Emergency: Martial Law in Disguise

It took me some time to write this blog. There are two main reasons for that. Initially, I was in disbelief about the manner in which the ‘emergency’ was implemented. Yes, like every other Pakistani I did expect an emergency at some point in time. But, the manner in which the judiciary and media were murdered was devastating. Secondly, after realizing that the ugliest crime had been committed by our ruler, I was left with so much to say that it was not enough to just write an article. Therefore, this blog will always remain incomplete in my eyes.

As the title suggests, I do not believe that Pakistan is facing an emergency at the moment. It is clearly a martial law which has been given the name of ‘emergency.’ It is shameful to know that a leader has brought in a martial law against himself. He is the first leader in Pakistan to get a martial law twice in one country. Not only that; in broad daylight our President murdered the judiciary which had finally become independent after 60 years. Then to add on, our people were deprived of information by a complete blackout of media channels all over Pakistan. There is hardly anything left after what Musharraf has done. Uptil a few days back I used to address him as our President, no matter how controversial his title was. Now, he does not deserve this half-hearted respect even.

Straight away, I want to express my support and respect for the eight ‘removed’ judges of the Supreme Court who passed a verdict immediately; declaring the emergency invalid. In addition, they left with stature when they headed back to their residencies like an everyday procedure of the judges. But, on the other hand Musharraf had ofcourse reached a point of no return. He was so blinded in the lust for power that he did not realize that he was helping himself in his demise as a ruler. The ‘emergency’ was indeed a martial law once the constitution was suspended during the course of action. Musharraf used our respectable armed forces to carry out a crime against our nation. He proved that he is a self-centered leader who is only interested in saving his own power. For that he is ready to compromise on anything; even the existence of Pakistan. Yes. I say 'existence' and am forced to use these harsh words. The reason is that, he has completely damaged our sovereignty by acting only on Americans’ consent.

In his speech later during the day, he caused more damage to our country by carrying out various acts of shamelessness. In the speech first, he mentioned that he was tired of the ‘taunts’ he was receiving from various quarters for being so tolerant. Yes, ‘Mr. President' you are a tolerant leader indeed when you tear apart the law of Pakistan for the sake of sitting in your presidency for a few more moments. You are indeed tolerant ‘Mr. President,' when you terminate the basic human rights of a citizen. To further the cause, he made a fool of himself by stating that his case on dual offices kept on lingering and it only created a lot of uncertainty. Therefore, no more patience was possible.

Musharraf, our nation has waited for 60 years for the independence of judiciary. I can say with complete conviction that they could have waited a few more days. But, the whole nation knows that you were not impatient but were arrogant. Your agenda in October 1999 takeover may have been sincere at that point in time. But, during the course of these years your mind wandered to the tunnel of illusions. You started off as a hopeful leader like many before. But, towards the end you became the worst of them. First, you gave up all the cases by the drama of 'national reconciliation ordinance' in which every politician became innocent. At least before, they were innocent till proven guilty. Over time, you may have not dismembered our country but you have done your level best in making it possible.

To further say, Musharraf then said with confidence that he had consulted the international community before he took the drastic measures.

Musharraf, according to your own views our nation was sovereign and no compromise was to be done on this issue. And, you said your strength derived from the people of Pakistan. Then why did you draw your strength from the international community? Our nation was built by our founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who was a true Pakistani. Then why did you consult the international community which has no right on any of the internal affairs of our country?

As if this was not enough to humiliate and sink the hearts of millions of Pakistani, you went even further. You quoted the ‘Great’ Abraham Lincoln of United States of America. Musharraf, you felt that Allama Iqbal and countless other leaders of our country were not worthy enough for their mention in your speech. But do not forget, you once mentioned them immediately after you banned the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar- e-Jhangvi. At that time you were pure leader from the land of the pure; Pakistan. The nation backed you at that point in time and understood your decision. But in your speech, you requested the West for some time so that we can lose whatever little of dignity which was left in our nation. After all at least you realized that 60 years of belief in Pakistan would take some time to diminish amongst the people of Pakistan.

Then the most shameful speech of our history ended with our national anthem being shown on our television screens, and the anthem being sounded at the radio. The flag, which was distinguished with its colors and symbols of faith, unity, and discipline, looked meaningless and torn apart. That moment I, as a Pakistani, was disgraced with humiliation and insult. Our nation was given the most unconvincing reasons for taking away our basic civil liberties.

But, this was not enough. It was now the turn of most of the political parties of Pakistan to fail us. Especially the Pakistan Peoples Party, which is the largest political party in Pakistan amongst the voters; who are also just 30 percent of our country. The party illustrated that they also had a lustful dictator who runs their party; Ms. Benazir Bhutto. This act of murder by Musharraf, required the PPP to come out immediately on the streets and condemn the unjust removal of our judges. But, she only looked towards her own personal interest. Even today, she deceives our nation and the opposition parties by playing on both sides of the table. Her party has only one person, which deserves utmost respect for his bravery and courageous display against Musharraf. And that is Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, who proved that he was loyal to his profession rather than his affiliations. He is indeed one leader, who has some sort of real popularity amongst the civil society of the country. But, till today Benazir has not issued a single strong statement in Aitzaz's unjust confinement.

She keeps her party united on weak strings and only looks towards the corridors of power at this crucial juncture. She plays a role of a politician who her respectable father, if alive today, would have opposed till his last breath. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto stood against the intervention of the unjust intervention of the Army in politics. People say, he made a few unwise decisions towards the end of his tenurem which cost him his life. However to my view, one of his unwise decisions was to nominate his selfish daughter to take forward his dynasty. He was not aware of the fact that she would just turn out to be an agent of furthering the American cause. It is a cause which believes in dividing the country of Pakistan. In addition, they plan to create instability in the country which will lead to an imminent action to disarm our nuclear capability. Already, the U.S. senate has discussed the possible ‘emergency plan' to do so.

It is high time that our nation stands up. Yes, we miss the real leaders who will lead our nation. The leaders who are ready to take the bullet of sacrifice for the people of Pakistan. Imran Khan, may be some sort of hope for our country. But, unfortunately he has not been able to be the charismatic and vibrant leader of the people who will roar against the prevailing injustice. Our youth represent nearly 70 percent of our society. But, there is no one at the platform to take them forward. The platform exists in PPP to some extent, but they are missing a leader. A genuine leader exists in PTI (Pakistan Tehrik Insaf) and they may have some sort of platform. But, over the years Imran Khan has not been able to strike the hearts, strongly enough, of the poor people of Pakistan. Pakistan is at a critical juncture where it needs a revolution to clean up this dirt of politicians. MQM, PML-Q and all government alliance parties should be tried for treason. If not the parties, then leaders should be asked to be answerable to the people of Pakistan. Even today, our masses remain silent in terms of their actions. But, I strongly believe that their desire to come out becomes more intense. All they need is a leader to take them forward.

A leader who says ‘I am a leader who does not sit in the lavish surroundings of the Presidency or the PM house. But, I am leader who resides in every heart of you people; the people of Pakistan. So that even if I want to do injustice to our country, I am not able to do so. Because amongst you people I will just be a small drop of bad blood in the heart. Over time new blood, in the form of people, will make sure that the power, to make the heart pump, remains amongst the people; rather than above them. As I said I want to reside in the 160 million hearts of Pakistan. And not in the corridors of power.’

Hypocrisy All Over....

It has been more than a week since one of the saddest events in our history took place. Hundreds of lives were lost, for a cause which they did not even know about. Once again the 'targeted' came out of the trouble unscathed.

Immediately after the event Benazir Bhutto's (BB) letter, written before her arrival, to President Musharraf was brought to notice of the people. It stated the people who she believed were involved in the incident. Her letter stated the possible suspects and also her tough political opponents to be in the coming elections. It seems like even after the massive incident of October 18th, 2007, she has still been able to gather herself for another round of politics. It is believed that the name of Ejaz Shah (Head of Intelligence Bureau), Chowdhary Pervez Elahi and a couple of theres were there. I would like to only mention the stated two names because I believe that ,according to BB, these people are her main target. Firstly, no one can rule out the role of an intelligence agency in carrying out an attack which is meant to be in the 'interest of Pakistan' as they are trained to do so. People like Benazir who have undoubtedly looted the people of Pakistan are surely not in our country's interest. But due to American pressure and a personal interest, once again a leader on his downfall has succumbed to their demands. However, the leader did not realize the effects of striking a deal with 'the country's most corrupt woman' , according to himself, may have a devastating impact on our country. Secondly, the mention of Chowdhary Pervez Elahi is meant to gain political mileage from the blast. BB knows that she can gain the western sympathy or should i say the most powerful vote bank of her party can influence the President to drift away from the current setup headed by the Chowdhary Brothers. There is no way in the world BB that a politician of today's Pakistan can cause such a chaos when the western influence dominates the mindset of our President. The whole backing of MQM was present on the day which was clearly visible as not a single shot was fired to an enemy. The PML(Q) remained silent only on the orders of President Musharraf. There was no agitation until the event actually took place.

