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Posts tagged with: Musharraf

McCain’s ‘failed state’ reference, challenged by ex-US Ambassador to Pakistan

The US Presidential debates are still over a month away, but the campaign frenzy is nearing its climax and mud slinging has slowly started to peak. The numerous comments made during last weeks Presidential debates are still being carefully analyzed with a magnifying glass and their subsequent meanings deciphered endlessly. As we may recall Pakistan was a hot topic in the discussion last Friday, due to its strategic importance on the war on terror, today an email report has surfaced where an ex-US Ambassador to Pakistan challenged McCain’s reference to Pakistan being a failed state in 1999 [I’m glad somebody stood up for us!! ]

During the debate if we may recall, McCain referred to Pakistan as a failed state in 1999 when President Musharraf came into power via a military coop, McCain in turn accused Obama to have not understood the problem in Pakistan and blamed him for an unrealistic plan of action. But in an interesting move William Milan the US Ambassador to Pakistan at the time of the coup, has categorically come forth to say that it’s McCain who doesn’t understand.

Matthew Yglesias asked Ambassador Milam about this issue and his response was
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President Kirdari: McCain & Obama debate on Pakistan

In roughly 37 odd days from today, The United States of America will be electing its 44th President. Though the elections are limited to only the citizens of United States of America but the outcome of electing the new President has a far greater global impact then being limited to the confines of the borders of US of A. In recent times Pakistan has come under an greater scrutiny and is considered a hotspot to become a core discussion issue during the first Presidential debate and both candidates shared their opinions about the various US-influenced problems in Pakistan.

McCain kicked off the Pakistan series by offering a more soft and understandable approach, he suggested in taking the people of Pakistan into confidence on the war on terror and moving forward hand-in-hand to irradiate the menace of terrorism, he said “We’ve got to get the support of the people of Pakistan. He [Obama] said that he would launch military strikes into Pakistan“, to which Obama quickly reacted “Nobody talked about attacking Pakistan. — if the United States has Al Qaida, bin Laden, top-level lieutenants in our sights, and Pakistan is unable or unwilling to act, then we should take them out.
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Sarah Palin meets Asif Zardari and Manmohan Singh

Guest Blog by temporal from Baithak Blog

The first-term Alaska governor plans to meet seven world leaders and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in New York City this week, where the U.N. General Assembly is convening. The meetings might help her answer critics who say she is not ready to handle world affairs. Palin obtained her first passport last year. Sarah Palin to meet with 7 world leaders at UN

Here is an exclusive transcript of the one on one meeting between President Asif Zardari and Sarah Palin held today in NYC.
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Presidential speech, is he stalling everything or truly bringing reconciliation the soil, a critical analysis

Guest Blog by Amjad Malik

20th September 2008, ‘Land mark’ presidential speech to the joint session of the Parliament was overshadowed by a quick reminder of the menace of terrorism in the form of an explosive terrorist attack at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad which took over fifty three lives and scores were injured. This condemnable attack not only highlighted the kind of danger Pakistan is facing, the war of top security agencies in the region and on its soil, and the loss of many lives & families which are unaccounted during this on going struggle in order to find viable answers how to secure sustainable peace and calm to the region and in return to the world in general. So far no one has found the right key to success in this ongoing onslaught. Pakistan is caught between rock and hard place, on one side US anger over poor performance and asking them to do more, and if they do, the sheer resentment over foreign policy is visible by outlawed networks and Jihadists and expressed by the sophisticatedly hit targets which are normally pro West outlets. In Pakistan these suicidal attacks have crossed a century in number in only last 1 ½ years though this individual Non NATO ally is at the brink of facing the wrath in the form of unitarily inside strikes by the super power for their lack of will and action despite losing over 1000 soldiers at the rear border at Durand line. High value target though is missed by inches each time, but this faulty intelligence is causing an increase the collateral damage day by day, and that is the sad other side of the multi colour story full of blood.
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Being fooled at will!

