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Posts tagged with: Zardari
Aug 8, 2010    |       48 comments

Zardari Shoe Bombed

Yesterday probably ranked one of the most happiest moments in Pakistans history when late at night the airwaves were abuzz to have heard the news that someone had the guts to throw a shoe upon Asif Ali Zardari while he was speaking at a function in Birmingham UK.

It seemed the impromptu action of the elderly gentleman shared the feelings and frustrations of each and every Pakistani to have been watching this corrupt president waltz in power while 14 million people suffer due to one of the biggest floods in our history amongst many other frustrations over the past 3 years of his rule. Following this shoe throwing breaking news, the government pressured many cable operators and shut down Geo.TV and ARY News in a number of localities

The video of the shoe still remains elusive but the person who threw the shoe has been interviewed by Geo

Aug 8, 2010    |       11 comments

Zardari’s Birmingham Bash

President Zardari graced Birmingham with his presence today as the Presidential tour of Europe reached its final destination. The President was slated to address the overall Pakistani community but in truth it was a PPP bash for PPP workers only.

The Birmingham bash did not pass off without incident and included a substantial public demonstration against his UK visit. However by the end of the day, the event and the Zardari speech were overshadowed by the alleged shoe attack on the President. It seems that President Zardari was the recipient of a ‘shoecide attack’ from an elderly man in the audience who has yet to be named, however more information is set to come forward in the coming days.

As an demonstrator at the Zardari rally I do wish to inform OP readers of the now infamous Zardari Birmingham bash and it particular the anti-Zardari demonstration. As is usual for Pakistani politics, the demonstration included some catchy slogans and chants. Indeed the anti-Zardari messages were numerous and humourous and included many examples of ‘Pinglish’ as readers will decipher from the below photos that I took:
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Jun 21, 2010    |       69 comments

Happy Birthday Benazir

The city wears a festive look. Thousands of banners costing millions of rupees have suddenly appeared all over the town. Pictures of ZAB, BB, AtoZ and the three kids. Sponsored by ministers of Sindh Government at the tax payers’ expense, the colourful facade does nothing to lessen the pain, sorrow and militancy that the city experiences each day.

It took 20 years and a world bank loan for Sindh to count its 7480 closed schools. Schools where teachers are paid for their absence and the administration takes its cut. Schools which are homes to cows and goats, and where children never arrive. Schools where children learn Kalashnikov, much before they learn football.

One wonders, how Benazir would have felt , had she been alive on her 57th birthday. Would she have approved the corruption, incompetence and wastage of her fake degree holding Parliamentarians? Or would she have preferred millions of little children sitting in their class rooms on June 21, 2010.

Happy Birthday Benazir .

Jun 14, 2010    |       31 comments

Zardari, an American National but Straight & Depressed

The National Names Database has some interesting facts about our President, Mr. Asif Ali Zardari. It appears that he may have US Citizenship / Nationality?

I wonder if dual citizenship is permissible while holding office of the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as the issue of the OATH is important, when you take Oath to be US Citizen you swear to protect US interest and when you take Oath as President you take Oath to protect Pakistan’s interest first so there might be a conflict of interest here. Legally the US Oath will stand before the President’s Oath as that was taken in 2002.

The other hallmarks of his profile are more or less spot on

  • High School: Saint Patrick’s High School, Karachi, Pakistan
  • President of Pakistan (6-Sep-2008 to present)
  • Member of Pakistani Parliament Senate (1993-99)
  • Pakistani Minister Environment (1993-96)
  • Blackmail charged and imprisoned 1990, charges dropped 1993
  • Corruption imprisoned 1997-2004
  • Murder of Murtaza Bhutto, charged 1996
  • Tortured
  • Risk Factors: Diabetes, Depression

We all know that he was chucked out of Petaro and never made it to the so called anonymous Business School IN London, the tenure as Minister of Enviromnet we all know was enough of EPA threat to blackmail companies into his corner, the corruption charges he still continues to dodge

But I was humored to read that the NNDB very categorically lists his sexual orientation as “Straight” [?]  The Risk Factors being Diabetes is not a big issue I hope he is managing his blood glusoce but little can be done to undo Mental depression which should be a concern for the populace that he rules over.