Soon after the event, the blame game started with BB coming out in the press. She decided not only to care less about the people who lost their lives, but also to gain as much political drama she can from the incident. Again, using her not so real emotions for her father and brother she tried to create an impression of the late 90's. Unfortunately, she does not realize that things have changed now in Pakistan over the last eight years in this regard. Our people have access to a fairly free media. Once again, I would like reiterate the media is not completely independent even today. So then BB came up with the notion that she wrote a private letter to the President because she does not want to create any political drama. However, while she was on the plane from Dubai to Karachi she thought that Dr. Shahid Masood of 'Meray Mutabiq' of Geo TV was completely a 'private' party to the affair. Therefore, she also mentioned those names to Dr. Shahid Masood. Well BB, I have to say your innocence is fatal.

Meanwhile, the Chowdharys decided not to let any sympathies go towards BB due to the blast. Then, Chowdhary Pervez Elahi came with their favorite line that they will compete with a lot of mettle with BB's party in the elections and the 'people of Pakistan' do not support the looters. It was not for long when an article published in 'The News' told us about the nearly Rs. 55 Billion being written off by the government in favor of the national assembly members representing them. Well if BB's case abroad amounted to US$1.5 billion then their one write-off was around US$1 billion. So should we celebrate as a nation now that our current ministers are at least 30 percent less corrupt than our previous leaders, such as BB. Even though these figures are about just one write-off. Usually corruption details about the government comes after their departure. Therefore, they have already declared around US$1 billion of looting. So we may be reaching a new record after this government leaves.

This is where the hypocrisy comes in extensively in the ruling politics. Today PPP and PML(Q) are fighting against each other on various issues. Both are eager to take each other on; one at the behest of President while the other, at the behest of American support. The same American support which loves our people so much that it offered the FBI support for the blast of October 18th. However, that proposal was rejected by the government because as I stated earlier things may not be right in Musharraf's own camp. Therefore, you cannot carry out a raid in your own house. Especially, when the house is not in order. A similar foreign help was used in investigation the blast of President Musharraf and PM Shaukat Aziz in their respective incidents of terror. But, BB was not given the same warmth and affection because the government strongly believes now that our police force and investigative forces are quite capable of finding the 'real' culprits. All of a sudden, our government again feels a sense of patriotism by not allowing any foreign intervention. Don't we love our government so much? It is indeed working only in the interest of Pakistan.

As time passes by, things continue to intermingle with each other. The judiciary dynamics, along with the PPP-PML(Q) tussle, and ofcourse the Uncle Sam influence are all the perfect ingredients for a chaos in our country. The real people of Pakistan, which amount to the 70 percent poor people, do not care a bit about what happens. I do not blame them as there is no real leader in the country who can mobilize them. To me another dramatic event will take place before the elections which will finally achieve its goal. The goal which will make the President even more weak internally and externally of Pakistan. However, if that does not happen then we may witness one of the dirtiest elections in our country. In either case, for now let us all hope for the best to come for Pakistan. And also let us hope, that someone in our nation is able to gain enough strength to mobilize the masses of Pakistan to bring a real change in our country.

October 18th - A Devil's Dream

October 18th, 2007:
The most disgusting act of terrorism took place in our country. Terrorism is a norm in Pakistan. But, this act of terror may not just be terrorism; it was the perfect recipe to self-destruct a vibrant nation.

All us Pakistanis today should think hard about our future. What is going on in our country? Why have the people of Pakistan become so ignorant? Once again, the poor people of Pakistan died in hundreds and many more got injured. Yes, the people supporting BB may not be appreciated by the larger majority of Pakistan. But, did they really deserve the most horrific death? Ofcourse not.

How much more politics will be played at the expense of poor people's blood? How much more money will be poured in to gather hundreds and thousands of workers for personal gain? And how much American influence will dictate our actions? Why don't we realize that forced actions will not change our fate? Why have a few thousand politicians taken the whole of Pakistan hostage? Where is the silent majority?

In my perspective, Pakistan is at a more dangerous crossroad than what we were immediately after chaos in September 2001. At that time, if we decided to go against the American dream we would have still stood united as a nation. But today, we are clearly lost. The poor people of Pakistan may have no more hope from our system. In fact, even the privileged class may have lost hope in our country. It is time that we as a nation re-explore ourselves.

The same President Musharraf who stated that 'BB was the most corrupt leader' until a few months ago, has joined hands with her to tackle the issue of terrorism? Is the nation of Pakistan naive? Ofcourse not. This person whose basis for coming to power was corruption, is now granting pardon to all the political activists of Pakistan? The same leaders who mass massacred thousands of people in the name of politics, religion, and ethnicity should be forgiven to fight the issue of extremism?

Today, we are no more a sovereign state if we decide our politics for sake of outside interests. Any opposition leader in the past few months has never been given such a grand welcome as the one BB received. Is it because she was so popular that it was not possible? Or was it because there were vested interests of every single party involved? Ofcourse that is the sad truth. Someone needs to stay in power for sake of another country. Someone needs to regain their US$1.5 billion. Someone does not want to leave a country which ruled us once. Someone wants to come back to Pakistan to, once again, rob the treasury of Pakistan. There are so few people, yet so influential that they are shaping the future course of our country. This is an awakening call. We need to realize that our ignorance may push our country to point of no return.

As far as yesterday is concerned, I do not see a role of the 'tribal areas' extremists. But, one thing which has changed since yesterday is the control of power. It is obvious that Musharraf's control of power is not absolute. In fact, his interests are based on American's blessings. His personal interest is so attached to them. He would have realized yesterday, that things all are not perfect within his camps. There is lack of consensus within his own ranks. But we need to remember he is about to become a civilian. And no civilian is powerful unless he is elected from the masses. While BB has been clearly sent the message that she is not safe at all. In fact, this was just an indication that no elections can happen in Pakistan with PPP coming to power. Therefore, it may be very imminent that 'the American Dream team' will not be realized in Pakistan. Therefore, there is a chance of removal of two most-discussed political figures of today. I see a big political change within a year in Pakistan. However, I am unable to assess our future. Once again the reason for that is our people have become ignorant and have lost hope.

It is time that a political mobilization takes place in Pakistan in order to realize the unrealized dream.

Supreme Court: Far from expectations

Things have never been so polarized as they seem to be at the moment. The Supreme Court declared the petition against the dual offices as 'invalid' for any prosecution. This is a big blow the opposition, which had pinned a lot of hopes with the nine-member bench under the chairmanship of Justice Rana Bhagwandas. However, it is not a surprise for many who should have read between the lines.

Any avid follower of politics through the print, and electronic media would have predicted this verdict. During the hearing of the case, there were several times when Justice Rana Bhagwandas stated that it was the parliament which validated the dual offices, rather than courts. This itself was an indication that the decision would indeed turn to be in favor of General Pervez Musharraf. However, there was also a lot of 'behind the scenes' pressure on a few unnamed judges who reportedly met high ranking officials days before the verdict. It was stated that the situation is pretty much black and white. If the verdict goes in favor of Musharraf then its all well and good. However, if there was any movement of the verdict from the above statement then there is an imminent possibility of martial law being imposed all over the country. This itself, I believe also led the decision in favor of the President by a healthy margin of 6-3. The private meetings which were held 'behind the scenes' must not have secured more than a couple of judges for getting it their way. However, those judges would have definitely created an impression that if the verdict was indeed against the President, then things would go out of control.

