Tag Archives: Martial

Current Issues, Life, Pakistan, Personalities, Politics

They should apologize for Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s judicial murder

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The military should apologize for Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s judicial murder

By Shiraz Paracha

Excerpt:

Parrot writers and journalists in Pakistan always praise the position of a serving Army Chief. Those who have sold their souls tell us how great the military’s top brass is. It does not matter if it includes generals, who surrendered in Dhaka, and those who ran away from Kargil, or those who killed an elected Prime Minister and tore apart the constitution. Even military leaders accused of corruption, incompetence and misconduct are portrayed as heroes.

It is not surprising that we are told that the current Army Chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, is the only capable saviour of Pakistan. Analysts, anchorpersons and columnists, who pretend to be mouthpieces of the military, inform us that General Kayani is different than his predecessors.

Not very long ago, General Kayani was the right-hand man of General Parvez Musharraff. After Kayani became the Commander-in-Chief, General Musharraff received a guard of honour at the end of his illegal stay in the President House. The military is a state within the state in Pakistan. The sword of a military intervention still hangs over the civilian government as the power equilibrium continues to be in the military’s favour even under General Kayani.

Nonetheless, so far, General Kayani has acted wisely and he appears softer than the previous heads of the Pakistani military. The Armed Forces are supposed to defend a country but the Pakistan military has embarrassed Pakistan many times. The Armed Forces are a symbol of pride for the people of a country; in Pakistan the military has caused national discomfiture. Some Pakistani generals wanted to make history—they left with dark history. ….

…. At the same time, the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Lahore High Court must reverse the decision of Bhutto’s judicial murder and seek an apology from the people of Pakistan. The Supreme Court is guilty of gross injustice. The Bhutto case is a stain on the institution of judiciary. Bhutto’s blood will stay fresh in the courtrooms until justice is done and Bhutto’s dignity is returned to him by the Court. The integrity and respect of the Supreme Court of Pakistan will never be restored without declaring Bhutto innocent and calling him Pakistan’s national hero.

Also the Supreme Court should formally admit that judges who were instrumental in providing legal cover to martial laws and dictators were actually traitors. The Court should give a similar verdict about generals who imposed military coups and derailed Pakistan. …

To read full article : LET US BUILD PAKISTAN

Current Issues, Pakistan, Politics

Judiciary vs PPP : Situation Getting Worse

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Government Judiciary Row—No Signs Of Rapprochement. Situation Getting Worse

By Aijaz Ahmed

The contempt notices to PPP Sindh leaders, Taj Haider and Sharjeel Memon by Supreme Court of Pakistan are indicative of future scenario in which the ongoing tussle between the government and the judiciary is gradually being turned into a bout between the PPP as a political party and the Judiciary as an institution. Thus the future and intensity of the row will be decided with Supreme Court’s treatment to the reference the government is sending to SC to reopen Bhutto case to seek apex court’s verdict on the case that the PPP termed judicial murder of its founder. …

Read more : Indus Herald

Media, News, Pakistan, Politics, Punjab, Sindh, Video

Where is the so called independent judiciary when it comes to decide about Takht-e-Lahore?

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The language of the talk show is urdu/ Hindi.

Courtesy: Geo TV (Apas ki baat with Najam Sethi– 15th March 2011)

via- ZemTV – You Tube

Pakistan, Personalities, Politics, Punjab, Sindh

Habib Jalib – Aisay Dastoor Ko Main nahi manta

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IN LOVING MEMORIES OF THE POET OF THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE …HABIB JALIB,….WHO LEAVES US 1993 BUT STILL ALIVE IN OUR HEARTS AND EACH & EVERY RESISTANCE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AGAINST DARK FORCES. Habib Jalib, Main nahi manta and Zulmat ko Zia kia likhna. Habib Jalib (born 1928 – died March 12, 1993) was first imprisoned during the martial law regime of Ayub Khan due to his defiant views on Ayub Khan’s capitalistic policies. He wrote his legendary poem “Dastoor” (System) during those days.

In 1972 when the Peoples Government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came, many of his colleagues were able to hit fortunes. He, on the other hand, kept his integrity and stuck to ideology. As a result, he was imprisoned again along with other leftist thinkers like Mukhtar Rana and Meraj Muhammad Khan.