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. A must watch video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhy6BR8Hb38[/youtube]

The important thing in dealing with the Pakistani leadership (military or civil) is not to believe everything we hear. The only certain thing, the one thing we can depend on, is that every leader who poses as the man or woman who will lead us to a better life is practicing the ancient art of fooling the public. There is nothing new, it all started when the first tribal con-man learned that if he stood up and pounded his chest like a strong gorilla the people around the campfire would allow him to be their chief and give him all the food and women he wanted.

Over the past sixty years we have witnessed these con-men in uniforms, in religious turbans, in Mao caps and some even ‘directly landed’ in to office of ‘Caretaker Prime Minister’ ,from United States. The fact that we have been conned in past does not qualify us to be treated as fools, as most of the times we were subjected to conning on gun point or in more decent words through martial laws’. For too long we have allowed our leadership to be elected as we possessed little or no choice and these ‘rulers’ have rode roughshod over us. But an average Pakistani has no illusions about the probity of their leaders or institutions.
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Aitzaz Ahsan explains his decisions

Guest Post by Samad Khurram

Friends and concerned citizens,

I am making public a few of my communications with Aitzaz Ahsan and his consolidated response to help put things in perspective. There have been a few questions that had been lingering in every one’s minds regarding decisions made at crucial junctions of the movement, Aitzaz’s decision to remain in the PPP – even when the party is the only hindrance in the restoration of the judges -, the end of the Long March and the lawyers silence on the casualties in the War on Terror and I hope this can address all of them. Many other answers are not part of these long emails but will be answered in due time.

I have been a part of this struggle only because I rationally believe in it. The decision is an informed, educated one so I have been constantly giving the leadership my input, criticizing whenever I think is appropriate but otherwise supporting them throughout. The decisions taken by the leadership itself have been very informed and well thought out and I would like to make some of the reasoning public as many people have had raised questions.

To start of I am making public my infamous, rather harsh email – that was even picked up in Off the Record by Kashif. It was written after talking to people following the end of the Long March and how things seemed very abysmal.It appeared unlikely that we would ever recover from the aftermath. Many of the things in the email were based on the collective sentiment of our activists who had come for a siege

However I become extremely occupied with things after the Ambassador incident and Aitzaz later wrote an article for me in the Newsweek to ensure I am not labelled into something I am not.
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The Lawyers Movement – Achievements and Challenges

By Faisal Siddiqi
Advocate

Is it time to write the obituary of the lawyer’s movement? Or will this lawyer’s movement never be defeated because history and truth (and some say, God) is on our side?. The aforementioned responses are the two opposite responses given to the current impasse in the lawyer’s movement. The former response suffers from opportunistic scepticism and the latter response from irrational optimism. What is required is to avoid both these extreme positions. The lawyer’s movement urgently requires to build on it’s achievements, to learn from it’s past mistakes and to objectively analyze it’s future challenges in order to determine it’s goals and devise a realistic strategy to achieve these goals. The lawyer’s movement can neither go home in despair nor carry on with the same old script and strategy of their struggle.

What, has been and is, the principle objective of the lawyer’s movement? To restore, enhance and preserve the independence of the judiciary from both executive and legislative domination. The battle ground for this objective has been the restoration, enhancement and preservation of independent judges. In striving for this principle objective of the independence of the judiciary, the lawyer’s movement has also been the warrior brigade for the intrinsically linked objective of constitutional democracy in Pakistan. One doesnot want to sound arrogant or blow one’s own trumpet but in terms of the aforementioned objectives, the lawyer’s movement has been remarkably successful and there seems to be no rational reason for scepticism or for irrational bouts of despair and despondency.
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Sick of Musharraf lovers – a factual rant

Guest Post by Saira Ansari

I’m very disturbed, disappointed and sick to death to see the amount of facebook’ers on my list who think Musharraf’s leaving has been a catastrophe for Pakistan. Just because a new evil, a.k.a Zardari, is in the house does not mean that the previous evil is now a good man. A “leader” as some say. That’s our problem – as an entire nation. We forget and we repeat our mistakes over and over again.