If a martial law was imposed, these so called 'guardians of justice' would have been made non-functional. As a result, they would have been inactive and they would have been made helpless infront of the nation. I believe it was the Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chowdhry, which got independence rather than the whole institution. Recent figures of judiciary claim that around 85% of the judiciary is corrupt and it is the third most corrupt institution in Pakistan. Therefore, if a martial law was in place I am sure that General Pervez Musharraf or the new commander leading the scenario would have been able to find enough 'Pakistan loving' judges who would have replaced the current school of lawmakers.

The other interesting aspect about the whole incident is the manners in which the lawyers have reacted. It is sad to know that the same lawyers who had supported the CJ when he was wrongfully removed from his post, are claiming that verdict is biased. The lawyers need to take a crystal clear stand that they are either for an independent judiciary or a 'Musharraf-free' Pakistan. The manner in which they reacted confirmed to me at least that they were just against one man rather than the unjustified system. Even today, I can say with 100% confidence that I can buy a lawyer in Pakistan to get a false case registered in my favor for a mere thousand rupees. Therefore, things have not changed in a way they should have. In addition, I do not agree that the verdict was biased but rather it was not a legal verdict. It was a political verdict. If the verdict would have against Musharraf then Pakistan would have been destabilized. There is no doubt that a martial law would have been put in place. Therefore, the judges left their duty for a moment and took a political decision. This is a sad part in its own way, as political matters are solved through political negotiations. After this verdict, the judges are once again faced with an allegation of being 'politicized.' The lawyers, however, seem to be always politicized. It is not a hidden fact anymore the kind of funding which was provided by Mr. Nawaz Sharif to the media and lawyers community to create an upheaval against Musharraf. Therefore, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth of every person who loves Pakistan. Maybe, that is the 'strange' reason why no real masses of people of Pakistan should at any of the days after the restoration of Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chowdhry.

What happened on October 29th was also a disgraceful scene. A day earlier, I supported the overall scenario that a martial law was averted. Even though, the judiciary did not fulfill its commitment of abiding my constitution completely. They were indeed politicized by then. But, a day later President Musharraf broke all records to show that he is no more capable of being a tolerant leader. His ongoing tussle with the media had been going on for a while. That was partly because of genuine friction and was also because of the politicization of celebrity journalists who have reportedly taken hefty amounts from opposition to fulfill their agenda. This an issue which I will discuss in my later issues about the manner in which the media has some hidden culprits who change the course of peoples' thoughts. Getting back to Saturday, it was indeed a disgraceful moment. The IG of Islamabad, Manver Shah, showed that he had no fear due to complete backing of the higher administration. The policemen were dressed in white civilian clothes and carried out targeted atrocities on the media people. It was an embarrassing moment for Pakistanis all over the world who witnessed 'freedom of media' in its ugliest form. I partially understand the reason why police had been brought out to take care of the lawyers. Especially ever since Ahmed Kurd had made some aggressive remarks against the army, rather than one person. As I have stated in my earlier blogs, it is wrong for any Pakistan to publicly insult the military institution of Pakistan. Yes, there are some people who have taken part in politics but that does not give any right to any citizen to insult the remaining 90 percent people of the Army who are genuinely defending our homeland. In addition, the lawyers have now shown to the world that they are not genuine as well. Most of them are just creating chaos to take power in their hands rather than being independent. However, what happened with the media personnel was completely unjustified. Never in the history of Pakistan have 32 media personnel been injured in any government tussle. This was worse than the famous slashing of journalist in the era of Zia.

These actions by all the parties involved; lawyers, Presidency camp, government, opposition, media, are just leading to chaos and anarchy. I truly believe that Pakistan should not have a martial law. But, if a martial has to be imposed then it needs to be a takeover in which more than thousands of corrupt people are taken to gallows. The reason for that is power corrupts. When President Musharraf first came to power he gave the people of Pakistan a lot of hope. But, enventually he became a part of a system for which he justified his entry into power. Today, after 8 years of military rule we have not been able to create even one leader in Pakistan. A hope was sparkled in the message of Imran Khan of PTI. But, that also blurred away due to the smoke and dust of his surroundings.

In the coming weeks, it seems like Musharraf will indeed get re-elected and will doff his uniform according to his promise. However, I still strongly believe that a deal with Pakistan's largest party, PPP, has been struck. Both Musharraf and BB are playing their cards well to dodge the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. who are breathing their last moments. However, if Musharraf decides to move away from from the commitment then he would be acting as a catalyst in bringing down his downfall. It seems like President Musharraf is moving towards the ultimate end of his power. It is only a matter of time which would decide if this end comes like cancer or rather a sudden collapse. Our history is filled with examples of the latter one rather than former.

What next ?

It has been more than a month since I last wrote. There are two reasons for taking some time to write another article: Firstly, the political activities have been moving in such a random way that it was hard to lay the foot down on one point. Secondly, I have always written articles whenever I had the appetite to do so.

Before I start, I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to the victims of Northern Bypass incident which occurred yesterday. It was another tragedy due to the excessive amount of corruption by the authorities in charge of developing the project. Even though by now 4 officials related to the project have been suspended, it will always remain a doubt in many that they will be punished severely. One of the other victims of the tragedy is also President Pervez Musharraf, who has nothing going right for him at the moment according to the people's perception. But, it may be the story is different altogether.

Yesterday, the negotiations broke off between the government and PPP representatives. However, one can not say for sure that the deal is over. It will be normal for many to differ with my opinions, but my views are based solely on perception of the characters involved in the story. Ever since Musharraf came to power, his involvement with PPP has been significant. First, he believed that Makhdoom Amin Fahim can break PPP into the party which is free to manoeuvre without the most powerful woman at the helm of affairs. However, that was not the case. Mr. Fahim decided to stay loyal to the party by not agreeing to become the PM of the country instead of BB. Then most of the years since then passed in healthy rivalry of the PPP and the government, until a few months back. The party which was by far the most vocal against the military dictatorship, has now flipped the coin to test its luck. But, to my view both Benazir and Musharraf know the answer. There is a high possibility that their deal is a success.

If President Musharraf wants to be re-elected from the current assemblies then he needs to have the support of the current assemblies. Therefore, he needs the backing of the ruling PML-Q to secure the next term. If Musharraf states that he has made a deal with BB then that would mean that PPP would form the next government. This outcome will never be acceptable to the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. who have always had a tussle with the BB's party. And, Musharraf cannot just clearly say that he wants to 'use' the ruling party for his personal interests. Therefore, I believe that everything is going to plan if any. Both the leaders have a sharp mind in their own extent. They would know that for the deal to be successful they should keep their workers away from the real scenario. Once, Musharraf gets re-elected he can always say that for the best interest of Pakistan he resorted to 'national reconciliation' and therefore has struck a deal with the PPP to ensure 'fair and free' elections in Pakistan. To my knowledge, BB has hired the top PR company of US to take care of the foreign lobbying. This PR company has campaigned for Reagan, and both Bush I and II for their campaigns. This exercise has reportedly cost around US $600,000 for Benazir Bhutto.

After the re-election of the President, he will be faced with the next challenge which is Nawaz Sharif's expected arrival at the capital on September 10. It seems like to me that at the end Nawaz Sharif may not come to Pakistan, and it will only be Shahbaz Sharif facing the music. However, in either case the President would not want to face the wrath of BB being against him as PPP played a pivotal role in causing trouble in the government circles. Even the exercise of Chowdhary Aitzaz Ahsan meeting with Nawaz Sharif was, to me, a planned process by the PPP leader. She is one person, in my view, who knows how to play her cards well. The cases against her party have already been dropped. Therefore, it is in Musharraf's interests to secure a deal with PPP so that he can have an extension of his political lifeline.

On the other hand, if this does not turn out to be the case then my belief is that we will be facing a martial law. But, it will not be Musharraf heading the government this time. It will be another person from the army. The reasons for this are many. First, if someone other than Musharraf takes over the army rule in Pakistan then no one can blame Musharraf for breaking his promises. In addition, the army would not want to disrepute itself by allowing Musharraf to hang on to the uniform any longer due to his decline in popularity, in recent months. This decline would cause damage to our armed forces; which without any doubt should be seen with utmost respect by our citizens. Therefore, these are the two options which I believe the President has at the moment.

In my view, we are witnessing the last days of the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. in power in either case; elections or martial law. However, things may change over time for Musharraf if Nawaz's return causes a greater than expected impact on the political atmosphere in the country. The coming days will indeed be an interesting time for the people of Pakistan; who are once again deprived from the whole 'democratic' process. Long live Pakistan.

