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Posts tagged with: Zardari
Oct 28, 2008    |       85 comments

Pakistan Ka Mutlub Kia? Islam Ki Ruswai, Aur Kia

Guest post by temporal of Baithak Blog

Al- Quran 5:32 “…if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”

Forget we are Pakistanis for a moment? Remember we are Muslims – first and last – nice, wonderful, kind, gun toting neighbour hating Muslim.

Of course this has nothing to do with Islam or Pakistan. Any one who casts even a wild aspersion over this is a bigot.

True, 98 or 99% of Pakistanis follow Islam.

True, at cartoons and books published in distant lands forces us to come out in the streets and burn and loot our public property.

True, we believe in one Allah.

True, we kill other Muslims in the name of (our) Allah without regret.

True, true, true!
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Oct 21, 2008    |       22 comments

‘Iftikhar’

Guest Blog by Amjad Malik

Iftikhar is translated as ‘honour ’ in the dictionary, however this one word in Pakistan has gained significance from the name of deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammed Chowdhary who is still waiting for his restoration on 3rd November position. He was dismissed, and detained by General Musharraf as a result of an unlawful military action. Chowdhary not only settled the score of history by challenging the myth that Pakistani judges are always ready to work hand in hand to support its generals , but also tried to nip the very evil in the bud, which is core of Pakistan’s constitutional hap hazard history, the all time notorious ‘law of necessity.’

When we look at these hollow claims that law of necessity is buried forever especially after 20 July, we must analyse as to why there always seem a gap which is filled by our Generals. We need to look at the reasons as to why the country was divided in 1971; corruption allegations always surfaced in civilian rule and military never could hold them accountable as they lacked legitimacy. Musharraf regime despite weak opposition and leaps of dollars could not go nearer to the completion of its seven point’s agenda. In fact, he brought the federation to near collapse. Most ironic is the current civilized government who seems an epitome of mal administration where committee chairmen along with anyone coming to Premier house with warnings is deemed fit to be given ‘Federal Minister Status.’ President house seems to be representing a group amongst one party only than the federation. In these circumstances the slogan or aspiration of rule of law, democracy, justice, and governance seems a wish for the moon. Iftikhar Chowdhary has turned the tide towards the very basic fact that from Karachi to Khyber people demand justice let it be Justice with the state, justice with the nation or justice with the institutions.
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Oct 8, 2008    |       40 comments

In-Camera security briefing – Your analysis?

Today at 5pm marks the start of Pakistans third ever in-camera parliamentary briefing on the security situation in Pakistan. It is to be made by the top brass of Pakistan army specifically Director-General of Military Operations, Lt.-General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, who will be presenting the Pakistan Army’s point of view which has been approved by the President Asif Ali Zardari.

While I would be the first to accept that this is a positive step in the right direction to take the Parliamentarians into confidence but I have a few reservations. More along the lines that this is a one-way conversation and the strategy is not open for debate / revision. If this one-way conversation cannot be questioned or modified then I fear it is all hoopla and this session will only serve as a rubber stamp for allowing a free hand to Zardari a license to do as he or Americans desire ‘in the name of war on terror, as approved by the members of Pakistani parliament’. Its sadly has all the hallmarks of the rubber stamping parliament that Musharraf used previously, took them ‘into confidence’ but did everything as he pleased

Overlooking my own reservations, what is your take on this in-camera briefing

Oct 8, 2008    |       39 comments

Kashmiri Freedom Fighters are “Terrorists” – Zardari

In what appears to be yet another blooper on the international stage our President Asif Ali Zardari has yet again dropped a bombshell on our nation. If the security threat in the North West arena was not enough to handle he has just awoken a sleeping giant when he labeled Kashmiri freedom fighters as terrorist in an interview with WSJ a few days back.