People left right and centre have been levelling accusations at me, and countless others like myself, that we support Zardari. Unfortunately no one takes out 5 minutes to ask if that is so. Let me save you the time…we don’t. And no, he is NOT democratically elected. Hierarchic / Monarchic rule within the party does not ensure a democratic candidate, so stop ranting that its democracy that’s bad. We, the people, have been cheated again. The actual institution has been wronged.

I will get hate messages and mail after this because I get them often for my stance. Those who know me well know my passion for this country and its welfare so at least I can’t be labelled for propaganda as my other friends and colleagues are. But I must have my say – whether or not you bother to read the entire note.

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Lost war and a lost cause

By: Amjad Malik

On the anniversary of tragic events of September 11, the statements of both Pakistan and US armed officers are frightening for Asia. New York Times reported today that ‘President Bush secretly approved orders in July that for the first time to allow American Special Operations forces to carry out ground assaults inside Pakistan without the prior approval of the Pakistani government’. The article reported that the American commanders in Afghanistan have complained bitterly that militants use sanctuaries in Pakistan to attack American troops in Afghanistan. He said that “I’m not convinced we’re winning it in Afghanistan,” However, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. “I am convinced we can.” Toward that goal, Admiral Mullen said he had ordered a comprehensive military strategy to address the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The commando raid last week and an increasing number of recent missile strikes are part of a more aggressive overall American campaign in the border region aimed at intensifying attacks on Al Qaeda and the Taliban in the waning months of the Bush administration, with less than two months to go before November elections.
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US agression and ‘Honorable existence’!

Guest Post by Silence from Islamabad Observer

United States-led NATO forces killed 15 tribesmen, including women and children, in it’s first-ever ground attack inside Pakistani territory on Wednesday. The US forces landed by 3 choppers inside Pakistani village of Musa Neeke in South Waziristan Agency (SWA). The soldiers started indiscriminate firing with their automatic assault rifles at the sleeping inmates and shot dead nine family members of Faujan Wazir, including four women, two children and three men. The troops also killed another villager, Faiz Mohammad Wazir, his wife and two of his other family members.

Prime Minister of Pakistan and President has strongly condemned the unprovoked and cowardly act while the Senate, National Assembly and NWFP provincial assembly passed unanimous resolutions condemning the killing of innocent civilians and demanded the suspension of logistic support to US forces in Afghanistan. “We reserve the right of self-defence and retaliation to protect our citizens and soldiers against any aggression,” remarked Maj Murad, an ISPR officer based in Rawalpindi.
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Dr. Aafia Indicted on Murder Charges but No Terrorism Charge

A US court on Tuesday announced the indictment of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui for allegedly attacking US agents who went to interrogate her after she was arrested by local police in Afghanistan

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui faces

  1. One count of attempting to kill US nationals abroad;
  2. One count of attempting to kill US officers and employees;
  3. One count of armed assault of US officers and employees;
  4. One count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and
  5. Three counts of assault of US officers and employees.

If convicted, Siddiqui faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each of the attempted murder and armed assault charges; life in prison on the firearm charge; and eight years in prison on each of the remaining assault charges

Interestingly the U.S. intelligence officials have told Pakistani officials in past weeks that there is coercive evidence in their possession linking the Pakistani scientist to terrorism and Al Qaeda, surprisingly no such charge has been brought against her

Daily Times also adds two possible reasons for this: “one that the prosecution is fairly confident that it can obtain a conviction without charging her with terrorism; and, two, that the prosecution does not want to disclose information that would have had to be made public were Siddiqui to be charged with terrorism.” – truly this is hogwash B.S
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Living with Corruption

