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Posts tagged with: Musharraf
Jan 18, 2009    |       24 comments

Musharraf’s Stanford Gig – Hardball

Musharraf at Univ of StanfordEx-President of Pakistan General Pervaiz Musharraf was featured at the University of Stanford as the ‘Big Speaker‘. As predicted it was bound to be hot event both in terms of the attendance as well as the discussion that followed. According to the press release issued by University of Stanford Pervaiz Musharraf discussed his eight year presidential experience shedding light on the war on terrorism that dominated most of his tenure since 2001.

He claimed that Pakistan hasn’t received enough financial support or international credit in its fight against groups like al-Qaida and the Taliban and was defensive about the money that Pakistan did receive under his watch from Western countries which was to the tune of $10 billion contributed mostly by the United States. This sum was according to him minuscule amount compared to the funds that have been given to Afghanistan and Iraq.

But he was categorical to point out that “There is no misuse of these funds, They are utilized. This is pittance for a country which is in the lead role to fight terrorism. We must get much more.”

The 45 minute Q&A session sparked off a flurry of questions one audience member was very upfront about his stay in power to say
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Jan 14, 2009    |       51 comments

Letters to Univ of Stanford condemning Musharraf as “Big Speaker”

Musharrafs version of Democracy in PakistanGeneral (retired) Pervaiz Musharraf is scheduled to speak at University of Stanford on Friday, 16th January. This blog has since long been overwhelmingly against the actions and deeds of Mr. Musharraf starting from March 9th 2007 when he sacked the, then Chief Justice of Pakistan and more specifically after the imposition of Martial Law on November 3rd 2007, where he assumed himself to be above the laws of this land ie. the Constitution of Pakistan. All because Pervaiz Musharraf wanted to save his seat in power

I share with you three four separate letters that were sent to the University of Stanford condemning their decision to invite and honor Pervaiz Musharraf as a guest speaker, to teach the younger generation how to aspire to be a dictator like him, is probably the last thing that University of Stanford should teach its students. I believe that Pervaiz Musharraf in his final year in power caused Pakistan far greater harm then anything imaginable, having deliberately allowed crooks back into the country he bid adieu leaving Pakistan with a snub and a smirk when he said “Pakistan Ka Khuda Hafiz“. After all it is then that he wished us the worst, which is evident by the crooks he welcomed home
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Jan 12, 2009    |       152 comments

Musharraf honored as “Big Speaker” at Stanford

Musharraf CryMusharraf has been asked to speak as the “Big Speaker” at Stanford University when millions of us Pakistanis want him to be tried for his crimes.

Please take time to contact the Office of the President of Stanford University, condemning the invitation and asking Stanford to cancel the event. Please refer to the specific crimes of Musharraf, especially the treason of 3rd Nov, the unconstitutional NRO, the missing people, the high-level corruption and illegal allotment of lands, the destruction of institutions and absolute misuse of power.

In an email to her US Spokesman Mark Seigel, Benazir had put the blame on Musharraf for her assassination if that ever happened
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Dec 19, 2008    |       48 comments

Omar Sheikh plots to assassinate Musharraf

In a stunning revelation it seems the Army has successfully foiled a bid to assassinate General (R) Pervaiz Musharraf by none other then the killer of Daniel Pearl. Omar Sheikh has been imprisoned in Hyderabad Central Jail and was allegedly running a campaign to stalk and kill Musharraf either in Karachi or Islamabad.

What was shocking to read that when the authorities cleaned up his jail cell they discovered three mobile phones, six batteries, 18 SIMS of almost every cellular company and various mobile chargers.

The jailed murderer had reportedly called Musharraf in the second week of November and had threatened him “I am after you, get ready to die.” Subsequent investigations by the authorities revealed the threatening phone call was made by someone from the Hyderabad Central Jail. Being a suspect, Omar Sheikh was placed under observation before it transpired that he was the one who had threatened the former strongman.

