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Posts tagged with: PPP
Jan 29, 2010    |       4 comments

Mesmerization of Pakistani Politics

Guest blog by Agha Haider Raza

Politics in Pakistan mesmerize me. Not only does one enjoy the daily dose of rhetoric that is spewed from the mouths of our beloved politicians, but the one track mind of those in and out of government baffles the mind. Politics in Pakistan, much like the political parties themselves seem to be more inclined towards a personality than an ideology. Nawaz Sharif, Altaf Hussain and Asif Zardari seem to be controlling the present and future of 170 million Pakistanis. What is ironic of these three distinguished gentlemen is the immense power they control. Nawaz Sharif, already a two-time Prime Minister – failed miserably on both occasions, Altaf Hussain – a self exiled leader living in London and Asif Zardari – the current President of Pakistan seems to be holding on to his seat with every bit of strength his party can muster. But why has it lead to a power struggle amongst these political leaders when thousands of Pakistani civilians and soldiers have died over the last few years? Why are we still playing the dirty political games of the past, when history has taught us to do better?

It is highly unfortunate that the two largest political parties in Pakistan are currently vying for the federal government, while the very nation they wish to govern is in flames. Do not for a second believe that I am being melodramatic with the word “flame”. From power outages to inflation and from the target killings in Karachi to the drone strikes in the North; we are on a path of destruction. But here I am – the eternal optimist – believing that a country which was born out of a long and hard fought struggle can make it through the difficult times again. However, we will only be able to walk through it all with our heads held high, if we review our past and yearn not to repeat them again.
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Jan 20, 2010    |       74 comments

Mumtaz Bhutto’s Interview with Express News Kamran Shahid

Mumtaz Bhutto leader of SNF talks to Express News host Kamran Shahid on 17th January 2010. I believe this to be a very interesting interview worth sharing on this blog, Mumtaz Bhutto generally an old-cadre PPP supporter shares his political views and is seen to be genuinely begruntled at seeing the PPP and the Bhutto name hijacked by Asif Zardari etc. He talks about BB’s fake will, sheds light on Beanzir Bhutto’s murder, the murder of Murtaza Bhutto and many other issues.

UPDATE: I had to remove the video stream as the file seemed to be infected by a trojan

Jan 19, 2010    |       52 comments

Targeted killings and the Land Mafia in Karachi – Open Letter by SHEHRI

An Open Letter to Rehman Malik by Shehri

Mr Rehman Malik has been making rather interesting statements about stopping the “targeted killings” in Karachi.

The simple fact is that the land mafia of Karachi is behind a number of these murders and the motive for these assassinations is money.

Let us take the case of land mafia grabbing the Tran-Lyari Park (Gutter Baghicha) land in SITE Town. There is illegal construction going on in about 50 acres on this park land in spite of a stay order from the High Court of Sindh.

On 26 September 2009 the Nazir of the High Court along with Nisar Baloch who headed the Gutter Baghicha Bachao Tehreek (Movement to save Gutter Baghicha) went for a court ordered inspection. They were forced to turn back because a mob (organized by the land mafia) stood in their path.

On 7 November 2009 Nisar Baloch was leaving his house in the morning. He was assassinated in a target killing gunned down in cold blood. Nisar Baloch gave a press conference on 6 November 2009 in which he stated that his life was in danger and he named the people who would kill him. (no action have been taken against his alleged killers because of political considerations)
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Jan 5, 2010    |       111 comments

Survey – Who is responsible for Bolton Market Tragedy?

Please take part in this survey designed by Omar Javaid – Critic Magazine, to decipher the public perception of the 28th December Bolton Market Bomb blast – Survey Form

As of my last response there were about 96 people who had filled in the survey showing an overwhelming majority of 84% respondents thinking that the bolton market tragedy was a preplanned conspiracy, and 74% thinking that external elements (Blackwater, CIA, Mossad etc) were involved. More importantly only 6% believed that the Talibans could have benefited from this incident.
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Dec 17, 2009    |       49 comments

NRO declared Null and Void – What Now?

Asif Ali Zardari in PresidencyAfter a lapse of over two years, today a full bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan came through with a historic judgment declaring the 2007 National Reconciliatory Ordinance null and void. It must be recalled that the NRO was the mastermind of the then President of Pakistan General Pervaiz Musharraf who in October 2007 orchestrated this pact with the exiled PPP leader Benazir Bhutto in an attempt to negotiate his own extended stay on the Presidential seat of power and in this process pardoned most of the corrupt criminals whom he himself detested so vehemently in his autobiography a few months earlier all in the name of political compromise. Since then history stands witness to have watched the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the people of Pakistan stood embarrassingly dumbfounded as one of the most corrupt politician Mr. Asif Ali Zardari snuck through the back doors of diplomacy to land into the Presidency of Pakistan.

