Dr. Afia Siddique?

Posted on: August 11, 2008 9:33 am Written by: Leave a Comment print for hard copyEmail This Post


Aafia-Siddiqui

There is a lot of news about Dr. Afia Siddiqee now a days in the news papers. She is a US citizen. Her sister Dr. Arifa Siddique conducted a press conference in Pakistan and asking for the release of Afia Siddique.

Dr. Afia Siddique was captured by the US forces in Afghanistan probably few years earlier.

But nobody is telling us;

Who is this Dr. Afia?
What she was doing in Afghanistan?
When she went to Afghanistan?
Why she went to Afghanistan?
Why nobody raised any voice earlier?
She has any involvement with Taliban?
Is she a relative of any politician in the present regime?

At the highest level government of Pakistan trying to get her out of the jail in the US. Why? Today Pakistani Foreign Minister said government is trying to bring her back to Pakistan. If she is a US citizen why government of Pakistan wants her in Pakistan.

These are the obvious questions arising out of all this Dr. Afia drama.

Anybody knows anything about her. Please fill us up.

Filed Under: News Tagged: , , , ,

Re-Appoinment of Sind High Court Judges

Posted on: August 8, 2008 1:56 am Written by: Leave a Comment print for hard copyEmail This Post


Re-Appointment-of-Sindh-High-Court-Judges

Newspapers and TV channels reported in the last couple of days about the reinstatement of eight Sindh High Court judges as a "surprise move by President Pervez Musharraf".

This initiative was not taken by the president.

The PPP took the initiative and Prime Minister after consultations with Law Ministry sent the summary to President to approve. President approved and sent the approval back to Prime Minister for implementation. These judges were going to take a new oath. The government issued the appropriate notification which was later withheld because Nawaz Sharif got angry that he was not consulted.

On Tuesday, the discussions which were going on between Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari at Zardari House were interrupted because Nawaz Sharif got angry and walked out, according to news. Later these discussion were moved to Punjab House and then to Prime Minister House when PPP agreed to defer the implementation of this decision till all the judges are reinstated.

The point to note is that according to the Constitution president does not have any authority to reject the recommendations of the prime minister. So President just followed the constitution. So this was not any maneuver of Pervez Musharraf. This was just another mismanagement of PPP government.

Filed Under: Pakistan Supreme Court Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Governing Coalition Parties Charged President Musharraf

Posted on: August 7, 2008 3:39 pm Written by: Leave a Comment print for hard copyEmail This Post


Governing-Coalition-Parties-Charged-President-Musharraf

Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) and Asif Zardari (PPP) along with their coalition partners in the government formally charged President Prevez Musharraf on three counts using Article 47 of the constitution of Pakistan. They want to remove the president by impeachment. The three charges they have mentioned in the press conference are as follows:

President has not obtained his confirmation from the newly elected National Assembly.
President has not addressed the National Assembly.
President is responsible of the mismanagement during the last eight years and because of that  there is increase in prices in daily commodities and others economic problems.

PML-N and PPP now are preparing the formal resolution to present in the National Assembly to start the proceedings of the impeachment of the president.

Coalition Parties do know that they don’t have 2/3 majority required in the National Assembly and Senate. So they have started working on to pool the votes. In simple words to buy the members as it is common in the Pakistani politics. Nawaz Sharif has done that been there is expert in horse-trading.

Abdul Hafiz Pirzadah, a former law minister and an authority on Pakistan’s Constitution, said in a private TV channel interview that Article 47 of the Constitution of Pakistan states how to remove and or impeach any president on duty.

He stated that there are two reasons mentioned in the Article 47 to remove the president, namely:

(1) If he is physically unable to perform his duties, and
(2) If he is mentally unfit to discharge his duties.

He further explained, there are two reasons mentioned in the Article 47 to impeach the president, they are;

(1) If he has violated the constitution.
(2) If he has done some gross misconduct.