Musharraf's Isolation

Congratulations to all the Pakistanis, especially those who had lost hope in our system. In addition, I would like to extend my heartiest felicitations to Pakistan Tehrik Insaf and their leader, Imran Khan, for their long struggle for the independence of judiciary. I hope that July 20^th, 2007, will mark the beginning of the new era. It has the potential of being an era, where the true people of Pakistan will at least get justice.

This decision is historic in many perspectives. But, there is still a long way to go. Unfortunately in the past, we have believed in many new beginnings every time a historic event has taken place. After receiving overwhelming support from the masses, will Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry deliver? This question can only be answered after a certain passage of time.

However, the reinstatement of Chief Justice brings to light many new issues to our minds. Firstly, who is responsible for this saga? Even after this decision, it is hard to believe that such a decision has actually been taken. Is it true that after 60 years, the ‘hidden powers’ are no longer powerful to make a decision go the government’s way? The same ‘hidden powers’ that are given the ‘SOS’ signal by the Presidency at the time of a political crisis. If this is true, then may be the whole notion of ‘hidden powers’ being so powerful was just a myth. Or we are so blinded in the cause of being against the recent policies of the government, that we see all circles of the ruling establishment as one unit. This conclusion can be the most genuine example of an oversimplified generalization.

Many may not agree, but it seems like General Pervez Musharraf; believed as the ‘most powerful man’ in Pakistan has been a victim of the same poison which doomed many; the poison of ‘power.’ It may be still true that the ‘hidden powers’, which also include many bureaucrats of our society, have been able to create chaos to benefit their own interest. At this point in time, it may be unclear as to who is the primary beneficiary. But, the prospective candidates are many. When the reference was initiated against the Chief Justice on March 9, 2007, there were many people who were at the forefront while a few of them remained at the background. A couple of outspoken personalities include our Law Minister – Wasi Zafar, and Chief Minister, Sindh – Ghulam Arbab Rahim. It is still clear to my mind the confidence of our Law Minister in stating that another reference is ready for be filed in the court, along with the admission that he played a vital role in creating the dismissed reference. It seems like that his days are numbered, after his exclusion from the round-up by the PM to share the ‘depression’ which haunted their hearts and minds after the July 20^th decision. However, it will be interesting to hear our Chief Minister, when he taunted the judicial system by comparing them to the doctors; who get paid to operate unethically on their patients. Well, God bless our Chief Minister but it is also important to have the blessings of the new Chief Justice; Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Well the Chief Justice has no right to complain about the work he has to do now. There are hopes of millions of Pakistanis attached with this ‘civilian hero.’

Now let us study the people who are indeed powerful in our society. During the whole crisis, Ansar Abbasi kept reminding us of a highly influential person from a powerful institution in Pakistan used to visit the ‘suspended’ Chief Justice’s residence at the middle of the night. At that time the powerful institution was definitely not the judiciary. However, the purpose of the late night meeting was not to threaten the ‘suspended’ CJ with his life. But, it was to reassure him of the decisions which were to be taken. So does that mean the ‘hidden powers’ are still powerful? To me the answer is in the positive. But, the grave part of the whole scenario is that the ‘most powerful man’ in Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, has been isolated.

Rarely has a leader in Pakistan survived, when the ‘hidden powers’ have showed their lack of confidence in him. It is evident that the decision to file the reference was taken by the President and his close aides, rather than the constitutional decision-maker of the country; Shaukat Aziz. But, the close aides assured the President that the decision was in the best interest of him clinching to the reigns of power. In addition, they also assured that any agitation being demonstrated would not be of much strength and force. Then, how did the unanimous decision from the 13-member panel of the SC to re-instate the CJ came about? Therefore, this may not be entirely true that this was a completely independent decision against the ruling establishment; perceived as one unit. In fact, this may be a decision to tailor the future political setup of Pakistan minus the ‘General’ Pervez Musharraf. Maybe the patience within some quarters may have expired due to the prolonged stay of the President in uniform.

The fact that none of the policy-makers of yesterday are with him today, speaks the unsaid story of the fall of a leader. The leader who started off with a team of credible people, such as Javed Jabbar, and Lt. (r) General Moinuddin Haider to name a few, is now amongst a bunch of discredited people. Who can forget the sincere colleagues who assisted the landing of the plane on Oct. 12, 1999, by the name of General Aziz and General Usman. Both of them, were dispatched after a short period of time, due to the unreasonable demand of the American government. This all brings us to the same situation which was experienced by many of our leaders; President Ayub, President Yahya, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and President Zia.

The above mentioned analysis may be false a very large extent. But, if the above mentioned analysis is true then the statement of Benazir Bhutto, which states that after the restoration of the CJ it would be an unpopular decision for the Pakistan Peoples Party to form a deal with President Pervez Musharraf, makes a lot more sense. However, that leaves the President with an option to have Pakistan experience an emergency before the cases of his concern are taken up in the Supreme Court; uniform issue and the re-election of the President.

I clearly remember when the President stated, a few weeks back, that he would have tears in his eyes for this nation if the Chief Justice was restored. Well, it may be true that it would have happened. But, the President has so far withheld himself from stating his future course of action, other than accepting the decision. With the current wave of suicide bombings taking place all over the country, it may just be the perfect precedent to impose an emergency in our country. But, whatever the case let us hope that some sort of conspiracy is not being hatched up again to disillusion the people of Pakistan.

The 'Lal Masjid' : An unsolved mystery

July 10th, 2007, was a sad day indeed in the history of Pakistan. It was a day when hundreds of people lost their lives for an unexplained chaos. Being a Pakistani, I feel really sad with the events that took place which not only caused the deaths of our citizens; soldiers and civilians. But, also that it painted Islam in a negative manner. The same Islam for which Pakistan was made.Remember, on 14th August 1947; the birth of this country was on the basis of an 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan.' Yes, it is true that the events which took place somehow reflected otherwise.

There is no justification for using arms in an Islamic Republic to challenge the authority of the government. But, it is also not valid to use force to silent the people who, at the end, were born in the same 'land of the pure';Pakistan. It disheartening to see that we, sometimes, are not able to solve things in a civilized manner. Even though, we are also part of this human civilization. It is indeed, an unexplained mystery.

It is a known fact that the 'Lal Masjid' is based in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan. A city where nothing can be done at such large scale without the approval of the establishment. However, to our disbelief the 'Lal Masjid', unfortunately became an arms depot with tremendous potential. It is easy to turn a blind eye on the reasons which allowed the 'Lal Masjid' to become what it had become. But a few questions need to be answered, if not many.

Being a 'good Pakistani', I will not go into the details of the mystery of the import of guns into the mosque. After all, it is in our 'National Interest' or it is in line with the ideology of 'Sub Say Pehlay Pakistan' - Pakistan comes first - . But, there are other questions which I will ask on behalf of those soldiers' relatives and those civilians' loved ones. Was there a need to make a Pakistani kill a Pakistani ? Yes, there were extremists inside the mosque. I have no second thoughts about it. But, are not these extremists a part of our blood? Are we not proud to be associated with these tribal areas, a part of our country ? Ofcourse, we are. So, then why did all this happen?

If a deal had been reached between Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi at 3 am in the morning, in Islamabad, then what was the issue? Yes, there may have been foreigners inside the mosque. But, a commando operation by the second-most professional unit in the world is meant to save the civilians from the aliens. The foreigners should not be let go if they are involved in any terrorist activities in Pakistan. Yes, I agree with it. But, if a foreigner comes to the country and takes us hostage every now and then, does that mean we keep killing our own people? These civilians also love their country. Yes, they may have different views about the system of Pakistan, but they do love it. And, that is the reason why most of the children and women who came out the mosque stated that they wanted to go back into the mosque. Their views are completely different than what the norm is, or should be. But, we have to stop isolating these people from the system.

