NOW, MORE THAN EVER!

After considerable time, I desire to write again for my country; Pakistan. The reasons for not writing before were many. However to keep it brief, one of the main reasons was that so much has been going in Pakistan since last two years that it had been hard to come to terms with.

We have been hearing since last two decades that Pakistan is standing at a ‘critical juncture.’ I believe that never before we have been in such a state of turmoil like we are in now. We, the privileged class, have miserably failed in aiding Pakistan. Pakistan has been wounded for last two decades. However, since the last five years Pakistan has faced some serious injuries. These injuries have not been attended to and unfortunately, there has been enormous bleeding. We are racing against time. During this time, the momentum has already been built to critically damage Pakistan. The ‘Great Game’ plan is coming closer to its climax. Today, we have been forced to believe that we are the warriors against ‘terrorism.’ We have been forced to understand that our prestigious Pakistan Armed Forces is no longer required against our traditional and geo strategic rivals. However, our glorified soldiers of the Pakistan Armed Forces are mere tools which they want to be disposed only to aid the anti-Pakistan interest in the region. The notion which is being marketed by the western powers is that ‘India is not the greatest threat to Pakistan.’ It is true indeed. The ruling class of Pakistan is our biggest threat. This threat endangers our existence; the very existence which allows us to have the potential to become a glorified nation.

Pakistan has become ‘democratic’ indeed. The democracy has flourished so much in the last few years that our self-centred leaders have become capable of running their own mini-states. The so called ‘provincial autonomy’ is a sword in disguise intended to threaten the existence of Pakistan. These so called leaders are all tainted with allegations of corruption, extortion, and all sorts of heinous crimes. They have succeeded in allowing the cancer to breed within Pakistan. Now, they will preach their own thought to tell our future generations that the only Quaid, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was less important than their sub nationalist heroes. Quaid had envisioned a state where ‘a Muslim will seize to be a Muslim, a Christian will seize to be a Christian, and a Hindu will seize to be a Hindu.’ However, our leaders will preach a state where a ‘Punjabi will seize to be a Punjabi, a Pakhtun will seize to be a Pakhtun, a Balochi will seize to be a Balochi, a Sindhi will seize to be a Sindhi, and not to forget a Mohajir will seize to be a Mohajir.’ All these ethnic classes are today represented by selfish opportunist waiting to ‘seize’ their moment of glory.

Once again we look towards the creators of the brand ‘democracy.’ We forget again the recent past where we were stranded by them after the fall of the Soviet Union. We forget again that they are the ones who led to the embarrassment of Dr. AQ Khan. We forget again that they are the ones who incite our so called leaders to tame the army through their ‘Kerry Lugar’ bills. We forget again that they are the ones which are constantly caught red handed taking information about our nuclear assets. We forget again that they are ones which strive hard to equip our neighbours with hi-tech equipment and nuclear technology. We forget again they played their part in all major events from assassination of Liaqat Ali Khan to the demise of Benazir Bhutto. It seems like our both long and short term memories have been weakened. It might be possible that we have a clot in our brain. This clot is not red but it has the colours of the flag of the United States of America.

Yet, we try harder to please the oppressors. We travel thousands of miles to seek an aid of USD 1.5 billion from them. Yet, we fail to control the corruption in tenure of a government which seems to exceed hundreds of billions of dollars. We fail to extract our resources which have been gifted to us by God when Pakistan was made. We only strive to become the blue-eyed boy of them knowing that they have only blurred our vision.

Our ‘brotherly’ countries are looking towards our neighbours for avenues of ‘economic cooperation.’ The Sino Pak relationship is just on paper due to our immense interest in aiding China’s real enemies. We face our backs to our natural allies in the hope of becoming modern. We force our traditional allies to rethink their views about us. We force them to believe that we have already gone too far. As a result, we allow our leaders to make a mockery of our nation.

We are today worried about removing our leaders in order to save the ‘federation.’ The ‘federation’ in which no leader of the parliament believes in.

My advice to them would be that the ‘federation’ lies with the power of the people of Pakistan. This Islamic Republic of Pakistan was meant for the welfare of the people. These people are neither represented by a leader nor an ethnicity. They are represented by their current state of affairs. Poverty is what they are represented by. These people wait when they will smile again knowing that they have forgotten how to smile. These people still hope for a miracle because they believe that Pakistan was God’s miracle on Earth.