Today the year-old restored judiciary stood strong to declare the NRO null and void, a short order issued outlined some important aspect of this new judgment but the exact specification and its affect on the Presidency remains to be ironed out. But it might be in the interest of Pakistan to not embarrass and ridicule Asif Ali Zardari and the Presidency any further and it might serve us all well to settle for a negotiated compromise, possibly having him to hand over most of the illegally amassed wealth back into the national treasury in lieu of his respect and freedom

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Dec 15, 2009    |       6 comments

He who is Not a Sinner should Cast the First Stone

By: Amjad Malik, MA, LLM

I have been vehemently advocating the need to erect a system of accountability by invoking a new commission and an Act of Parliament to curb mal practice, plundering and looting whilst one is holding a public office. This new Commission can truly ensure compliance with the Clauses of Article 62 and 63 of the constitution too. We are witnessing many names in the list of beneficiaries of National Reconciliation Ordinance, and many names which are not in it, are either praying to be in it or cursing the said redemption order of the former military dictator who came to rid corruption on 12 October 99, and left giving this strange gift of ‘hypocrisy’ to the nation.

Mal practice, corruption and mal governance is a common phenomenon of the third world countries as wealth is confined to the elite and institutions are so weak that they do not get roots and are run on the dictat of personalities. Pakistan is amongst those few unfortunate countries where despite abundance of natural resources, talent, passion, capacity of self dependency in edible food products, the country is still rating higher in corruption, suffering from food, electricity, gas, sugar shortages. Who is to be blamed is a long short, and to me, all bear the collective responsibility to bring this country to a stage where each person of any possible public stature is not free from corruption charges, which I will call allegations.
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Dec 7, 2009    |       38 comments

We are Pakistan!

By: Agha Haider Raza

funeral_pindi victimsYet again Pakistani’s find themselves, lined up, shoulder to shoulder offering prayers for the departed. The brazen attack during Friday namaaz has clearly shown the audacity and ability of the militants present within Pakistan. On the one side, the suicidal mission that was led out is a direct signal to the Pakistan Army (the attack was taken out in the officers residential colony in Parade Lane, Rawalpindi Saddar) for retreating its forces in the tribal region, while also visibly proving that these militants are not Muslims. The issue for me however is, why have our top brass only been visible at the namaaz-e-jinaza when one of their own has lost their life? Poor Peshawar has been witnessing non-stop death and bombs. It surely has been a while since I saw or read the Prime Minister being in this troubled city of Peshawar, rubbing shoulders with us and praying for those who have lost their lives due to actions taken by the state.
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Dec 7, 2009    |       23 comments

12 Cartons of Zardari’s Swiss Case Evidence goes missing

12 cartons zardariThings are definitely heating up for Asif Ali Zardari, with the NRO effectively being contested by a full bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, it seems panic has started to prevail in the Presidency and disaster managemnt has begun. A few days back Geo Tv was tipped off on a developing story in Switzerland where the Pakistan UK High Commisioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan specially flew to Geneva to meet the lawyer prosecuting Asif Ali Zardari‘s Swiss cases in an attempt to confiscate all the evidence present there.  It must be recalled that it were the infamous Swiss cases where Mr. Zardari as being tried for charges of money laundering to the tune of $60 Mln,  the charges were dropped after the Pakistani govt aka Pervaiz Musharraf choose not to pursue the case in a deal validated under the NRO with Benazir Bhutto in October 2007.  The evidence present in the lawyers office was hence effectively lethal for Asif Zardari if the Supreme Court nulls and voids the NRO Ordinance.