Guest Post by Silence

Corruption and governance goes together in developing countries, especially the third world where democratic process is influenced by bloodline, money politics, feudalism, intervention of imperialist powers through military and religious exploitations. The process becomes more painful when the society is trying to develop from under develop, while profiled as ‘high risk investment zones’ these countries need investment for development, the clever investor who is aware of this fact bargains for softer terms and governments are unable to deny, the rules are relaxed and projects vital for survival of society are given to these investors, an example of this is can be the IPP’s in past Benazir Bhutto’s regime in Pakistan which was widely criticized at that time but proved to be a lifeline for Pakistan’s industry in following decade. It’s not a national interest which forces the governments to relax the rules, once relaxed in broader national interests, these rules become a tool for corruption and personal benefits, the prime examples are Pakistan’s defense agreements, where an Air Force Chief got kick backs of Billion of $ and many politicians like Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif multiplied their holdings, Shaukat Azaiz sold the national institutions for personal gains and was forced to stop from handing over Pakistan Steel and a PIA owned hotel in New York by Supreme Court and Pakistan Senate respectively, the father in law of former dictator Pervez Musharraff got the contract of elevated Rail track in Karachi for five times higher bid from national exchequer then the Chinese company offered and that too on soft loan basis.
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Nationwide Dharnas on 28th from 12:00-2:00pm

We apologize for any inconvenience in advance. as the judicial movement has exhausted all avenues for a amicable resolution and with the numerous broken promises by Asif Zardari in regards to Restoration of Judiciary, we feel its important to peacefully send a message and have decided to hold a Dharna for a period of two hours which might result in traffic being disrupted in certain section around the country at the following locations

For now our message is directed towards the ex-President Musharraf and the new incoming Presidential nominee Asif Zardari to undo the actions of 2nd November and restore that Judiciary as it stood then. Our message is strong enough to urge you to join us also if you do not want Zardari as President, you MUST join us today to fight for rule of law. Chaudhry Iftikhar did put a stay order on the illegal NRO which has sadly opened the door for the return of Asif Ali Zardari poised to make a mess out of our country
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Pakistan deserves better

Guest Blog by Amjad Malik

On Defence day of Pakistan elected representatives of Pakistan will choose their next head of state who is originally a figurehead, a ceremonial position but General Musharraf armed it with deadly powers of sacking the parliament and bossing the army chief. Looking at a few clauses relevant to such election Article 41(2) says as following: (2) A person shall not be qualified for election as President unless he is a Muslim of not less than forty-five years of age and is qualified to be elected as member of the National Assembly. Article 62 narrates qualification and clause (d) says that he is of good character and is not commonly known as one who violates Islamic Injunctions; and further more clause (f) says that he is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate and honest and ameen; (g) he has not been convicted for a crime involving moral turpitude or for giving false evidence; and Article 63 details disqualifications where clause (h) says that he has been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction on a charge of corrupt practice, moral turpitude or misuse of power or authority under any law for the time being in force;
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Joe Biden as Obama’s VP running mate – Good for Pakistan

Its just been announced that Joe Biden will most likely be the Vice Presidential candidate for the Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama. For Pakistan its great news, as this senator has a far better understanding of the problems facing Pakistan than anyone in Washington – he has been arguing for a better handling of affairs in Iraq and also Pakistan since long and was well aware of the consequence of Musharraf’s martial law back in November 2007 while Bush took a back seat and refused to react to the overthrow of the condition and the justice system one can gauge by the comment he made in late 2007

Open letter to the US from Sami Khan: When Bush said that the general (Musharraf) “hasn’t crossed the line” and “truly is somebody who believes in democracy”, Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a presidential candidate replied, “What exactly would it take for the president to conclude Musharraf has crossed the line? Suspend the constitution? Impose emergency law? Beat and jail his political opponents and human rights activists?” “He’s already done all that. If the president sees Musharraf as a democrat, he must be wearing the same glasses he had on when he looked in Vladimir Putin’s soul.”

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