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Posts tagged with: Iftikhar Chaudhry
Jun 16, 2008    |       10 comments

Pakistan; The Ongoing “Soft Revolution” towards a “Welfare State” – Part I

Guest Post by Silence

A welfare state is a government that provides for the welfare, or the well-being, of its citizens completely. Such a government is involved in citizens’ lives at every level. It provides for physical, material, and social needs rather than the people providing for their own.

The purpose of the welfare state is to create economic and social equality or to assure equitable standards of living for all, access to justice, freedom of faith, freedom of speech and transparency in decisions of executive.

The welfare state provides education, housing, sustenance, healthcare, pensions, unemployment insurance, sick leave or time off due to injury, supplemental income in some cases, and equal wages through price and wage controls.

It also provides for public transportation, childcare, social amenities such as public parks and libraries, as well as many other goods and services. Some of these items are paid for via government insurance programs while others are paid for by taxes.
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Jun 12, 2008    |       5 comments

Citizen Journalists cover the Long March

Pakistan Long March Live CoverageI mentioned a few posts earlier that an initiative has been launched to help cover the Long March procession through its journey from Karachi to Islamabad.

The first day I personally reported on the details of the journey from Karachi to Hyderabad and then Sukkur, it was later followed up by frequent SMS and Phone call contacts with participants of the Long March in the onward segment of Sukkur to Multan and then today to Lahore.

Today’s coverage was extensively reported by ALE-Xpressed who braved the crowds to welcome the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on his arrival at Lahore Airport from Multan. Watch one of his videos here while the rest can be viewed at the Live blog at PkLongMarch.blogspot.com (short URL http://help.pk)


Rally at Lahore Airport Exit from ALE-Xpressed for Live Coverage of Long March

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Jun 11, 2008    |       3 comments

Dawn Op-Ed: Marching into History by Cyril Almeida

Published today in the DAWN Op-Ed section by Cyril Almeida

Cyril does well to decipher the Constitutional mess being created these days by various individuals in Islamabad, the chaos of the Double A’s, Double B’s, Triple A’s and what not have been deliberately designed to perpetually confuse Pakistanis of their real implication. This article helps explain the overt and covert implications if these were to be made part of our constitution. At times it seems this constitutional package is just another form of constitutional rape to cater to the whims of the status quo. While the nation starves from food and hunger these politicians are fighting over crumbs simply help pave their way into a safer corrupt future

DAWN: 11th June 2008: THE summer blockbuster is here. Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and Aitzaz Ahsan are on a mission to bring President Musharraf to justice. Barnstorming the country, the dynamic duo wants a climactic showdown in the shadow of parliament. Over in his fortress Musharraf is defiant, ready to grind out a Pyrrhic victory if that’s what it takes. It’s all very exciting. But must we hew so closely to Bollywood-length epics?

Asif Zardari could have cut this saga short. Instead, he gave a kid a box of crayons and asked him to re-write the constitution. Forget the spirit of the draft — given its progenitors it was never going to be a panacea — but need it have been drafted so shoddily? Ambition isn’t one of the defects it suffers from though: eighty changes proposed to a constitution with two hundred and eighty sections. All worked out in secret, away from the supervision of parliament. If Asif had been around to guide the Constituent Assembly perhaps it wouldn’t have taken nine years to draft the first constitution.
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May 31, 2008    |       7 comments

You deserve what you get

For sometime I contemplated if this article may best be simply linked too in the collection of Decidous Links [mini-links] we have running on the blog but then it would not have opened an opportunity for comments and reactions and I suspect this heart felt article by Ghazala Minallah might evoke some comments from our readers here on Teeth Maestro

Published in The News on Saturday, May 31, 2008
By Ghazala Minallah

It appears that whoever comes into power in this God-forsaken country of ours, shuts themselves in a shell, oblivious of the cries outside. My head is bursting with questions, and I want my cries to be heard and answered. Firstly, why is Farooq Naek suddenly the biggest authority on the Constitution? Why is there a conspicuous absence of veterans like Justice Fakhruddin G Ibrahim, Justice Wajiuddin, former Chief Justices and judges of the Supreme Court and Aitzaz Ahsan? Is he the next Sharifuddin Pirzada in the making?

The recent unexpected verbal attack on Musharraf was eyewash meant to distract us and pave the way for the constitutional package. The package intends to reduce the chief justice’s tenure. It is ironic that such a ludicrous idea can even be considered by a party which claims to have its roots people’s hearts.
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May 24, 2008    |       4 comments

Cui Bono: Is This Constitutional Amendment a Ploy?

Guest blog by Temporal from Baithak

The media is speculating about a 62 point draft of a constitutional amendment that would ostensibly cleanse the 1973 constitution of the changes made by Pervez Musharraf.

“Pakistan’s main ruling party has drafted a set of constitutional amendments that would erase the legacy of President Pervez Musharraf, its leader said Friday. Asif Ali Zardari provided few details, but said the reforms would reverse changes made to the constitution since Musharraf seized power in a 1999 military coup.”

Constitution is the basic declaration of the voice of people in governing themselves, stated as laws and principles that outlines the functions and limits of state institutions. Since it affects all people, and for it to be effective, it has to have widest possible consensus of the people.

This attempt by Naik and Zardari to “reverse” the Musharraf changes is self defeating. It is like the NRO that has a cut off date that benefits the Bhuttos and Zardaris but does not go far back enough to affect other politicians.
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May 21, 2008    |       7 comments

Walk for Restoration of Judiciary & CJP Iftikhar addresses Karachi Bar

lawyers-movementA city wide call has been issued to all Karachiites who believe in the restoration of Judiciary to join Citizens, Students, lawyers, trade unions, civil society groups and show support for Restoration of the Pre-Nov 3rd Judiciary

The call is being issued by the Lawyers where the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry will do a telephonic address the local Bar and there will be a walk to show support for the Restoration of Judiciary in Pakistan

Date: May 22nd, 2008
Time: 11am
Meet up Point: City Court , Karachi
Address by: Telephonic address Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry
Walk: The peaceful walk will be after the address by the CJP and will be taken to the Karachi Press Club
Facebook event: Walk with us for Restoration of Judiciary

COME JOIN US IN THE FIGHT and walk with us as we march from City Court to High Court to Press Club letting the Citizens of Karachi know that the movement for restoration of judiciary still stands strong

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