Obviously the three charges coalition parties have raised against the president none of them fall in any one of the four reasons described in the Article 47 of the Constitution of Pakistan, he added.

Mr. Pirzadah explained that  since the ruling parties have issued the charge sheet President can go to Supreme Court to ask the interpretation of the charges whether they fall in any one of the two reasons as mentioned in the Article 47 to impeach the president.

Since Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari changed their priorities and made impeachment of the president as priority one and reinstatement of judges priority two so if that situation arises then the present sitting Supreme Court will decide the case.

Things are changing fast let us see what happen tomorrow.

Filed Under: Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, News, Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf Tagged: , , , , , ,

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s Visit to America

Posted on: July 26, 2008 9:51 am Written by: Leave a Comment print for hard copyEmail This Post


Prime-Minister-Yousaf-Raza-Gilani’s-Visit-to-America

Why he is going there?
What he is going to get there?

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is going to the US
to seek political support. During this visit, the US Administration is going to
deliver some key policy messages to him.

America’s main concern is inability of Pakistan’s government
to curtail terrorist activities in the border areas with Afghanistan and
Taliban’s use of tribal areas as safe heaven.

While Pervez Musharaf’s policies were very clear on this
issue, the new government has not been able to devise a coherent policy to deal
with this issue. Americans are going to tell Mr. Gilani about their dissatisfaction in stern words. In fact, they have already told Pakistan on many occasions.

Pakistani diplomatic sources are saying that Americans have
told them that Pervez Musharraf issue will not be discussed. Pakistanis are giving
the impression, as if America is going to unload Musharraf. I believe these types of statements are for local consumption. My interpretation is that America is fed up with Sharif and Zardari’s anti-Musharraf politics. America is going to
tell Zardari and Sharif that America means business.

Pakistan government has been lobbying for some time to
persuade Washington to drop its support for Musharraf. Mr. Hussain Haqani has been instrumental in these efforts since his only credentials for being Pakistan’s Ambassador in the US are that he is staunch anti-Musharraf.

America was instrumental in drafting the NRO (National
Reconciliation Ordinance 2007) and bringing Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif back into the mainstream politics. Probably America was thinking that way Pakistan would have a government that will be more credible and stable. Unfortunately, it did not turn out that way and Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif have become now a
liability. Both had their own personal agendas so there was no national consensus on the real issues facing Pakistan, hence no effective government and no stability. In fact, Pakistan has become more unstable then it was before the election.

To make its previous decision work America is going to throw its full weight behind the present government. That would be the carrot but at a price. Top US military, intelligence and government leaders in Bush Administration have already shown their annoyance and dissatisfaction on the failure of Pakistan to deal with Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters in FATA and border areas with Afghanistan. Present government has been doing a lot of propaganda on their peace talks with Taliban and tribal leaders in FATA area giving the impression that these efforts are becoming successful. America wants some decisive action, and favors military force. America will give some political space and time may be six months to a year to this new government to be effective, try his peace talk option and show some results. Bush is under pressure at home to show some success in fighting terrorism in Afghanistan. American military leaders have convinced Bush Administration that Pakistan is not doing enough to stop Taliban and Al Qaeda’s fighters attacking from Pakistani areas. Hence, pressure on Mr. Gilani.

To show their support, America is going to offer besides political support economic and military aid during Prime Minister’s visit.

America is not interested in the domestic affairs of Pakistan like reinstatement of judges which is life and death issue for Nawaz Sharif and to some extent Asif Zardari, but would like to see a government who have control over the domestic problems including economy, domestic terrorism and other political issues.

Filed Under: Yousuf Raza Gillani Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Report: Taliban Using Sophisticated Media Network

Posted on: July 25, 2008 11:29 am Written by: Leave a Comment print for hard copyEmail This Post


Taliban-using-sopisticated-media-network

By: NAHAL TOOSI, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jul 24, 10:50 AM ET

KABUL, Afghanistan – The Taliban have created a sophisticated media network to undermine support for the Afghan government, sending threats by text message and spreading the militia’s views through songs available as ring tones, according to a report released Thursday.

