Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me

Guest post by Salahuddin Ahmed

Lets not live in cloud-cuckoo land.

Zardari asked for 30 days time to restore judges. It was given. He agreed with Nawaz for an extension of 12 days. We all waited in vain. Now we are expected to continue waiting for an indefinite period of time (no ulti ginti, please) to allow ‘democracy to flourish’ and his promises to bear fruit.

There is all this rubbish floated by PPP and pro-Musharraf elements around about the ‘complications’ involved in restoration of judges. 21 former judges of the Supreme Court (including 5 former Chief Justices) have publicly stated that all that is required is an executive order (with a parliamentary resolution for moral backing only – if politically necessary). As for the newly appointed incumbents, the former judges stated that they have no legal right to remain in office but their appointments can be regularised (purely for humanitarian considerations) by real Chief Justice in accordance with the Al-Jehad case. Apart from 3 or 4 (like Fakhruddin and Wajihuddin) none of these former judges were even involved in the lawyers’ movement and are completely apolitical. I take their word over PPP politician-semi lawyers like Latif Khosa, Farooq Naek, Babar Awan and Musharraf-cronies like Hafeez Pirzada and Malik Qayyum.

Now we are supposed to go gaga over the 62 constitutional amendments and Zardari’s supposed tiff with Musharraf. Lets not forget that on Jan. 6 2008, the same Zardari wrote an article in the UK newspaper Independent entitled ‘My Benazirr’s dream of democracy can live on… if Musharraf goes’. After he successfully fooled the electorate and die-hard PPP supporters with his anti-Musharraf rhetoric, he went on to adopt a ‘working relationship and reconciliation’ approach. Why should we treat his current statements differently?

As far as the supposedly ‘radical’ constitutional amendments are concerned, lets be clear that only those constitutional amendments shall be passed that have the consent of Musharraf. Zardari and his cohort repeatedly claim that they do not have the numbers (2/3rd majority in a combined sitting of the National Assembly and the Senate) required to impeach Musharraf. A constitutional amendment requires a 2/3rd majority in the National Assembly and the Senate INDIVIDUALLY (an even more onerous task). The only way any constitutional amendment can get a 2/3rds majority in the Senate is if Musharraf (and hence the PML-Q) cooperates.

The only purpose of the proposed constitutional amendments is to distract public attention and gain time. Never in the history of Pakistan has a constitution amendment bill proposing 62 amendments been presented (let alone passed). Even the 17th Amendment Bill (which had less than proposed 20 amendments) took over a year of negotiations before it was passed. Let me make a little prediction here. The next thing we’ll hear from PPP is that lawyers (and/or the PML-N) should call off their plan of public protests and long marches and instead concentrate on (fruitless) negotiations about the constitution amendment bill.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me…


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12 responses to “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me”

  1. Karim Avatar
    Karim

    Can’t teach old dog new tricks..
    sach bat yeh he ke
    ya iss ke sare paison ka hesab liya jae or iss bar saheb ko hamesha ke liye jail bhej diya jae,
    ya to phir iss ki england ki kothi jo iss ko vapas deni parri isko ham phir se dedain (shayed issi liye yeh mulk lotain hain) or isse kahain ke ab jan choro!

  2. Tahseen Alam Khan Avatar
    Tahseen Alam Khan

    Lack of Political will is evident. I am unable to understand what is stopping Mr. Zardari to reinstate the Judiciary.

  3. Tahseen Alam Khan Avatar
    Tahseen Alam Khan

    We are always made fool therefore ours is a country of fools. This is the reality, Our Leaders, Administrations and Establishments have only made fool of us and manged to get away with it for the last 60 Years.

  4. Dawar Avatar
    Dawar

    Very good article.

    Both Nawaz Sherrif and Asif Phutto Zadari are unelected leaders and running the show of democracy. Wow

    This is a joke, in past both of them involved in corruption and now they are champion of Justice.

    Please do not support them any more.

