt and coward leadership which seems to be taking pakistan towards its disintegration by their so called"finest policies". Zardari also needs to prove himself honest and not as his ill repute of MR.TEN PERCENT in his past life.Now his tour to turkey but till today not a single penny as ready money could be achieved as aid. May GOD ALMIGHTY bestow on us his blessings.
DR MIAN IHSAN BARI (m.b.b.s,r.m.p,phs(1)
CHAIRMAN ANJUMAN FALAH-E-MAZLOOMAN PAKISTAN