Personally I am glad that this attempt did not cause any bodily harm to General Musharraf but I am astonished that such a high profile prisoner had access to mobile phones and various other utilities to be able to run a successful network even while imprisoned in a high profile jail cell – read more at Geo

Dec 9, 2008    |       121 comments

10 lessons all Pakistanis must learn

Guest Post by Hassan Baig


“Mulk khud hi chalta rehay ga” (approximate translation: the country doesn’t need our contribution to thrive) is a sentence many Pakistanis are prone to saying. I confess that till a few years ago, I myself was confident of this misleading notion. Misleading and dangerous – especially in today’s volatile climate. As Pakistanis, it is imperative that we come to terms with the fact that no heavenly Manna will alleviate our country’s plight. The job rests squarely on our own shoulders; with the destiny of a whole nation tethered to our will and to the execution of that will. And so as the clock ticks and the prophets of doom raise a foreboding murmur from East to West, it is high time for us to learn some crucial lessons. Lessons without which our collective slumber will only deepen:


1) Extremism always overcomes moderation. History is fraught with examples of moderate majorities ruled and controlled by extremist minorities. Therefore unless we are extreme in our moderation, our endeavor – any endeavor – is doomed to be highjacked by powers which know more meticulous passion. From the radicalized Islamic cleric who preaches bigotry and hatred to the Neoconservative-backed Christian televangelist who sermonizes the urgency of preparing for an ethnic genocide pithily called Armageddon, we today live in an increasingly polarized world. And since Pakistan exists on the very fault-lines of this burgeoning conflict, our problems are exacerbated. Regardless of what stance we take or which side we pick, our country will remain on the receiving end for the foreseeable future. And regardless of how hastily we disregard conspiracy theories, the extreme forces on all sides will continue to augment their belief systems with hybrid religiopolitical prophecies. Prophecies which have a way of snowballing into self-fulfilment. Therefore it is critical that we take our moderate stance to be more of a proactive doctrine rather than apolitical aloofness. Our very existence depends on it.
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Nov 23, 2008    |       11 comments

The reaction of Obama’s Victory in Pakistan

Guest blog by Muhammad Saad

Barack Obama’s recent election as the next US president has been met with widespread acclaim all over the world. However, in Pakistan, which has been a frontline state in the ‘War on Terror’ since September 11, 2001, Obama’s victory has met with either cautiously optimistic or sceptic reactions. His recent statements about Pakistan have been hardly encouraging for the Pakistani people.

Despite facing considerable opposition at home, Pervez Musharraf’s government allowed the US armed forces to use Pakistan as a base for staging attacks against the Al-Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan. But since the past one year, the War on Terror’s scope has expanded to the tribal areas of Pakistan. Many Taliban and Al-Qaeda leaders are believed to be taking refuge over there, forcing the Pakistani military to take action against these forces. The new democratic government has also resolved to root out the Taliban from these areas. However, the recent American and NATO air strikes in the tribal regions, which have killed many innocent people along with some Taliban forces, have caused massive outrage in the country and soured relations between the two erstwhile allies.

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Nov 22, 2008    |       19 comments

Finally we are breathing

Guest Blog by Farrah K Raja

When I came across” Teeth Maestro” I thought well how healthy my teeth are? The answer is always the same the one which Cinderella’s step mom used to get from the mirror.

I do not believe in cosmetic surgery or going under knife so I do not spend much time in front of the mirror but I do spend a lot on my computer.

In today’s world where now Obama will be addressing the Nation through internet, so that message is not limited to USA alone but to the whole world. The impact of internet cannot be ignored and I am so glad Teeth Maestro is one blog from Pakistan which very responsibly is providing an alternative for people to express and connect as compared to stereo type Print and Television Journalism.

I personally believe past ten years were extremely important in the history of the world and in the history of Pakistan.

We were led by a true statesman, Mr.Musharaff, the only thing he was lacking was he did not come through voting process. By God people of Pakistan have proved who ever does not come through this process is never going to rule us even if he delivers moon and the stars.

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Nov 19, 2008    |       33 comments

Pakistan, Forex and Musharraf

Guest post by A.H.Kalwar of Pakistion Blog

With the current account deficit widening, inflation boiling at over 24% and foreign reserves dieing out at the rate of $1 billion a month. Pakistan’s economic indicators seem to have taken a nose dive. Where did it start and when will it end?