Geo News reporter apparently siad that the lawyer resisted and refused to hand over the evidence unless someone from the local Pakistani High Commission does not categorically recieves the evidence. In two hours a staff member arrives and all the evidene is carefully loaded in a black  SUV.
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Dec 7, 2009    |       23 comments

“Corruption is our Right” – Peoples Party Minister on TV

Watch this Youtube video of a TV show where one Peoples Party Minsiter actually says in a discussion with full confidence that corruption is ‘our right’, if the elected parties dont do corruption then its their own loss. So much for the facade of denying that any party was ever involved in corruption, might this minister and his fellow corrupt party men, want to lobby for a bill in the parliament to legalize corruption?? The answer might be a resounding yes, when everyone does it, why not legalize it, hence the people who don’t, might be better of being labelled absconders of the law.  Watch this youtube video and weep, Gaad can only Bless Pakistan

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjIfV8mTiTs[/youtube]

Oct 21, 2009    |       21 comments

The Right to Refuse

obama-zardari-300x259Begging, as a profession could well compete with many others considered oldest on the list, with very similar characteristics. The first clink of coins falling in the begging bowl takes away one’s self esteem and any left over reluctance for all times to come. From here on, there is no looking back. One ceases to utilise one’s own faculties and gets hooked on to the life of easy money. More creative and unscrupulous begging techniques are devised to draw greater sympathy from the charity giver. Interestingly, few beggars have ever become rich or said good bye to beggary. It is a an addiction that even psychiatrists find difficult to deal with. Cold turkey is often the only solution.

Sixty years of begging and borrowing have reduced Pakistan to an addicted state whose claim to fame is its own self acquired helplessness. It has said good bye to its own faculties, conscience and self respect. It is willing to find a million excuses to beg , but is not willing to take a single action to reform itself. It is not willing to save billions that it looses every year on its mismanaged state-run organisations like PIA, Steel mill or Railway. It is not willing to save on its army of ministers, whose only job is to roam around in Prados sponsored by the tax payer or foreign aid. It is not willing to save on its leaders eternally performing ‘umrahs’ or doing family junkets in foreign lands. It is not willing to save on its hundreds of bullet proof cars that are imported for its worthless leaders.
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Oct 18, 2009    |       22 comments

The Business of Martyrdom in Pakistani Politics

Two years back in 2007 barely two blocks away from my house a powerful explosion rocked Shahrah-e-Faisal as a suicide bomber tried to attack Benazir Bhutto’s motorcade as it made its way from Karachi airport to a massive rally being held to celebrate her return to Pakistan. We all know that she luckily had survived the attack, we all know what happened after that, we all know how she sadly succumbed to another such attack two months later in December.

Now as I see this PPP government marking its presence on the streets of Karachi today I recall the words I shared in my post back in 2007 immediately after the attack – I wrote “Thank God, Benazir Lives” – two years down I get an eerie feeling to say, I was right, that there is a business of Martyrdom in Pakistani politics, and maybe these ceremonies being held today in Karachi have nothing to do with respecting the departed, but instead I fear its a celebration.
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Oct 15, 2009    |       33 comments

A President and A Prime Minister for Sale!

By Omar Javaid, Sr. Editor, Critic Magazine

Sounds familiar? I won’t bias you rather will try to be as neutral as possible. I know a few names pop in your mind when you read the title. Top of which would be … cough, cough … this makes me cough while typing, not strange though!

Since a couple of days I felt like writing something on the subject, wanted to expose, stripping out naked, revealing the ugly faces, but couldn’t not because I was afraid or didn’t had any material, but because what I intend to make obvious is already as obvious as the sun at noon on a clear sky, need less if I emphasize more. Incomprehensible though.

Truths are proven as correct, even if one try to disprove, honestly though. Hence the question, Is it just a myth or a conspiracies erected by the opposition against the leadership of this country? The allegations, the charges, the blame game, couldn’t all be the political gimmicks? The dyeing economy, the runaway inflation, shortages of essentials, the war on terror, increasing hostility at boarders, the threat of Blackwater (Xe) … et al, couldn’t all be blamed to the preceding governments … na its the terrorists! … right!?
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Sep 18, 2009    |       20 comments

Guess the Minister who bought a £4.3 million flat in London?

A week back Rauf Klasra disclosed in his op-ed article in The News of a Federal Minister and a member of PPP Central Executive Committee who has recently sprung himself £4.3 million in cash to buy a six-bedroom flat adjacent to Marble Arch in London.

The Minister could barely afford a small apartment during his trips to London with Benazir Bhutto, bunking in with fellow colleagues and now within this short span has transferred hard cashthrough a money exchange dealer based in Islamabad, no mortgages, no loans, no IOU’s just hard solid cash exported to London.

Rauf Klasra does not name the minister but leaves enough of a bread crumb trail to possibly guess the name of the gentleman. Anyone care to venture a guess the name of this Honor-corrupt-able Minister?

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