The World We Live In !!

As the convoy neared home, the street lights were abruptly turned off. The police snipers were ready in position; some had climbed up the trees lining the avenue to get clear shots. Their guns were loaded, the roadblocks had been erected, the surrounding lanes sealed off. The guards outside the different embassies nearby had been told to retreat within their compounds in expectation of trouble. By nine o’clock, all 80 police were in position, commanded by four senior officers. There was complete silence, but for the occasional buzz of static on the police radios.

It was September 20, 1996, and Murtaza Bhutto, Benazir’s younger brother, was returning late from campaigning in a distant part of Karachi. He had come home to Pakistan the previous year after a long period in exile to challenge his more famous sister for a role in the leadership of the family party, the Pakistan People’s Party, or PPP. Benazir was then the prime minister, and Murtaza’s decision to take her on had put him into direct conflict not only with his sister, but also with her ambitious and powerful husband, Asif Ali Zardari.

Murtaza had an animus against Zardari, who he believed was not just a nakedly and riotously corrupt polo-playing playboy, but had pushed Benazir to abandon the PPP’s once-radical agenda fighting for social justice. By doing so, believed Murtaza, Zardari had turned their father’s socialist-leaning party into a political moneymaking machine for the PPP’s wealthy feudal leadership. But Benazir was deaf to the voluble complaints being made about Zardari, which had led to him being dubbed “Mr Ten Per Cent”. Instead of reprimanding him, she appointed her husband minister for investment, so making him the channel through which passed all investment offers from home and abroad.

A few weeks earlier, according to a widely reported story, an incident took place the truth of which is now difficult to establish. In view of their worsening relations, Murtaza is said to have rung Zardari and invited him for a chat at the Bhutto headquarters, 70 Clifton. It was agreed he should come without bodyguards, in order that the two might meet privately and try to settle their differences. Zardari agreed. But as the two men were walking through the garden, Murtaza’s guards suddenly appeared and grabbed Zardari. Murtaza took out a cut-throat razor, and after slowly sharpening it, personally shaved off half of Zardari’s moustache. Then he threw him out the house. A furious Zardari, who had presumably feared much worse than a shave, was compelled to remove the other half of his moustache once he got home. Read more…

Long term military dictatorships, shorter civilian rules, where accountability of politicians takes place on the name of corruption with the nexus of judges with civil & military establishment, is the destiny of Pakistan’. Thanks to our rulers as this notion is well supported by their inefficiencies. People came whenever the true leadership called. They came in 1947 on Quaid’s call. They came for Bhuttoo senior. They came for Be Nazir when she landed at Lahore from exile. In near history they came for Chief Justice when he said ‘no’ to Gen. Musharraf. They again came on 18 Feb on joint call of political parties and rejected the dictator. Finally they came on the call of Sharif’s when Zardari was adamant that justice is no more desired under Iftikhar Chowdhary. On 16 March 08, they came like a flood and made an impression, so we can never under estimate the people’s power.

18 February 2008 election of change could not be translated in its true sense as PPP preferred to hold on to government of up to 2 years than a full scale democratic practice. ‘charter of democracy’ was compromised to feed the empty bellies of the workers who had been shouting slogans of ‘change’ for last 12 years. First 6 months of PPP reign was crucial where establishment was divided, but a little chance given to them and they tear both top political leaders apart and the rest is history. First President Zardari lost sanctity of his words on ‘Chief Judge’ and ‘COD’ and later drowned the dream of democracy by imposing governor rule and disqualifying the ‘N’ leadership. The rest is all a damage control exercise. Who is to be blamed for the failure of inept politicians who never are trained to take the reign of Pakistan post 1971 lost war as sovereignty of the state has been assumed by the troika as mentioned above. President Zardari though retained power, but despite taking the PPP to the heights it could never imagine, has damaged the party to an extent which was a dream for the military led establishment. He saw the PPP ship sinking whilst sitting on the chair of head of state.