    This time, they will sale whole Pakistan.

    Instead of solving issues of the nation, they are keeping us busy in Judges Issue.

    Does it make any difference?

  5. Azaadee Avatar
    Azaadee

    kah abb QAUM ko insaaf dilaingey, CHORE, DAKOOO AUR QATIL

    Work hard in school for 10 years to pass matric with good marks

    Work hard in Inter college to get into a good college or University

    Work hard in University to get a good job

    Work hard in job to get a distinction

    then wait hard for inter-pass, crooked criminal, looter, plunderer, MAFIA BOSS to make decisions on your life and your nation.

    Moral of the story: education may be good for outside of Pakistan, but in Pakistan you have to be a Haramee number 1 to get the highest post in the country.

  6. shah Avatar
    shah

    Dear friends, all are making fool of us. Whether he be Zardari or Nawaz Sharif or Musharaf or Dogar or Iftikhar Muhammad Ch. all are worshipers of their interests. Nawaz Sharif is now posing to be torch-bearer of independence of judiciary and most of us are seeing to him as hero but we have forgetten his treatment with Justice Sajjad Ali Shah when he compelled him to quit. Zardari who plundered us is now befooling this nation by his smiles. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Ch. got his son appointed as ASP violating all rules and regulations and always insisted for BMW for his own use. Musharaf is the eldest of all these villainous characters. We are easy forgeters and we feel pleased when befooled.

  7. Azaadee Avatar
    Azaadee

    @shah,

    I don’t have a problem with Ch Iftikhar asking for a similar protocol as CM. Why did he had to ask for it. Why he didn’t get it in the first place.

    As far as his son’s appointment is concerned. I will not try to justify it saying that this is not the only case where appointments were made because of influence from the top.

    Let reinstatement of Ch. Iftikhar be the first Step towards getting an independent and fair judiciary. We are not asking it to be the last and final corner stone of FAIR, FAST and POWERFUL Judiciary.

    I don’t think CH Ifikhar’s mistakes (or crimes) could be termed as equivalent to the crimes committed by Zardari, Nawaz or MUSH.

    If today Nawaz is admitting that some of the cases registered against Zardari were politically motivated then Nawaz should be held responsible for filing those false cases and he should be put in jail for the same term.

    I don’t want any of the current politicians to come to power be it Altaf, Nawaz, Zardari, Qazi, Immi or Mulla Permit.

    People may not agree with me, but I don’t mind if its Kiyani as long as he can bring FAST, FAIR and POWERFUL Judiciary.

  8. Karim Avatar
    Karim

    Our intellectual class (if we have any) has completely betrayed us. Except for fanatics and jiyalas nobody has been prepared to sacrifice any thing..hence we are here!

    George Bernard Shaw: Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.

  9. Tahseen Alam Khan Avatar
    Tahseen Alam Khan

    Dear Karim Sahib the most unfortunate and Ironic situation is that we are going through the period of INTELECTUAL PROSTITUTION>

  10. Karim Avatar
    Karim

    T.A.Khan
    I don’t know what do you mean by “intellectual prostitution” although many in the world have duly earned that title. Certainly, if you are poiting towards people who blindly embrace every thing that comes from the west, I agree with you. However, in that group, I will also add our home grown “intellectul prostitutes” who whip us constantly and make us feel guilty for every thing. The religious ones, they are not any better!

  11. Tahseen Alam Khan Avatar
    Tahseen Alam Khan

    Dear Karim Sahib,
    My point of view is very clear our so called INTELLECTUALs are selling what ever intelect they have. As you are aware of the fact that people like Mr. Mushahid Hussain are doing the same for the last so many years and I am sure now you will understand what i mean to say…..

  12. Tahseen Alam Khan Avatar
    Tahseen Alam Khan

    PAYAR KI SAUDAGARI MEIN DONOON BARABAR HI RAHAY
    USS NAIN KHCH KHOYA NAHEEN HUM NAIN KUCH PAYA NAHEEN