The International Crisis Group report comes as the Islamist militia that was ousted from power in Afghanistan by the 2001 U.S.-led invasion is making a violent comeback, particularly in the country’s south and east.

The Taliban’s propaganda exploits civilian killings by foreign forces and corruption in the U.S.-backed government to add to Afghans’ disillusionment about their lives, according to the report by the Brussels, Belgium-based group. It said the Afghan government and its foreign allies should respond more quickly to their mistakes and highlight the Taliban’s atrocities.

Many of the messages that have been distributed — apparently not always directly produced by the Taliban — come in the form of songs, religious chants and poetry that appeal to Afghan nationalism and Islamic pride.

Some of the tunes are available as ring tones for phones, and cassettes include songs such as “Let me go to jihad,” the report said. Some people reported that they kept the cassettes as a form of protection in case they were stopped by Taliban.

One poem — “Death is a gift,” on Al Emarah — included the phrase, “I will not kiss the hand of Laura Bush.”

The Taliban movement also has a Web site, Al Emarah, or The Emirate, which has various domain names due to attempts to block it. The Taliban also publish pamphlets and magazines, and their communications come in multiple languages including English. DVDs and audio cassettes also are used.

Because illiteracy is widespread in Afghanistan, and many Afghans have little to no access to the Internet or television, the Taliban also use traditional means of communication to spread their message. They often send shabnamahs — fliers that are often distributed at night in an area. Often the letters threaten people who work with international forces or the government, the report said.

The report also said that Taliban media play up civilian casualties caused by foreign forces but deny involvement in most bombings that kill a large number of ordinary Afghans. Because of the poor security situation, independent journalists often have a difficult time verifying claims of either side.

Obeidullah Jan, a Barekzai tribal leader from Dand district in Kandahar province, said the Taliban had tremendous influence on local media and that journalists in the area often reported their claims. But even if the Taliban had no media outreach, their impact — from suicide attacks to gunbattles — is hard to miss, he said.

“Whether they use the media or not, the people are witnessing their activities,” Jan said.

The media messages at times underscore the loose, disorganized nature of the militancy.

The report notes that the Taliban as well as the Hezb-i-Islami network of warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar each claimed credit for a suicide attack in Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood in November 2007.

Later that year, the Taliban Web site announced the dismissal of a Taliban commander, but the commander’s spokesman rejected it, telling reporters it was a “conspiracy by some elements within the Taliban movement,” the report said.

Associated Press Writer Noor Khan contributed to this report.

Filed Under: Afghanistan, Taliban Tagged: , , ,

Aitzaz Ahsan – Public Intellectual?

Posted on: July 22, 2008 4:14 am Written by: Leave a Comment print for hard copyEmail This Post


Aitzaz-Ahsan-Public-Intellectual

In the recent issue (July/August 2008) of Foreign Policy magazine they have published a so called Top 20 Public Intellectuals survey where Mr.Aitzaz Ahsan has been ranked on number 5.

Pakistan media particularly GEO TV and Aitzaz Ahsan himself seem to be proud of this ranking.

First let us see the definition of the word "intellectual". The word intellectual is an adjective. The noun is intellect. According to American Heritage Dictionary of The English Language, the meaning of the word ‘intellect’ is as follows:

The ability to learn and reason; the capacity for knowledge and understanding.

The ability to think abstractly or profoundly.

So the person who can do that is called intellectual. Fair enough.

Now let us see what profile Foreign Policy magazine has mentioned of Mr. Aitzaz Ahsan. Here is the verbatim quote;

"President of Pakistan’s Supreme Court Bar Association, Ahsan has been a vocal opponent of President Pervez Musharraf’s rule. When Musharraf dismissed the head of the Supreme Court in March 2007, it was Ahsan who led the legal challenge to reinstate the chief justice and rallied thousands of lawyers who took to the streets in protest. He was arrested several times during the period of emergency rule last year.
Today, he is a senior member of the Pakistan Peoples Party, formerly led by Benazir Bhutto, and one of the country’s most recognizable politicians".