The dollar today stands at over Rs.80 in the open market. Citigroup calls weak rupee ‘a legacy of flawed economic policies’. Economic policies put in place by a generous gift to Pakistan, from Citigroup itself, the MBA-cum-economist Mr.Shaukat Aziz. The other Shaukat, Tareen our latest in the line of Finance ministers boldly throws all the blame on the previous government and it’s “Short-term” aimed policies.

So how the hell did we land up here?, is Zardari secretly stealing all those billions from our foreign reserves? no. I mean I’m sure he’s tempted to, but well that’s not how it works. People frequently ask me how everything went wrong after the PPP-led government took office. The answer to that is, it didn’t go wrong after the new government took office. It went wrong a year before that. When it was obvious to the Chuadries of Gujrat that they’d soon have to vacant government offices they didn’t like it.
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Nov 19, 2008    |       17 comments

Pakistani Bloggers and Zardari: A Suggestion for Both!

Guest Blog by Silence fromIslamabad Observer Blog

Bloggers are also socio-political commentators; any change in the social and political landscape of a society will mean a shift in blogger’s orientation. Unlike mainstream media men, bloggers are considered to be voice of ‘people’ as they themselves belong to various political and social backgrounds and reflect what a man in street is thinking about socio-political environment of a society.

PAKISTANI BLOGGERS contributed a lot in terms of awareness and physical participation against former Dictator Pervez Musharraf, when he sacked the Chief Justice of Pakistan and later imposed a ‘Mini Martial Law’ to sack impartial judges.

Before general election in Pakistan, there were reservations about NRO and so called ‘deal’s’ rumors between Musharraf and exiled political leadership, but as a whole PAKISTANI BLOGGERS were for democracy. They had a huge impact to mobilize the young voters that they swayed the final majority against a ‘Dictator’. Participation of youth in rallies of Chief Justice and Benazir Bhutto is the evidence of impact of still ‘incubating blogging’ in Pakistan. They were blogging for change.

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Nov 7, 2008    |       17 comments

‘Comrade’ Ali Azmat

Guest Blog by Red Kazim

On the Instep pages of The News (Nov 4) there was a photograph of rock star Ali Azmat, who was in a T-shirt with the imprint of hammer-and-sickle. I wonder what a pop singer like Ali Azmat has to do with communism. In the 60s and the 70s, one is told that there were singers like John Lennon who had a conscience, who were abreast of world politics and knew their responsibilities as a global citizen. They opposed wars, called for economic equality and resisted racism.

Unfortunately, our pop icons have always preferred to hide their political leanings, maybe because they have none at all. One of my seniors at the workplace says that our singers are totally apolitical, unlike many of their western counterparts, because the first generation of pop singers in Pakistan was trained and nurtured by PTV. He cites the example of Junaid Jamshed, a protégé of Shoaib Mansoor. Small wonder Junaid Jamshed has ended up joining the tablighi jamaat which preaches total indifference to politics (they even discourage their members to read newspaper which is, according to them, tantamount to wasting one’s time).

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Oct 30, 2008    |       9 comments

The movement is here to stay

Shorter version of this appeared in The News on October 30th, 2008.

Victory of Ali Ahmed Kurd as President of Supreme Court Bar Association is a historic milestone in the history of Pakistan and the history of the Lawyers’ movement for rule of law and accountability of the country. This is not just a victory for Ali Ahmed Kurd but for all Pakistanis who are still actively involved in the restoration of the judiciary to Nov 2nd position. These include journalists, students, traders, political party workers, doctors, businessmen and other members of the civil society. This is a triumph for all those who had given their lives to the cause on 12th May, 9th April and in the various attacks either on lawyers’ gatherings. In particular this is a victory for the late soul of Advocate Imdad Ali Awan who passed away while driving the Chief Justice’s car in Karachi. Even with so many sacrifices and being stretched to 18 months, the movement is alive and popular support thriving.


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Oct 27, 2008    |       6 comments

Open letter to Obama & McCain by Amina Masood Janjua

The News, Sunday, October 26, 2008

Dear Barak Obama and John McCain,

Whichever one of you wins this election, I wish you success and I hope from the depths of my heart that you will transform the image of America into what it should be. I pray that you are able to show the true face of America to the rest of the world — a face which reflects the values of your ordinary citizens, many of whom I met in a recent trip abroad and which was an eye-opener for me.