The link to his profile on NNDB is HERE, while the story credit must go out to The News and PKPolitics for leading up to this story

UPDATE: The NNDB changed the Nationality to Pakistan, a few hours after the screen capture was taken

Apr 14, 2010    |       3 comments

Sick and Tired

Over the past week Pakistan has read many different news items. From the passing of the 18th amendment to the bomb blast at the US Consulate, much is happening. Some may say the stories are for the betterment of our country while others may disagree. In my mind the successful visit of the Foreign Minister and his entourage to the United States gave Pakistan some much needed positive press. However, the current witch-hunt carried out by the Chief Justice and the ugly battle over the reopening of Zardari’s corruption cases has embarrassed many of those who fought for the independence of the judiciary.

Now do not get me wrong, as much as I enjoyed protesting on the streets of Lahore for the reinstatement of the nation’s top judge, I can’t fathom Mr. Iftikhar’s current agenda of picking and choosing his enemies. When will we be able to see actual results from the “democratically” elected officials and the “independent” judiciary we as a nation have struggled to achieve for 62 years? When will stop pointing fingers and vilifying those whom we disagree with? Or have we gotten used to being stuck in this whirlpool of revengeful politics. Honestly, we Pakistanis have gotten sick and tired of the lies and broken promises.
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Mar 25, 2010    |       12 comments

Democratic Revenge

Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto and PPP came into power in 70s with the slogan Roti, Kapra and Makan. Those were good old times–things have changed now–from roti, kapra and makan, our nation’s requirements have come down to Bijli, Atta and Cheeni.

It is only common sense that PPP needs to change its slogan too. PPP and all the other parties should feel easy–people are lowering their expectations, they are demanding now, what was readily available in 70s.

The new party slogan should be, we will keeping providing you what is available now, and also will work on providing what was available in 70s; Bijli, Atta, and Cheeni. When the rest of the world is moving ahead, we are starting to focus on the basics; Bijli, Atta, and Cheeni. Our government’s focus should be to not take away from people what they already possess now; although I can not name what that is–may be dall, and provide to them what was available in 70s.
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Mar 18, 2010    |       4 comments

PC Workers Protest Rally – The Underlying Issues

A large group activist gathered together in front of the Pearl Continental Hotel to show solidarity with the protesting workers who have been holed up in the PC basement for the past 23 days. Having supported this cause on mere humanitarian issue I feel there are two sides to every argument, but interestingly this protest has far more deeper implications then what meets the eye.

The issue I feel is being complicated well beyond by a greater possibility of an underlying game of national politics. It is quite possible that the union activities are being irked by the PPP-led government trying to exert pressure on the Hashwani group to accede to their demands [I could go to the extent of speculating that this is probably a part of some serious Presidential level blackmailing tactic against the Hashwani group]. In the midst of this protest labor unions are having a field day leveraging their own positions and pushing the protesters to brace for a long fight.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOFDruJ0m9w[/youtube]
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Feb 20, 2010    |       125 comments

NRO Order, CJ Or 18th Amendment

Guest blog by Barrister Amjad Malik

16 December 2010 Supreme Court order on NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) has shattered the ruling govt which was standing on the 4 pillars of this barter orchestrated by military & Pentagon , USA &UK and (PPP) Pak people party leadership which is clutching and hanging on to a straw now. Instead of whole heartedly, understanding the tenacity of situation and implementing the order by realigning politically based on reality, the leadership went for hit and run ditto of their predecessor General Musharraf who sacked the chief justice who was considering a petition on his Presidential election in military uniform.

Same is the case with PPP govt which is willing to lock horns with the judiciary and is willing to wipe out the whole political democratic dispensation if the buck comes to shove and the issue comes to their govt’s fall. They do not wish to leave as corrupt but be drummed out with a bang as victims and history tells victims reappear in Pakistani politics. Govt is in between rock and a hard place, either to digest, accept and implement the order of 17 superior court judges and sack a few loyalists who are wanted by NAB enquiry or stall the matter, seek refuge under political dispensation and chalk out a settlement with its foes and get the gunners out of the ring, though a wishful thinking devoid of public sentiments.
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Feb 14, 2010    |       90 comments

Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim Comments about the Present Judicial Crisis

by Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim

We are again faced with a judicial crisis – not a bonafide crisis but a crisis created for ulterior reasons.

Ostensibly the crisis is the elevation of chief justice for the Lahore High Court in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the elevation of the next senior most judge Justice Saquib Nasir, as acting Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (a la Zia ul Haq style). Being of the view that more harm is done by ignoring seniority, which opens the door for exercise of discretion in principle, I am against seniority being ignored, particularly in judiciary.