This system is so unique, that it allows the entry of some individuals who have cases of murder, financial corruption, kidnapping, and others against them. However, this system is completely against the uneducated people of Pakistan, who believe in another method of solving problems. The uneducated people who have got no other option but to join these madrassas to gain religious education. Even today, around 80% madrassas do not promote hatred against America, or the government of Pakistan. This was implied by our President, General Pervez Musharraf, in his address to the nation last night.So, does that mean we create terror in the minds of our people for that mere 20% percent? The same 'extremists' are our assets when it comes to fighting a silent war against our enemies. The same 'extremists' saved the country's honor in the Afghan war, so that the rest of the people of Pakistan can sleep in peace. The same 'extremists' constitute an immeasurable army unit which can penetrate into any other army in the world. Yes, things have changed after 9/11. Whatever happened at that point in time was the right decision. That is because the survival of Pakistan was at stake. I realize that. But, these people should not have been isolated.

They need to be taken into confidence. Yes, the majority of the people in Pakistan are moderates. But, they are not liberals. Any action against our own people will have its implications. We should not forget that this nation is emotional. On its day, it can create wonders for this country. But, when things are not going right it can also discredit the government with every good thing they may have done. I am afraid that has been the case with Mr. President; General Pervez Musharraf. I have stated earlier in my views, that we need him to stay in power on top of the politicians, before the self-controlling system is established. But, it not easy to maintain your public support in relative to attaining one.

Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi may have known his fate way before the people who were watching the television did. And, his methodology for achieving his goals were also not right. I am sure, that most of the Pakistanis agree with me. In addition, the killing of our respectable commander, Lt. Colonel Haroonul-Islam, was definitely not justified. May his soul rest in peace and may he be blessed in heaven, Ameen. But, it is the responsibility of the government or the leader to provide protection to our citizens. It a basic right of the human race to be protected by their state. Unfortunately, these basics still remain an unrealized dream in our country; which has been in existence for around 60 years.

They say that around 800 coffins have been called by the Army, from the Edhi services. But, the official figures discount that number to nearly its one-tenth. This is what causes immense disturbance in our peoples' minds. This should not happen. After all, no Pakistani would want a child to be dead in an unreasonable war when they were admitted into the mosque only because they were orphans. The orphan who had already been through unimaginable pain when he or she lost its parents in the devastating earthquake of Oct. 2005. What is their crime, except that they were destined to be in that mosque while the operation happened?

At the end, I would just extend my heartiest condolences to all the victims of this unexplained mystery. Be it the brave soldiers of our army, the brainwashed extremists, or the destined children of Pakistan, they all need our prayers. But, it is time that we as a nation learn a lesson from this chaos. We cannot afford more of our soldiers being killed by our own people. We have to get these 'extremists' involved in our system. We need to make them understand by talking with them. For that we need to realize that our national interest is not in line with the interests of America. Yes, we can learn a lot from the world's oldest democracy. But, if everything between us and the Americans was the same, then the 'survival of Pakistan' would not have been under question post-9/11 incident. I hope that the President, General Pervez Musharraf, realizes the need to address the concern of these people. It is extremely important to address these people, rather than the mere spectators - the rest of people - on state television. It is an undeniable fact, that people are most comfortable when they are addressed on a personal level, rather than a public one. In this manner, the issue of personal ego is kept aside.

May Allah give our leaders the strength and our nation the willpower to bring about a change in our vision of using force to address our domestic problems, Ameen. And, we take pride in our armed forces which is the fifth largest unit in the world. Therefore, let us accommodate each other and live in harmony. No other nation should have the right to judge our actions, because they will never understand this vibrant nation. The nation which, undoubtedly, harbors the people with the most potential in this world. Pakistan Zindabad.

The 'Lal Masjid'

After months of agitation, things picked up for both the 'Lal Masjid' and 'Maulana', or should I say 'Aunty' Abdul Hafiz. The pictures which show Abdul Hafiz leaving in a burqa were not only detrimental to the image of Pakistan, but also to the image of Muslims all across the world. Being a Pakistani, I believe that any Pakistani Muslim has been ashamed with the manner in which the 'Maulana' escaped the mosque. In addition, when he was stopped by the officials his 'sahaylees' (colleagues) requested not to check their 'Aunty' which was 'elderly and sick.' It is a shame for anyone who supports this cause of 'Lal Masjid' to have their leader being caught in a runaway attempt with 40 other ladies. As if, it was not enough that he was using the women and children as his shield for the last one week.

It is extraordinary to many that these fanatics inside the mosque were equipped with latest ammunition, for which the rangers posted at the location may be jealous. Well, to me this is not a surprise when it is known that our Minister for Religious Affairs, Ejaz Ul Haq bailed the 'Aunty' from jail during Musharraf's reign. Now that Chowdhary Shujaat Hussain has talked to the 'Aunty' in the last one hour, it seems that there is more to it than what meets the eye. I believe that the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. never intervene in anything related to a crisis, unless there is a personal interest for them. It is a known fact that during Nawaz Sharif's government, the 'Aunty' was involved in similar activities of gathering ammunition at the mosque for their so called 'Jihad.'

It is believed that the younger brother, Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, is a less hardliner than his elder brother, Maulana Abdul Hafiz. However, he is leading the struggle now ever since his brother's departure from the 'Lal Masjid.' I believe that there is a hostage-like situation within the 'Lal Masjid' which prompted the Chowdhary to intervene. Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi has stated that his 'companions' will not accept the offer of the government to keep him and his mother under a house arrest. instead of keeping them in a jail. However, this deal would have worked both ways considering Maulana Abdul Aziz's half-hearted devotion to bringing Shariah law in Pakistan. I can say that with assurance because it is reported that Maulana Abdul Aziz was on the verge of bringing a coup when his elder brother decided to use the women and children as hostage before the operation. However, ever since the arrest of his elder brother things should have moved faster in the right direction. But, instead this same brother has decided to become a hardliner, even though his brother was planning an exit from the whole drama. After, the confirmation from various sources that foreign militants are also residing in the mosque it seems that there is more at stake. Ever since the proposal of the house arrest for the leader and his mother, things have started to become more black & white. The government has only offered softness to the top leadership, while not showing any concern about the other militants inside. If the leader at the moment, Maulana Abdul Rashid, decides to abandon he may face a serious threat of being killed himself. The foreigners residing in the mosque would know that they will be dealt with harshness once the Maulana and his mother are given a safe passage.

But, this is where the main question arises. In a country where countless have been made scapegoats to make a successful story, why not Maulana Abdul Rashid. Why so much hesitation to carry out a full-fledge operation? The paramilitary forces, rangers, and the police have been deployed since the last 3 days equipped with immense firepower. The reason lies somwhere else. As stated earlier, Chowdhary Shujaat does not involve himself in any crisis unless he has got a personal interest. Considering the bailout of the Maulana by Ejaz Ul Haq during this government, it seems like both the Chowdhary and Zia Ul Haq's son are on the same side of the coin. In addition, it is evident now that it is not Maulana Abdul Rashid calling the shots. But, the other militants who are more fanatic than the Maulana, as they have come from a foreign land for this cause. If the government want they can easily order a commando operation to secure the few militants in the mosque. Now, we know that there are children in the mosque which have been taken hostage in this hour. But, the efforts are moving towards the securing of Maulana Abdul Rashid who is the 'official' leader at the moment. The Maulana has stated very clearly that his companions do not accept a solution in which he is given a safe passage, along his mother. But, why need to care about the Maulana so much in a country where many wrongs have been done to make a right? There is an interest of some influential elements in the ruling PML-Q which are taking this issue in another direction, when on the surface they state that they are only doing this to secure the innocent children in the mosque. Once again, this high level of sympathy for the children is rare considering the fate of the storm-affected people of Balochistan. No concern of such depth was shown in that matter where children of similar age, with higher numbers have been marooned over the last few weeks.

To conclude, I can say with a lot of conviction that there is a link involved between the Maulana brothers and the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. It may not be clear at this point in time due to various reasons. In addition, Musharraf has handled the situation in an impressive manner with regards to yesterday's events with hundreds of people surrendering. However, the President is also using the 'hot n cold' tactic to manage the other political issues, such as of Chief Justice and the trouble in other parts of the country. But, while he is doing that for his own benefit as well he needs to be aware of the actions of the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. which are once again using their political cards to gain some sort of mileage. Let us hope that, indeed, the least number of innocent people are killed in this drama. And, the culprits are brought to justice.