‘Judicial Coup’ Democracy in Pakistan is under threat | Teeth Maestro.

With a high approval rating (70%) under his belt, riding a popularity wave upon completion of first hundred days of his presidency and enjoying the celebratory atmosphere, a confident President Obama delivered a damning verdict on Pakistan government.

“I am gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan, not because I think they that are going to be overrun and the Taliban will take over in Pakistan, more concerned that the civilian government there right now is very fragile and don’t seem to have the capacity to deliver basic services: schools, health care, rule of law, a judicial system that works for the majority of people. And so as a consequence it is very difficult for them to gain the support and the loyalty of their people”, he said.

He was responding to a question about the dangers of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal falling into the Taliban hands in view of their menacing advances deep into the Pakistan’s settled areas of North Western Province.

The remarks clearly targeted President Zardari, who completely monopolizes power and is believed by a great majority of Pakistanis to be America’s handyman, amply illustrated by the fact that he is visiting Washington instead of the prime minister. Read more…

IT takes a special kind of wretched criticism to feel sorry for Asif Zardari. Fifteen months since his party came to power and eight since he became president, the Asif Zardari era is marked by disappointment and a distressingly cavalier attitude in the face of a grave threat to the state.

And yet, the Americans, by berating Zardari and his government in the run-up to his visit to the White House, have done just that — made Asif Zardari look like the victim of American petulance.

Let’s get this straight: the Zardari government has been damningly unable, or unwilling, to focus on governance and its brand of politics has alienated the electorate. The only area in which the government has managed a half-decent performance is on the economic front, but macro stabilisation has come under the strict vigilance of the IMF. And it has come at a great cost; by paring back subsidies and stripping out large chunks of development expenditure, the party’s popularity at the grassroots level has plummeted.

The Americans are right to be worried, but then what did they expect? Pakistan hardly stands alone internationally in its inability to ‘deliver basic services’, as Obama chided in his 100-day press conference.

The question is, what exactly were the Americans hoping to achieve by beating up on Zardari before his arrival in Washington and then trotting out eulogies to democracy once he was in town?
Read more…

When President Ayub Khan became politically vulnerable, the army chief General Yahya wrested power from him, but shortly thereafter, unable to deal with the political crisis, presided over the dismemberment of Pakistan. He was forced out of office by the army itself after a humiliating defeat in the 1971 war and the birth of Bangladesh.

Similarly, when President Musharraf was forced out of power, having lost American support, Asif Zardari stepped into his shoes – similar scenario, different actors. Zardari also proved his lack of vision and political acumen and serious apprehensions are being expressed about dangers to the territorial integrity of Pakistan.

Article by : Shahid R. Siddiqi       Via :  FPJ Read more…

I Told You So – by Mumtaz Ali Bhutto | Teeth Maestro.

HISTORICAL IMPERATIVE? President Asif Ali Zardari came into office after the death of his wife, Benazir Bhutto, who served twice as prime minister and inherited leadership of her political party from her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

To enter the office where Asif Ali Zardari, the president of Pakistan, conducts his business, you head down a long corridor toward two wax statues of exceptionally tall soldiers, each in a long, white tunic with a glittering column of buttons. On closer inspection, these turn out to be actual humans who have been trained in the arts of immobility. The office they guard, though large, is not especially opulent or stupefying by the standards of such places. President Zardari met me just inside the doorway, then seated himself facing a widescreen TV displaying an image of fish swimming in a deep blue sea. His party spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, and his presidential spokesman, Farahnaz Ispahani, sat facing him, almost as rigid as the soldiers. Zardari is famous for straying off message and saying odd things or jumbling facts and figures. He is also famous for blaming his aides when things go wrong — and things have been going wrong quite a lot lately. Zardari’s aides didn’t want him to talk to me. Now they were tensely waiting for a mishap.

By                  JAMES TRAUB    –