During General Zia-ul-Haq’s dictatorship, Jalib joined movement for Restoration of democracy (MRD).

In 1988, General Zia-ul-Haq died in air crash and general elections were held. Benazir Bhutto came into power and released Habib Jalib. Fortunes were distributed to those who supported the government rather than those who supported democracy. Disappointed at the state of the nation, when asked if he felt any change after democracy, he said, “Haal ab tak wahi hain ghareeboan kay Din phiray hain faqat waziroan kay her Bilawal hai dase ka maqrooz paoon nangay hain Benazeeroan kay”

Benazir lost power in 1990 to Nawaz Sharif, in 1993 Habib Jalib died. His family refused a government offer to pay for his funeral expenses.

After his passing, Qateel Shifai expressed his sorrow and grief in these words: Apney sarey dard bhula kar auron ke dukh sehta tha Hum jub ghazlain kehtey thay wo aksar jail main rehta tha Aakhir kar chala hi gya wo rooth kar hum farzanon se Wo deewana jisko zamana Jalib Jalib kehta tha.

Books – Sir-e-Maqtal, Zikr Behte Khoon Ka, Gumbad-e-Bedar * Kulyaat e Habib Jalib.

– You Tube

Media, Pakistan, Politics, Punjab, Sindh, Video

May God Save Pakistan from these political Judges and Their Judgments

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View the current political situation in Pakistan and the judgments of Apex court in the light of the Sharif borther’s stance because the judges are influenced by Raiwind. The CJP should now just move next door, the PM House. Since he wants to decide everything, starting from commodity prices to appointments at important positions, the PM House is a more logical place for him. Judges are being paid by public exchequers, if such functions are being done by the judiciary then what is the need and use of Parliament and Executive.

Many observers, once again are foreseeing the “Judicial Murder” of PPP. All roads are leading to Raiwind and Takht-e-Lahore. Mr. Najam Sethi, a brilliant intellectual has revealed all faces and forces of darkness right from the murder of Liaquat Ali Khan upto the murder of Shaheed Bibi. Many believe that something big Bang is on its way. Keep it up conspirators the war of power, dirty games, and sinister schemes! History will judge all of them because history is the final judge.

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Courtesy: Rawal TV (Current Affairs with Arshad Bhatti, 11th March 2011, Guest: Latafat Siddiqui)

via – Siasat.pk – You Tube

News, Pakistan, Politics, Video

Judges’ extension: Judges rejected a parliamentary committee’s decision?

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ISLAMABAD: The committee had denied one-year extensions to judges, therefore, judges rejected a parliamentary commission’s decision. Is this a ‘judicial takeover’, ‘judicial dictatorship’! or something else?  The Question is, whether an elected parliament represents the will of the people and thus reflective of collective wisdom of people or an appointed body like judiciary should have power to overwrite and supercede the will of the people?

Courtesy: Dunya TV News (Crossfire with Meher Bokhari, 9th March, 2011)

– via – ZemTV – You Tube

News, Pakistan, Politics, Punjab, Sindh

When it comes to PPP, even judiciary acts somewhat differently!?

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The language of the discussion is urdu/ Hindi.

Courtesy: ARY News (11th hour with Waseem Baadaami, guest Faouzia Wahab)

via – Siasat – You Tube Link

History, Pakistan, Politics, Punjab, Video

How easily we forget Nawaz Sharif’s attack on Supreme Court

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– Link

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Protesters halt Pakistani PM court case – BBC

The trial of Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, has been halted after his supporters forced their way into the Supreme Court building in Islamabad.
Protesters shouted abuse against the Chief Justice, Sajjad Ali Shah, who was hearing a case of contempt of court, which could lead to the Prime Minister’s disqualification if he is found guilty. The court adjourned for the day.
The protest is the latest twist in the country’s constitutional crisis, which started over the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court.

Mr Ali Shah charged Mr Sharif with contempt after his outspoken criticism of the candidates. Mr Sharif responded by trying to remove him from office.