'Blinded in Power'

Today, the notion of being 'blinded in power' showed its true colors when the transmission of Geo TV was banned all across Pakistan. It is disheartening to see that a promising man by the name of General Pervez Musharraf, who took over the reigns of power on October 12, 1999, could allow such an act to take place in the 21st century. The promising man informed the nation, at that point in time, that he had to take this action because insanity had prevailed amongst the rulers of the country. His assessment of the situation of the pre-October 12 scenario was so reasonable that most of the Pakistani population stood behind him with full support. And there is no doubt, at least in my mind, that it was the right decision at that point in time. But nearly 8 years ahead, we stand at a similar crossroad again shocked to believe that the same promising man can let all this to occur. The same promising man dismissed the CJ of the country based on the similar insane people of the past who gave an ill advise. The same promising man allowed May 12 to occur. And, the same promising man who promised a free media allowed the blocking of a major news channel in Pakistan.

At the end of it all, one person has emerged as a genuine leader of the people; Imran Khan. The leader whose interview was telecasted moments after the banning of Geo TV all across Pakistan. He may not have the backing of the influential feudal system in Pakistan. He may not have arrangements with different leaders of constituencies in the rural areas. Neither would he know how to make a crowd gather in hundreds of thousands at his call. But, one thing which is crystal clear about this man is his determination. This was evident when the interviewer, Iftikhar Ahmed, raised a question about Sita White's daughter being brought back to Pakistan on June 10 by people who believe in mud-slinging rather than political strategies. That moment may have been the turning point for many people who were watching the show. Why would anyone try to bring a political figure to disrepute by raising concern about someone's personal life? Why would anyone attack a person's weakness to gain political mileage? The answer is simple; to dishearten the very few genuine people of Pakistan. Imran Khan is one of them without any doubt.

When Imran Khan entered politics, he may have had an idea about the allegations which are levelled against an opposition leader. But, when personal allegations are brought forward then it takes more than courage to stand up to your cause. He may have felt the weakest at that moment of the interview. But, he recovered only to be more resolved to do what he has promised to his workers; justice with equality. It is really disheartening to see leaders attacking their opposition in such a way. But, it only further strengthens the resolve to support what is right. For this action of Imran Khan, his respect in the eyes of the people goes to another level. A level which was never imagined until it was realized. For decades, people have avoided the difficult path in politics. But, seeing the determination of this leader it allows us to think about the reality. We have a leader here, who has given up so much to create an equality amongst the people of Pakistan. His statements in the interview were something which were never so openly heard in the media. For this he would easily qualify as the most genuine person in our country.

The nation silently hopes through their prayers and wishes that the man who has stood up against a leader, who was considered to be invincible, will be able to achieve his goals. No one can say with assurity about who will win the case at the courts of Britian. But, it may be true that the case may have already been won in the hearts of the people of Pakistan. More significantly, the people of Karachi who have witnessed the bloodshed over the last decade. We also hope that the promising man, who was mentioned at the beginning of this article, works a way out to once again win the support of the people of Pakistan.

Muttahida Q-ornered Movement

The present scenario has made everything black & white at least for 2 people, Altaf Hussain and Imran Khan. Who could have imagined that the 'Organized Chaos' may initiate the end of an era? An era in which the people of Karachi witnessed more bloodshed than any other people in Pakistan.

June 2nd is when Imran Khan will be landing in the country where he is, maybe, more acknowledged than in his homeland; United Kingdom. After all, the wall-chalking in Karachi linking Imran Khan and Sita White only further the notion that he is an international figure. If there is one person, who has gained more mileage than anyone in the post-May 12 scenario, then its Imran Khan. But, all this could not have happened without the role of the notorious Chowdhary Brothers Inc. They have once again played their game of politics in a manner which benefited them the most.

Initially, when the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry was removed from office the MQM raised their apprehensions. They stated that they were not even consulted before the decision was taken. Rightly so, being a part of the government they did expect a prior notice of the action which was to be taken. But the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. got a head start in the game of politics which was to be played with their rules and regulations. There are reports which claim that MQM proposed to hold a joint rally with the Chowdhary Brother Inc. on May 12 to reinforce themselves as a significant part of Punjab as well. After all, they had opened a few offices in Punjab ever since they came to power. In addition, their efforts in Kashmir during the aftermath of the earthquake can not be forgotten. This request was obviously denied by the ruling party. Meanwhile, MQM which was busy carrying out development projects in Karachi, for which they were gaining public support, got their final call. The purpose of the call was to tell them to do whatever they can to show their strength when the Chief Justice lands in Karachi. Therefore, without any hesitation the party involved itself in what they were most accustomed to; use of weapons. Therefore, the May 12th occurred with the full-backing of the state-machinery. However, one thing which was unique about the event was the freedom of media. When things went out of hand previously, all news channel were banned in Sindh from broadcasting Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry's processions. However, this time the media was allowed to function but at a higher price, of which Talat Hussain of Aaj TV can illustrate more profoundly. The fact of the matter is that even after all the hurdles the media was allowed to function. This is one of the few things for which I would like to give President Musharraf credit for.

No matter what happened the previous day, there had to be a May 13th. This was the day when the second most important trial started.
Name-Media Trial
Primary Accused- Altaf Hussain, MQM
Secondary Accused - Rest of Goverment
Allegations levelled by - Imran Khan, PTI
PPP minus two top leaders
Lawyers
ANP
MMA and rest of opposition
Neutral role/Mediator - Chowdhary Brothers Inc.

As you may have noticed, the rest of Government does not include the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. Once again, they played their cards to perfection. MQM realized that they were in mess once Aaj TV displayed their side of the story which was ,ofcourse, not so supportive of them. In addition, the opposition were given a free hand in raising their voices against the party which has never been able to become solid allies of the establishment. Realizing the mishap, they rushed to arrange press conferences and talk-shows on TV to control the irreparable damage. But, they were not aware that it was a bit too late. To make things worse, came the barring of PTI leader to enter Sindh. Imran Khan was clearly told by the officials in Punjab that he was not allowed to fly out of Allama Iqbal Airport, Lahore, only to implement the orders 'taken by Sindh government.' That means that it was not the Punjab government which was against Imran Khan's visit but it was the 'Sindh government.' This cleared all the doubts in MQM's mind that they were indeed stranded by their 'allies.' To make things worse for some and better for many came the final axe, when Imran Khan decided to file a case against the Quaid-e-Tehrik in London.

Being Britain's blue-eyed boy since last two decades, Imran Khan seems to be on high note. Majority of the British media seems to support Imran Khan for two genuine reasons. First, because he is against Musharraf who has benefited Pakistan to a certain extent, and who I still believe needs to stay in power to keep a check and balance on the political system in Pakistan. Second, to support Imran Khan who has given a significant share of 'Tabloid' cover stories to the British public. But whatever the reasons, Imran Khan has done something which no other leader could have done in the past. I believe that he has played his cards well by collaborating with Naseerullah Babar, the mastermind of the Karachi cleanup operation in the 90's, and the MQM-Haqiqi group which is an anti MQM-Altaf faction. When Altaf Hussain was granted the British passport many people like me, were disappointed with the British government's actions. It was done to hurt Pakistan. Therefore, if the British media is supporting Imran Khan it is to hurt Musharraf who they believe can take Pakistan forward. In any case, if everything goes Imran Khan's way then I believe that this time PTI will be gaining around 8-10 seats in the parliament which is a significant achievement for a party which is without the backing of the influential feudals of Pakistan. The interesting aspect in this scenario is that while these activities develop, two parties remain in contact; Musharraf and Pakistan Peoples Party.

If things go according to expectations, President Musharraf will get himself re-elected for the next 5 years in parliament only to make his next move; discard the MQM and sideline the 'conservative' PML-Q to a certain extent. The talks which are being held with Mohtarma's aides seem to be gaining momentum as neither Mohtarma nor Makhdoom Amin Fahim has criticized Musharraf the way they have in the past. On the other hand, the Peoples Party has placed Chowdhary Aitzaz Ahsan at the spotlight to ensure that the Supreme Court hearing will go their way. Even Musharraf, would have an intuition by now that the 13 member full-court bench is serious about bringing a change in the judicial system of Pakistan. If that happens, then PPP will indeed emerge as an important player in the game; the point which has been emphasized by Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed in his press conference. There is no prize for anyone to guess the future of the ruling party in Karachi. Hopefully, Pakistan Peoples Party will ensure that my question does not remain unanswered.