WSJ: When I [Bret Stephens] ask whether he would consider a free-trade agreement with traditional archenemy India, Mr. Zardari responds with a string of welcome, perhaps even historic, surprises. “India has never been a threat to Pakistan,” he says, adding that “I, for one, and our democratic government is not scared of Indian influence abroad.” He speaks of the militant Islamic groups operating in Kashmir as “terrorists” — former President Musharraf would more likely have called them “freedom fighters” — and allows that he has no objection to the India-U.S. nuclear cooperation pact, so long as Pakistan is treated “at par.” “Why would we begrudge the largest democracy in the world getting friendly with one of the oldest democracies in the world?”

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Oct 7, 2008    |       2 comments

[MiniLinks] Cowasjee responds to Zardari’s God/Gaad Blooper

Ardeshir Cowasjee responds to the spelling mistake controversy – September 12 when I went to the Mazar and asked the keepers to let me have photocopies of what had been written by the September 11 visiting ‘dignitaries’ in the visitors’ book. I was given copies of remarks recorded by the president, the Sindh governor and the Sindh chief minister. – continuing “The spooks sprang into action. They removed from the 100-page book the double-page on which Zardari’s message and that of the Karachi station commander were recorded, leaving 98 pages in the book in which visitors will now record their views, and on a fresh page rewrote Zardari’s message correcting the two misspelled words.”

Oct 4, 2008    |       34 comments

FIA ‘might’ have instructions to get Anti-Zardari campaigners

Ahmed Quraishi a pro-Musharraf campaigner has recently published a report where he claims that the FIA might have been instructed to get hold of people making fun of our President Mr. Asif Ali Zardari

Ahmed Qureshi.com President Asif Ali Zardari has given instructions to FIA to hunt down Pakistanis writing jokes about him. The FIA has already begun its witch-hunt searching the Internet for the ‘criminals’. Prime Minister Gilani wants no newspaper to write anything about him without checking first with his press secretary. A ‘dictator’ like Musharraf never did any of this. This is the fake democratic leadership of our country where the President is busy with the jokes on him when the country is facing hostile action from Zardari’s own allies in Washington

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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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Oct 2, 2008    |       28 comments

Zardari issued a ‘Fatwa’ for shaking hands with Palin – Maulvi denies it

A few days ago an Indian publication carried a report claiming that the Lal Masjod cleric Maulana Abdul Ghafar, who is a close relative of Maujlana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was killed by security forces during Operation Silence in July 2007, said that President Zardari’s indecent gestures, filthy remarks and repeated praise of a non-Muslim lady wearing a short skirt is not only un-Islamic but also unbecoming of a head of state of a Muslim country.

DNA India: President Zardari’s indecent gestures, filthy remarks and repeated praise of a non-Muslim lady wearing a short skirt is not only un-Islamic but also unbecoming of a head of state of a Muslim country. He said that the manner in which Zardari shook hands with Sarah Palin and expressed his deep desire to hug her is intolerable and shameful. “We are fighting the American war in our country and thousands of our people have been killed just to please Uncle Sam. Therefore, we demand that the military operation in the Pak-Afghan tribal areas be immediately stopped as it is creating hatred amongst the general public against the Pakistan army”, he added.

But a day later a strong rebuttal was issued and published by Khaleej Times
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Oct 1, 2008    |       23 comments

Misspelling controversy rehashed: God or Gaad, does it really matter?

On 11th September the newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari paid homage to the Mausoleum of the Father of the Nation in Karachi, all seemed well until reports started trickling in from various sources of a juicy controversy, where our new President had accidentally misspelled a few words here ‘n there. The message that appeared in the on the Guest Book placed at the Quaid’ Mazar read “May gaad give us the strent to save Pakistan” — Asif Ali Zardari, President, Islamic Republic of Pakistan. This email was also supported by a picture which showed his signature.

Since the past few days the Ministry of Information has been issuing a strong statement to condemn hidden forces in the media to have launched a smear campaign against Asif Ali Zardari, this specific incident took place over 20 days back and the Ministry has suddenly woken up to issue a condemnation, I feel this was pushed through after the global blooper our President committed when he met Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin and had some interesting comments to share which were seen to have been a little awkward and poorly timed for the occasion.