Yes, this is the time when we need it the most; a leader which can spark the flames waiting in dark. A leader which truly possesses the traits of a tiger defined by courage and dignity. Before the arrival we desperately need to seek forgiveness from God. We need to understand that God will reignite these flames if we place ourselves under Him. Because He is the one which has glorified us before. He is the one who has made Pakistan possible. And, Inshallah He will be the One who will make a leader rise from within. This leader will Inshallah cure our ‘cancer.’ We need this leader now, more than ever!

Pakistan; A Gift from God

Today, after a period of over more than one year I have finally found the appetite to write again. It will be unfair for people to say that I had lost interest in the political situation of Pakistan. But, it was only because of the fact that words held the value of a drop in an ocean when I used to think about the current state of affairs. However, today the need of the hour is for every Pakistani to awaken and do something or the other for our country.

It seems like anti-Pakistan elements have finally digested the break up of 1971. Therefore, in 2009 they once again stare at our country with greed and envy just the basic existence of Pakistan. Yes Pakistan, even today is the only Islamic Nuclear Power. The pride of all the Arab and Muslim world despite their ignorance above the skin. This is the Pakistan which, in May 1998, became a spark of hope to somehow ignite the independence of Palestinians. This is the Pakistan, which even today has an elite SSG brigade guarding the most sacred house of Muslims. This is the Pakistan, which led the Muslim world during the 70s despite the Dhaka Fall. This is the Pakistan, which was envisioned by the Late Allama Iqbal and led by the efforts of the Great Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This is the Pakistan, which created a Bhutto only to foresee the threats to our survival at the time and propose for an Islamic Nuclear State. This is the Pakistan, which gave the courage to Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan to build better what our neighbors had already built before us. Yes, this is the Pakistan which exists even today against all odds. And, this is the Pakistan which will Inshallah always remain because it is meant to be.

The people of Pakistan are, indeed, instilled with extraordinary endurance and patience. Even today, the masses of Pakistan are not deeply involved in the political setup of the country. Even today, our leadership looks across the seas to get their instructions. Why is this the case? It may be our destiny to face hardship or it may be the testing times, but one thing is very clear. Our nation is extraordinary. They have always rose to the occasion especially when the world had given up on us.

Today, Balochistan is the most serious problem Pakistan faces. The people of Balochistan are as integral part of Pakistan as any part could be. But, there is no doubt that even the best of leaders have somehow ignored their grievances many a times. Therefore, it is important that we bring them back into our fold. The largest province of Pakistan rich with natural gas and other priceless resources should be acknowledged. Most importantly, the people of Balochistan should be acknowledged. But, at the same time the leaders of Balochistan need to understand the nefarious designs of external agencies. It is our mistake that we have allowed our neighbors to have peace for the last 4-5 years. Quaid e Azam was not unwise to smell the foul of the leaders settling in the land of the Hindus. There is a reason that our soil is way more fertile than our neighbors despite the fact that a mere border divides them. Our biggest mistake in the past few years has been our thinking that we can live in harmony with our eastern neighbors. This has allowed them to crawl under our nose as even today, their might is none in comparison the might of Him. He, who created this world and blessed it with Pakistan. But, it is our responsibility as well to play our part. The killing of the prominent Baloch leaders is indeed a conspiracy against our survival. We, as a nation, need to act swiftly against our neighbors and remind them once again of our power. They have mistaken our patience with incapability. The time has come that we eradicate the corrupt leadership of Pakistan which is only working on the anti- Pakistan agenda. This leadership today is presided by one of the most controversial persons in this world. However, the change is imminent.

Now, let me talk about the beautiful valley of Swat. The beauty of the people of Swat is a symbol of pride for all Pakistanis. Today, the innocent people of Swat have finally found peace after years of fighting. We need to give them a chance in the system which suits them. Nizam-e-Adl is indeed endorsed and appreciated by the people of Swat. However, the testing times have also come along with the regulation. The people of Swat may be unaware of the fact that the enemies of Pakistan are actively working in the area for the last 2 years. It is important that we differentiate between the good leadership of Swat from the ones which are just power hungry. This choice should be left to the people of Swat and to the tribal leaders who have always held high control and respect amongst their people. The tribal people of Pakistan are indeed the most hospitable people in the world. But, their innocence is what I fear as their loyalty for Pakistan can never be doubted.