Courtesy: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4349

Do the activities which Foreign Policy have mentioned on which he has been ranked in the ‘Top  20 Public Intellectuals’  makes someone intellectual?

If this is the criteria then we have lots of intellectuals in our country.
What do you think? What is your opinion? Write your opinion in the comments.

Please spread the word and let your friends know about Pakistan Forum. They can also join the discussions.

Filed Under: News Tagged: , , , , ,

Stock Markets Plunged in Pakistan

Posted on: July 18, 2008 6:25 am Written by: Leave a Comment print for hard copyEmail This Post


Stock-Markets
You may already have read this news in the newspapers or watched on the TV Channels.

First the news.

Yesterday, Thursday July 17, 2008 Karachi Stock Exchange 100 Index (KSE 100 Index) plunged to two years low at 10,000 then closed at 10,213 by the end of the day. Its lowest close in two years. In Karachi hundreds of investors got angry at plunging share prices and smashed the glass windows in the main hall of the stock exchange. Police was called in. The angry protesters had scuffle with police. Two persons got injured when the protest turned violent.

The angry protesters wanted to stop the trading for two days to cool down the market. But Razi-ur-Rahman, Chairman of the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan stated there is no need to shut down the trading and plunge continued.

In Lahore, around 100 small investors burnt tires and blocked the road to the local bourse. They wanted the government to take some action.

Similarly in Islamabad, the affected investors gathered outside the Stock Exchange and chanted slogans. Interestingly, as the newspapers reported the slogans were “Go Democracy, Go”.

Naturally, a question comes to one’s mind why Pakistani people use violent protests to resolve their political, religious or any other issue for that matter.

I could list the following reasons.

This is the way their political leaders have shown them.

People don’t believe that there is any other way to make them heard.

There are no safe guards to protect the investors.

People don’t have patience to solve their problems through legal system.

They don’t believe in the legal system.

They know from their experience that nothing will change until there is big uproar on any given issue.

There may be many other reasons. You are welcome to say what is on your mind on this subject. Comments section is for this purpose. So I encourage you write your thoughts.

Stock Markets go up as well as down all over the world. So Pakistani stock markets are not any exception. This is a phenomenon of the capital markets. This is the way markets work. So the investors have to be more smart and educated to protect themselves from such fluctuations of the market place.

When you open a brokerage account usually there is a statement on the form where you sign to accept the risks. Sometimes there is a warning also that don’t put that money in shares which you cannot afford to lose. I don’t know that is practiced in Pakistan or not.

This is the responsibility of the government to protect the investors through proper legislation including monitoring the rules and regulations of the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and other such semi autonomous bodies.

For example, New York Stock Exchange requires to halt the trading if Dow drops to 2% at any given time. Do we have such rules in Pakistan? I don’t know. In the present case, KSE 100 Index dropped to 2.7% (279 points) but the chairman of the SECP gave the verdict, trading to continue. There should be such barriers and filters to protect the investors.

Unfortunately, our politicians take the violent route to protest so that is what their followers do. Is it going to change anything in near future? Probably not. The other category of individuals who can change the peoples behavior is intellectuals. Do we have such intellectuals in Pakistan? I think you are in best position to answer this question. A couple of days ago in the program Capital Talk on the GEO TV, Hamid Mir was congratulating Chaudary Aitzaz Ahasan (who was also present in the program) on his listing in “The World’s Top 20 Public Intellectuals” by Foreign Policy magazine.  I will write on this subject at some other time. But for the time being let us assume he is an intellectual then unfortunately he has also chosen to use agitation and violence to get the judges reinstated who had left the job voluntarily.

In a nutshell, the investors should educate themselves and the government should ensure the rules and regulation exists to protect the investors and there are no malpractices by either brokers or movers and shakers to change the direction of the market into their favor.

Filed Under: Stock Market Tagged: ,