May 12th: 'Organized Chaos'

As you all know by now, at least 30 people have been confirmed dead officially. More than hundred are injured. Unofficial sources claim that more than 57 people have died and around 200 people have been injured on this day of 'organized chaos.' Let us not forget the driver, who was shot because his crime was that he was carrying the injured to the hospital. First of all, I would like to offer my condolences to the victims as we are all related to each other in some way or the other. It is indeed a sad day in our history.

Now, I would like to state my views on this 'organized chaos' which was created today by the ruling party of Karachi. There is no doubt in my mind, that this violence was planned way in advance and was executed to near perfection. Firstly, there were three parties involved who were engaged in violence today. They were the PPI (Punjabi Pakhtun Ittehad), ANP (Awami National Party), and MQM; without whom today was not possible. 11 workers of the MQM party also got killed in this pointless chaos, for whom I condole with their families and friends. It is indeed sad, that our leaders use the poor people of Pakistan to carry out unnecessary operations against their brothers who are also misguided by their leaders. In the year of 2007, this was not thinkable but it happened today as if it was an 'everyday affair.'

It is sad to see that all this chaos had the approval of the most powerful man in Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf. We, as a nation, have always had hopes attached with this person. But today, he has not only failed us but showed us our worst nightmare; which happened a decade back. Again, the youth of Karachi were armed and told to kill anyone who they deemed against them. One night before the violence, 1000 plus containers were brought in to Shara-e-Faisal and everything was organized to make it impossible for Iftikhar Chowdhry to proceed. Then when one of the darkest morning arrived, it was bloodshed at the streets of Karachi. After the whole drama, the governor claims that it was the opposition. Not only this, they say that opposition people continuously attacked them first. Is it that the governor thinks that we are watching a soap opera? Or maybe, he thinks that we are just not sane enough to understand anything anymore? What benefit did the 'opposition' get by attacking Aaj TV? Why would the 'opposition' attack the institution which is clearly turning against the government over the last few weeks?

Now let me illustrate the real story. If someone was following the Aaj TV they would have seen that in the morning the channel showed some footages of ANP workers being injured and shot at. In the interview of the victims, they said that it was the MQM which attacked them with bullets. This was the turnaround. ANP workers which were few in numbers were not able to sustain for long. Within an hour, more reinforcements of the MQM party arrived and started shooting at the new enemy, Aaj TV. MQM is known to have the most organized media monitoring team amongst all the political parties in Pakistan. The footage of the injured ANP worker initiated the onslaught which was not meant to be. For hours their office was attacked with no signs of Rangers or law enforcement agencies. After nearly 5 hours of discriminatory firing a vehicle of Rangers came only to leave the area. All calls for help by the Bureau Chief, Mr. Talat Hussain, went to despair. He was not aware that he was just a victim of the 'organized chaos' which was planned way before. The federal government had given a free-hand to the ruling party in Karachi to do what they do best; create terror.

The party which had gained credibility and sympathy for their work over the last few years in Karachi lost everything in one go. There is no doubt that MQM worked well to regain the trust of the people of Karachi when they started developing Karachi at such a rapid pace. But, today that sympathy is not only lost but it has brought back the terror in Karachi'ites.

After all this, came the rally of Mr. Musharraf which was nothing but a shocker. How could a person with so much will and determination become so weak? The President addressed a bunch of less than hundred thousand people, who were paid guests, with the most un-purposeful speech ever made. How can he support the idea of talking to people who did not even know the reason for being there? If there was ever a literal example of the notion 'power corrupts' then the President's rally was it. The Chowdhary Brothers Inc. once again blind-folded their leader into the dark well. After all, they are experienced in this since the Supreme court attack in Nawaz Sharif's government.

The way I see it is that, President Musharraf has got limited options. I think that he will eventually move into negotiations with the biggest political party in Pakistan, PPP. But, this will happen only if the Supreme Court shows its strength in the coming weeks. There is a strong belief that the President is still wary of two top judges in the SC. As we all know, more than 70 percent of the top judiciary is against the man who promised so much. I believe that if the Supreme Court keeps its nerve and makes it all the way, then this will go a long way in establishing a system in Pakistan. A system which will also keep these political parties in control which only come forward to achieve their own interests.

Lastly, if the above statements hold true then I believe that one more round of chaos will engulf Karachi in the coming years. But this time the difference will be that it will be final 'cleanup' of those who believe in 'organized chaos.' I am sure that PPP will not repeat its mistakes by leaving the top leadership and killing the brain-washed workers below. The workers below just carry out the orders of their leaders. This leader claims that the people who went against him in the past will face a slow death. But, he forgets that if our agencies are most uncomfortable with someone, then it is him. The same person, who resides in London and is still not able to come back to the city which he rules. Now, this is what i would refer as the 'hollow power.' Let us hope that whatever the case, one day soon the masses of Pakistan which include the Mohajirs, Memons, Sindhis, Pathans, Punjabis and Balochis, and all others are able to come together to bring a real change in the country. If around 20,000 people attended the MQM rally in Karachi and around 80,000 attended the rally in Islamabad then I am sure that it does not even represent 0.1 percent of our country. So all we need is just 1 percent of Pakistan to come out and silence the short-sighted leaders. And like any other Pakistani, I have that unrealized hope.

Another Turnaround

As you all know by now, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has made an un-speculative move by suspending the Supreme Judicial Council's proceedings. It seems like the 'lunch that raised eyebrows' has taken its toll. The opposition seems to be pleased by this unprecedented move but it should also be cautious at the same time. Could this be a move by the government to show the 'independence' of the judiciary before setting up the final verdict against the Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry? Well, only the coming days can tell us the real story.

The other significant development which has occurred is that the hearing will be taking place on daily basis. This may reflect the government's desire to soon get over with the judicial crisis so that there is enough time to campaign effectively for the upcoming elections. This is a positive move for the ruling circles as they would be able to get some sort of breathing space. In fact, if you look at the overall picture, the glass can be viewed as half-full by both the sides; government and opposition. The next few days will be crucial in deciding the fate of not only Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, but also of the evolution of the new-born Pakistan Peoples Party. Benazir Bhutto has taken a very unconventional stance in the last few weeks with regards to her relationship with General Pervez Musharraf. It may be possible that the long awaited honeymoon trip with the General is about to start. This time for the next 10 years, as the President seems to be re-elected comfortably from the current assemblies.

To my view, Pakistan Peoples Party is playing a do or die match in the political arena as they are left with the choice of either losing it all for the next years. As a part of that package, I believe that many Pakistan Peoples Party workers will be disappointed as they have been the ones who have been truly struggling for democracy in Pakistan. This is because the leader of party, Benazir, has been outside the country for quite some time without any real hardships. Therefore, if BB decides to hold back Mr. Makhdoom Amin Faheem for the empth time from becoming the PM then she might be instigating a silent elections within her party. Hence, it is better for BB herself, and the PPP to join hands with the all powerful Musharraf to help him bring a change in the country. As stated earlier in my articles, I strongly believe that we need Musharraf's presence for the progress of Pakistan. But, at the same time I also believe that is high time he changes his team which is right now just a bunch of politicians who are united on one agenda; 'Kursi' - Power.

As a result of all this, the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. are experiencing their most nervous moments since the removal of Nawaz Sharif. They may not be liking the whole idea of sharing power with another party. That too which has been known for its liberal policies which one way or the other coincide with the President's ideology as well. Before, the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. may have had to use less brains to outmanoeuvre the MMA. But, this time the game will be a bit tough as the PPP senior hierarchy is equipped with immense intellectual capabilities. Whatever the case, the next few weeks will be able to project a clearer image for the future of Pakistan. Let us hope that the President makes the right moves. And, for that to happen he will have to interact less with the ruling party members.

April 5th Deal - Musharraf rethinks

Speculations are rife that some extraordinary developments took place on the 5th of April, 2007; a day after the 28th death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto . It is believed that a senior member of the Army along with some political gurus visited Dubai to finalize the details of a 'deal' between PPP, PML-N and the government. If that is the case then the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. will be feeling a bit more than insecure.

The package which has been finalized is to be as follows:

- President Musharraf will be re-elected from the current assemblies and will shed his uniform after the elections.
- Both PPP and PML-N will help that to be achieved by their support in the assemblies.
- Benazir Bhutto and Shahbaz Sharif will be allowed to come back to the country without any serious complications, as the cases against them will be taken back.
- The elections will be conducted in a transparent manner decided by all parties.
- The next PM will be from the Frontier province in a bid to help stabilize the violence in that region.