I was invited by Amnesty International to visit member states of the EU, the UK and the US on a speaking tour in August/September 2008, to meet politicians, parliamentarians and ordinary citizens, and to convey to them the agony and torment that hundreds of other family members, including myself, of ‘enforced disappeared persons’ are going through. I was amazed that many of the people I met had no idea about this burning issue; of the illegal abductions, the detention of these persons in so-called ‘safe houses’, the torture they are subjected to and the fact that they are denied the right to a fair trial. I was touched by the sympathy and promises of moral and any other support that they could offer in order to relieve us of this ongoing pain.
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Oct 23, 2008    |       38 comments

Don’t Blame the Victim – Detailed analysis of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s case

I share with you a detailed report published on the People’s Resistance mailing list analyzing the abduction of Dr. Aafia Siddqui and her ongoing trial in the US Courts. Please take time to read the report and if you agree with the contents then it would be a great help if you can join in the effort to spread the word far and wide to get more support for her.

Download the PDF Version
[download#6]

Case study

On March 30, 2003, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui disappeared from Karachi along with her three minor children. Media reported that she had been taken by the US authorities with compliance of Pakistani authorities since the FBI had wanted to seek some information from her. In the face of general outcry, the US and Pakistani authorities quickly backtracked but then a year later Pakistani Foreign Office admitted publicly that Aafia had been handed over to the US.1

She became a concern for human rights organizations including Amnesty International who kept the case alive for five years. On July 6, 2008, political party Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf presented a British journalist in Islamabad who said there was reason to believe that Aafia was the “Prisoner 650” at Bagram (Afghanistan) and had undergone brutal rape and torture for five years. Outcry reaches a high water mark and urgent appeals were sent by Asian Human Rights Commission on July 22, to President George Bush and other persons of authority.

On August 4, the US authorities officially admitted of having Aafia in their custody but the US Department of Justice brought forth a charge sheet against her, claiming that she was arrested on July 17 (and not before) while loitering around near the residence of Ghazni’s Governor. They alleged that papers found in her handbag included instructions on making bombs and notes about installations in US.

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Oct 10, 2008    |       11 comments

PBC suspends lawyers: What Musharraf could not do!

Guest post by Silence from Islamabad Observer blog

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has suspended the practicing licences of advocates Mahmood Ashraf and Rana Naveed, President and General Secretary, respectively of the Lahore High Court (Multan bench) for allegedly misbehaving with Latif Khosa, Attorney General of Pakistan, who also acts as an ex-officio Chairman of PBC. The PBC also restrained them from functioning as office bearers and operating the Bar accounts.

According to details, High Court Bar Association of Multan had banned Sardar Latif Khosa’s entry in Multan High Court Bar in a meeting of ‘General House’, yet he arrived at High Court Bar accompanied by lawyers belonging to People’s Lawyers Forum. The Secretary Bar, Rana Naveed and some other lawyers objected to Khosa’s presence there and ask him to leave and started to chant slogans demanding restoration of Chief Justice of Pakistan, Ifthakhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

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Oct 3, 2008    |       13 comments

Tariq Ali speaks about Pakistan Current Situation

Guest Blog by Yaseen Khawar of Pakistanic.com

Tariq Ali s a renowned Pakistani intellectual of world reputation resides in U.K but visits Pakistan from time to time. Recently he gave an interview to Amy Goodman, It is presented here:

Amy Goodman: Recently Pakistani border security forces have stopped American army to cross the Pak Afghan border and do an operation in Pakistani territory but Pakistan’s army open fire on their helicopter. How would you comment on this?

Tariq Ali: I think circumstances have become quite dangerous. It is the point of discussion in American administration since last year whether to do operation inside Pakistan’s territory but there is a strong lobby inside U.S administration which says that if U.S operated inside Pakistan it will benefit those elements against which U.S is doing operation.

Amy Goodman: How?

Tariq Ali: When pushtoon population of North West Frontier Province will see that America has started operation against them, they will join Taliban inside Afghanistan to strengthen resistance.
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