At the end, I would like to say that anti-Pakistan forces have and will always be working against our interests. These forces are not only exploiting the uneducated people of Pakistan. But, they have also poisoned some of the educated working class of Pakistan. Their accomplishments are existent even in the most metropolitan cities such as Karachi. They are instilling our minds with ethnic divisions. However, we need not to forget that this nation was created on the night of 14^th August 1947; the 27^th of Ramadhan 1366. Pakistan is a miracle of Allah and will Inshallah always be showered with His Blessings. Ameen.

Benazir; Another Bhutto Sacrifices

About two weeks have passed since the death of the most charismatic leader of South Asia in recent times; Benazir Bhutto. She may have had allegations against her about the misgovernance in the 1990s, but she remains undisputed in her ability to command the best of politics in our country.

Like all other concerned Pakistanis, I pay a tribute to the lady who had enough courage to face the people of Pakistan even when she knew her life was at threat. But, for that she paid a very heavy price. A price which not only cost BB her life, but also took Pakistan to the brink of disaster. After her death, things have not remained even half as hopeful as they seemed to be. In fact, yesterday's horrendous bombing targeting the police officers nearly sums up the game plan of Musharraf. Once again, my heartiest condolences to their families who will have to suffer the pain which will never reach the corridors of power.

Today, Musharraf is no longer the 'respectable' President of our country. He is not even a quarter of the man he used to be in 1999. In fact, he is just providing a glimpse of Yahya Khan and Zia ul Haq as his era comes to an end. He has reached a point of no return where he strongly believes that without him Pakistan will no longer survive. Unfortunately for us Pakistanis, he is doing everything he can to realize the notion. Well, it is disheartening to see another leader losing his way in absolute power. The power which was never distributed in the last 8 years of his rule. Even today, he clutches to the strings of Army as his base to operate from without realizing that the Army is a sovereign institution which will Inshallah always remain. Also it is important to add, that he is no longer a part of this sovereign institution which has protected our country for the last 61 years. He is a civilian President.

After stating the above, my personal opinion is that Musharraf did not orchestrate the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. But, he may have the knowledge of the event which was about to occur on December 27, 2007. He is just another player playing at the hands of greater powers to destabilize and disarm Pakistan from nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, BB was used as a scapegoat to further the 'greater cause.' That is all I would say, as our nation today has the ability to read between the lines. They can no longer be manipulated to further a personal interest of a leader. If the leaders have to prove themselves in this country, then they have to be ready for sacrifices like Benazir Bhutto was. As stated earlier, she may have been controversial but she was a brave lady at the end of the day.

Now looking at the future. It is clearly evident that the President of our country is approaching the end of his era. But, the question is how much more damage will be inflicted to our country as it ends? The amount of damage that has been done in the name of 'Sab Say Pehlay Pakistan' (Pakistan comes first) is truly immeasurable. The NWFP governor which was appointed by our President Musharraf has now resigned. Orakzai, hailing from a strong tribal clan himself decided to move away from what is to come. It is clearly evident that a major operation is about to be launched in Waziristan. This is the solution which our smart President Musharraf has come up with to remain in power. As the political wind in Washington starts to blow against Musharraf, he hopes to woo the incoming President by furthering their 'war on terror.' Yes, that is how far you can go to stay in power.

The Lahore bomb blast is just what we need to create the imperfect conditions for holding 'free and fair' elections on Feb. 18, 2008. Therefore, it will not be appropriate to hold these elections at this time. Well, if they are free and fair then the PPP will easily gain a considerable advantage in the future political setup. But, that would hurt our President who is definitely the most 'impartial' President for at least the last two decades. However, if intensive rigging is carried out to make way for the King's party - PML(Q) - then that would mean chaos all over the country. Already, the United States has highlighted the importance of having free and fair elections as it threaten the unity of the federation. The same threat highlight by Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, most recently. So, all these complications would make the elections 2008 on Feb 18, 2008 a tough call to make.

As far as the end result is concerned. Like every Pakistani today, I am also worried about the future our country's setup. No matter what happens next, my beliefs stand strong that without Musharraf at the helm of power we can still survive. If ever there was ever a need for the silent leader, then it is today.

And, eventually in my view we will come out stronger despite all the odds because Zulfikar Ali Bhutto once said 'Ye Qaum is dunya ka loha banaygee' (This nation will become this world's greatest power). And, inshallah it will become.

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.