If this is true, then it will be an achievement for the establishment considering the political crisis they are in. It is said that President Musharraf was forced into looking at these options, only recently, due to the judicial crisis. The General is not at all happy with some people in the government who may have caused the judicial chaos in order to meet their own personal interests. The extent of which is so much that it is believed that the 'non-functional' Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chowdhry, will be re-instated at the end of the whole affair.

Now, the people will be wondering what about Nawaz Sharif ? I think that his role in politics was over when more than 90 percent of his top leadership turned their backs on him post-October 12 coup. What future can a leader have if his own party members are not loyal to him ? But, Sharif Sahib is not the person who should be blamed solely. The Chowdhry Brothers have a history of not allowing complete power to anyone. In Nawaz Sharif's government another infamous incident took place at the Supreme Court when it was attacked. This time a similar event took place, except that the style was different as we are living in a much more modern era. Now, they just made the Chief Justice 'non-functional.' Even this was no less than an attack on the Supreme Court. As a result, Musharraf lost some serious support from his own trusted quarters. Therefore, it is said that a few imminent changes are about to take place in the cabinet in the coming weeks to give a clear message to the ruling party.

My reading is that Musharraf has realized that he no longer can keep all his eggs in the same basket. Therefore, the next assembly will be an evenly balanced set of PPP, PML-Q, and PML-N members. The MMA may have not done serious damage to President Musharraf, but they have definitely irritated him enough to close their doors to the corridors of power. If this reading proves true, then it will be a decent arrangement for us Pakistanis. That is because there will be a system of checks and balances, amongst all the parties, which Musharraf talked about some time back. And, if the President sheds his uniform then there will automatically be a check and balance on him as well by the next Chief of Army Staff. Yes, the next Army Chief will be hand-picked by the Presidency and should be loyal to Musharraf. But time can always prove anyone wrong. We saw an illustrative example of that by the incident of Iftikhar Muhammad Chowdhry. After all, he was also hand-picked.

Zia Ul Haq - The forgotten culprit: Part II

I am not defending Bhutto on these grounds. In fact, I am defending him on other grounds. Yes, he used power to kill opponents. There is no doubt about that. But, the reason for which he was killed was unjustified. His death was unjustified. We agree that he was a charismatic leader indeed. My point of view is that in Pakistan there are a lot of problems.

Ever since our founder's death there has been a lot of corruption of all sorts in our government. They range from political corruption to financial corruption. Politics is a dirty business in our country and this is a known fact. Yes, I agree that it should not be there and Pakistan should have no corruption at all. But, the truth is that when you have so much dirt to clean we cannot be picky. You take things one at a time. As a start I believe that no change can come in Pakistan overnight. It has to be in phases. The utmost priority of our government should be to eliminate corruption. For that to happen, we need to first control the financial corruption or change the system. In Pakistan, no leader except the Army people are powerful enough to do that. Bhutto should be given the credit for uniting the nation on a constitution. This is a big achievement because a country whose politicians are so diverse and dynamic and who are not even able to settle on an LFO, then it must have been a brilliance of an extraordinary man to pass a whole set of laws, the 1973 constitution. Not only this, he organized the world's largest Islamic Summit in Lahore, which was attended by one of the most prolific leaders. In addition, he got Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan to our country. If he was not there, would we have been the first Islamic nuclear power? Ofcourse not.

Second, there is no doubt in my mind that Bhutto played a certain role in splitting the country. I will not even say anything else to justify that. But, I do not defend him on this ground. I defend him because after the separation he made us powerful again. He picked a country from bits and pieces. Yes, he came to politics through Army, Mr. Ayub Khan who belongs from my maternal roots, but he came to power through the people. And, we all know that Army was already involved in its atrocities with the Bengalis way before the separation. This was bound to happen anyway. If we did not, do you think the Western powers would have allowed such an arrangement of a divided country to take place? Would India have not tried its level best to separate us at some point in time? The truth is that East and West Pakistan was never a reality. But, yes the separation was one of the saddest time in our country. But, we recovered after that. And, we recovered well only because of one man; Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Yes, he nationalized everything and that hurt the industrialists in Pakistan. But, that also was necessary during that era. Because, 22 families in Pakistan had 90 percent of the wealth of Pakistan. He did not loot them but he only took over their business with not so appropriate compensation. We all know that if Bhutto was born in this era then he would have been in favor of privatization because times have changed. At that time, we were against the imperialists and we were starting from scratch.

I do not understand some people. They tend to overlook the fact that Z.A. Bhutto had never been allegedly involved in any financial corruption. Is this not enough to prove a leader's worth? Again, in a country where billions of dollars have been looted during the 1990s it is a shame that people overlook the financial aspect. There is no rocket science involved in it. The money which has been stolen from our national treasuries, if recovered can make a significant difference on our poverty levels. We, the blessed class of Pakistan, can sit in our air-conditioned rooms and talk about the minute issues such as Bhutto killed opponents. Or, he separated our country even though it was bound to happen. But, we do not represent the masses of Pakistan. The masses of Pakistan are impoverished and deprived. Their utmost concern is being able to eat 2 times a day - 'do wakt ki roti.' I have seen these people closely because I, myself, do not belong from the metropolitan cities.

Bhutto, a man who slapped his own cousin because he wanted to study abroad in Germany on governments expense, could not have been a man of financial greed. Yes, he was hungry for power. But, if a man has a desire to serve the people and that is his appetite, then doesn't he be rightful of that hunger for power ? If a man understands the need of our masses and says he will provide them with 'Roti,Kapra Aur Makan' - (Food, clothes, and shelter) - then isn't he a class of its own. I would suggest everyone to read the manifesto of Pakistan Peoples Party and discover what Bhutto really was.

Again, Bhutto was not the factor that caused the separation infact he was the catalyst who caused it. If the Bangladeshi administration was ever loyal then they would not have allowed India to enter the war. We all know that we would have surrendered anyway. See, if a father and a son in their house and the neighbors are involved, it takes the matter into another context. This is what happened with West and East Pakistan. No family likes the interference of outsiders in their internal matters. But by calling the neighbor you make the thing more public and therefore more egos are involved. Therefore, no sensitive matter is successful if it is publicized too much.

Now at the end about Zia Ul Haq. He was not forced to come in. If he hanged Bhutto and would have left power, I assure you I would have respected him a bit more. But he stayed in the country for 11 years after taking oath on the Holy Quran. If people are so concerned about killing people who opposed Bhutto, then is this not a biggest 'sin' to move away from an oath taken on the most religious book for our people. Isn't that more embarrassing for Pakistan when a nation is lied on religious grounds? Or is it more embarrassing to have elections rigged to gain an overwhelming victory? We all know that even in fair and free elections Bhutto would have won with a majority. But, his problem was that he wanted complete power which would have extended to around 90 percent. Again, I never claim he was an angel. But, he was one of an intelligent devil's mind who was dealing with fire when our country separated. I reiterate that we are not Denmark or Sweden where there is no sorts of corruption at all. We have to make the most out of what we have. Moving on, about the 'achievement' Zia Ul Haq in getting the American government sided with us.

Please do not tell me that America came to us because of Zia. Zia was so unpopular at the beginning that no one was talking to him at international level. Americans needed us and we helped them. I support Zia on this decision. But, what about the aftermath ? Did we forget the Ojri Camp 'accident' ? The amount of people killed from early 90s to today through countless AK 47. The bullets have come from where? Do you know that ? The whole culture of guns came from where? Karachi has become a playground but where did the toys come from ? Who killed Zia in plane crash ? Are we so insane now that we still think that America can be of our help ?

I support Bhutto for what positive he has given. Yes he had flaws like any other human being. But, to even his opponents he was the most intelligent they have ever encountered. He was the youngest minister when we became the Energy Minister during General Ayub Khan's reign, at the age of just 29. I support him because he had achievements. Importantly, he got Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan to Pakistan. If there was no N-bomb then India would have been one, ruling Pakistan, God forbid. Yes, N-bomb should not be our priority because we are a poor nation. But when you have to choose between standing up against a size three times bigger than you, and going to slavery I will never hesitate in choosing the former.