My first reaction, therefore, was that the appointment of Chief Justice Lahore High Court to the Supreme Court and elevation of the next senior-most judge as Lahore High Court Chief Justice was justified. I had assumed that in accordance with the Article 177 of the constitution, these appointments were made by the president after consultation with the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and that the president was bound by such consultations.

Was the Chief Justice of Pakistan even consulted?
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Feb 14, 2010    |       40 comments

My Judges or the Highway

In a frenzy of political maneuvering in Islamabad today, Pakistan is yet again precariously positioned in yet again another stand off. Today the President of Pakistan chose to elevate the chief justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Khwaja Sharif as a judge of the Supreme Court. The decision was taken and official notification issued without any consultation with Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, prompting him to take a suo motu notice of the judges’ appointment.

This stand-off happened more in the form of a tit-for-tat snub reaction by the President of Pakistan to the Chief Justice of Pakistan. It was in the same token, approximately three weeks back the CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry tried to appoint Justice Ramday as an ad hoc judge to the Supreme Court but then the President had snubbed this appointment and rejected the request quoting seniority issues. So today when the President tried to elevate a Lahore High Court judge into the Supreme Court, CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry reacted to quickly create a three-member bench and it in turn struck down the order declaring it null and void. Its scary to even begin to imagine that in such a stand-off situation we probably might never have any more judicial appointments as one or the other executive appointed with Pakistan will end up striking it down.
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Feb 8, 2010    |       44 comments

PTA blocks Asif Ali Zardari’s ‘Shut-up’ Youtube Video

Sunday evening Youtube.com started facing intermittent reports of inaccessibility. It initially started off with a simple white page saying “This Site is Accessible” subsequent reports were submitted on Herdict Web shows the inaccessibility lasted for about an hour but then everything recovered back to normal.

It was then later reported that the crackdown by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority was on one particular video which is of Mr. Asif Ali Zardari saying a very forceful Shut Up to an audience member while he is busy delivering his speech at a rally.

Link to the Blocked Video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzuHD5x1fEU [a few other variants have also been blocked]

Speculations are that as this government will continue to edgy on a number of issues as they get pushed into a corner, instinctively they will react in short similar burst. It is a known fact that the President and his core group of leaders might be feeling the heat from the Supreme Court of Pakistan as the NRO was apparently chucked away into oblivion hence leaving them technically ineligible to occupy these high-level offices.
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Jan 31, 2010    |       60 comments

Zardari Tells Democracy to Shut up

A short video clip of Mr. Asif Ali Zardari telling a heckler to “shut up” is hilarious. One must admit that the timing of the comment is truly priceless, Zardari was in mid-stream delivering his speech “What has happened to this democracy ……. Shut up” – Only when you watch the short section will you then start to wonder on a tangential note if he too has delivered a striking blow to democracy in Pakistan which has hallmarks of rampant and ruthless corruption like never seen before. Gawd Help Pakistan

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzuHD5x1fEU[/youtube]

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

Dec 25, 2009    |       8 comments

16 Dec decision of Supreme Court – A Critical Analysis

By Barrister Amjad Malik

16 Dec Supreme Court short order was an expected response of superior judiciary. Federation and all provinces through their lawyers jointly consented to its repeal, and none came to rescue the beneficiaries and even academic discussion was not made possible on the topic of powers to issue and right course of action to dispose off a bad law. 342 members of the Parliament jointly expressed their unwillingness to discuss and vote out this notorious ordinance despite the fact that it relates to them and their future on the whole as a club, and any order would have far reaching implications on the future of their brethrens good or bad. In that situation, what do you expect from judges.

They could not invent a defence for that ordinance so hated by the majority of the people, media and intelligentsia. If politicians were expecting leniency or a different judgment, its their own fault, and the problem lies with their capacity or capability not with the short order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. On 5 August the writer in response to 31 July 09 decision which scrapped Gen Musharraf’s 3rd Nov PCO and emergency and wrote,

“Overall, a welcoming order, full of happy tidings, but similar amount of flaws, unaddressed anomalies, and legal circles expect a lot more explanation in detailed judgement, and I hope the order does the job in the end. This order is also reflection of various ‘compulsions’ under which Pakistani society goes through daily. The short order incites that there is more to come, and a detailed judgement will open a lot of avenues for further litigation. On the outset, Superior Court is mindful of the limitations they are working under and one can say that the decision has set the track on which SC is likely to go in near future. However, it is not a final decision, this is part of a series of decisions we must expect in the days to come”.
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