In regards to the misspelling fiasco, a fellow blogger, Farhan, questioned bloggers in general to have been a part of the malicious campaign, in a small way I too must take the blame as my blog did carry a guest post by Silence who humorously poked fun at the English Cracy (sic) of the incident. This could have been a follow up from my own rant which I made on 12th of September where I joked on another twist to the message.
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Sep 29, 2008    |       2 comments

American Lawyers conference on rule of law in Pakistan & my brief visit to Europe

Guest Blog by Amjad Malik

I was invited by British Law Society of England to visit Brussels as part of their delegation to attend a rule of law conference on ‘Pakistan and beyond’ organised by American Bar Association (ABA) on 25th September at Hilton (Brussels). Reaching Brussels airport in the morning, I caught a cab and reached Hilton at the time of the conference and met Cricketing legend Imran Khan in the lift with his party entourage which was a pleasant beginning. When we all reached the designated room for conference at 25th Floor, the room was more or less occupied. A lot of people were keen have a glimpse of Imran Khan and a few specially came to listen to Supreme Court Bar President Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan who could not join us at the conference due to lack of in time delivery of his teams visas, though I feel he missed a great opportunity to talk on the subject where various old guns of American law industry were present.
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Sep 26, 2008    |       38 comments

HUMOR: Making sense of Asif Zardari & Sarah Palin encounter

All day yesterday I was thinking – what stupidity of our President to have flirted with the republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin on live TV. The only possible scenario that comes close to some reasoning is as follows

Take for example the two most important comments that Asif Ali Zardari made to Sarah Palin

  • AZ: You’re looking GORGEOUS
  • AZ: If he insists, I could HUG

Now picturize a sleaze bag truck driver in Pakistan looking at Sarah Palin for the first time

  • Truck Driver: ooye tou barri CHIKNI lag rahi hai
  • Truck Driver: aao JHAPPI paa lay

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Sep 25, 2008    |       105 comments

Zardari flirts with Sarah Palin: Calling her Gorgeous & Offers to Hug

As suspected from my earlier post where I shuddered at the thought of what Asif Ali Zardari might serve up to Washington during his trip to attend the UN General Assembly, well the games have begun. In a recent meeting with the Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, our Honorable President was seemingly a little bit too un-Presidential [?]. During the customary greetings between the two leaders, Zardari called Palin “gorgeous” and later even offered “to hug” the Alaskan Governor. I do not mean to suggest that this is in anyway a crime, but being the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan there are some protocols that should be adhered to in an effort to uplift the respect and dignity of Pakistan and to the office with which he has been assigned to.

It seems to have been the perfectly scripted conversation as temporal had predicted well before the actual Sarah Palin and Asif Zardari meetup. There maybe some fanatics in Pakistan who may even cringe at seeing him shaking hands with a women, but whatever the objection and whether we like it or not it has become a routine in western interactions and I might even suggest that such flirtatious comments might even be the norm but I dare to say, at least not on camera. It is quite possible that Sarah Palin considered these as a complement, but if you were to observe the video footage of the exchange she does feel a little uneasy.
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Sep 25, 2008    |       23 comments

Rahman Dakait nominated for International Peace Award 2008

International Human Rights Commision has nominated Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik for the ‘International Peace Award 2008 for War against Terrorism. The real problem with Pakistan is there appears to be a complete collapse of moral fabric. I still choose to call him Rehman Dakiat for his endless list of goofups.

It should be recalled that this third Peoples Party nomination is right on the footsteps of Sherry Rehman being nominated for International Peace Award 2008 for Democrats a few months back.

Reading this news report for Rehman Malik – I am utterly speechless, as I and many Pakistanis will cringe at the thought of honoring REHMAN MALIK aka Rehman Dakait {of all people!!!} for the ‘peace prize’. It is yet another example of the political circus being run in Pakistan… I leave this news report at your disposal [and digestion] in utter disgust
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Sep 24, 2008    |       14 comments

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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