The two men are under considerable pressure from the country’s powerful armed forces to resolve the situation constitutionally.
Mr Ali Shah’s position in the court has become increasingly uncertain after an internal struggle emerged in the Supreme Court over his status. Four of his fellow judges in two separate hearings ruled he was suspended from office because he was not the most senior judge when he was appointed.
Friday’s trouble started when one of Mr Sharif’s Members of Parliament climbed over the gates in front of the court to get inside.
A crowd of a few hundred party supporters then began to follow him and, as the police and the security forces in riot gear stood by and did nothing, they pushed open the gates and ran into the court compound.
A few members of the crowd got into the court building and ran to windows and onto the roof of the entrance, chanting slogans against the Chief Justice.
Amid the commotion a court official ran to the courtroom and said the Chief Justice was in danger. The judges immediately adjourned proceedings and left the room.
Courtesy: BBC

Pakistan, Politics

Media Tasked to Build Grounds for Martial Law?

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The most active topic on entire Pakistani media is weather army should take over and remove incompetent government. The storm started shortly after three hours long meeting of MQM’s leader Altaf Hussain with American consular in London, followed by his speech where he demanded Martial Law against current government. …

…. Regarding the role of media, is it justified to discuss the martial law or what kind of system Pakistan should have when every single minute of air time should be dedicated for information and help of 20 million flood victims? Has media been given task by army through agencies to build grounds for martial law (code word “Maahol Banao”) in shortest possible time?

Is this the reason why some columnists and anchors are now actively and shamelessly advocating the biggest crime in the law of land in their columns and programs? …

Read more >> PKPOLITICS

Pakistan, Politics

Manufacturing Martial Law?

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We Pakistanis have a finely developed sense of conspiracy, so when we see the army’s usual supporters out in force, we naturally suspect that the army is behind this and is itching to take over…

by Omar Ali

Pakistan is in the grip of one of its periodic eruptions of speculation about impending martial law. At least, it looks like that on TV. For weeks, the largest news channel in the country has been shamelessly promoting the army’s role in flood relief as if the army is an opposition party, bravely stepping in to do work that the “corrupt politicians” who rule the country do not want to —or  cannot —do. The fact that the army is an instrument of the state and that its efforts are part and parcel of the sitting government’s response to the emergency has not registered with the anchors at [ ] news.

It has not stopped there: various failed politicians who are unable to survive on their own, but always find a happy home under martial law, are crawling out of the woodwork to lament the terrible situation and endlessly repeat the phrase “after all, things cannot go on like this, something must be done”. But what is this “something”? Do they want the sitting government to resign? Do they want the opposition to bring in a vote of no-confidence? Do they perhaps want the president to dissolve the assemblies? No, none of these legal or quasi-legal alternatives will do in this hour of national emergency. What has set their tongues wagging is the possibility that “patriotic generals” may be forced to step in and save the country. And as if on cue, the MQM’s Altaf Hussain has stepped forward with the suggestion that a “patriotic general” may indeed be better than “feudal politicians”. Naturally all this has raised the hopes of some sections of the Punjabi middle class, who are eternally unhappy with the “illiterate masses” and “corrupt politicians” and apparently go to bed dreaming of Bonaparte riding in on his white horse to “create more provinces and increase national unity and sense of purpose”.

Read more >> OutLook

Pakistan, Politics

Behind Altaf’s appeal to ‘patriotic generals’

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Every news channel reported the alleged involvement of local feudal lords in diverting the flood to save their own lands but not even a single channel openly dared question how many villages were inundated to save Shahbaz Air Base?

Ever since its inception in 1978 just a year after the military coup spearheaded by General Zia, MQM (or its predecessor APMSO) has invoked controversies. Despite controversies, the MQM has always been a partner in every government one way or the other ever since 1988. Given the insecurity Muhajirs have felt in this country, the MQM furthers the interests of a certain class amongst the Urdu speaking population of Pakistan’s largest city while on the other hand, given the structure of politics in Pakistan where military and civil establishment has always been the decisive force, the MQM has always tried to maneuver a sort of win-win situation. This makes MQM an interesting case in Pakistani politics, a party popular and penetrating amongst its supporters and on the other hand a “front man” for establishment. It is only in this background that we can analyze the recent statement of Altaf Hussain regarding his “unconditional and open” support for a possible “martial law type” action intended to “purge” the political scene from “corrupt politicians” taken by “patriotic generals”.

Altaf’s party, as usual, is a coalition partner in the current set up but it seems all is not well for the MQM this time. Fight for control over Karachi has taken a new turn this time as we witness two provincial seats won by Pakhtoon nationalist Awami National Party (ANP) from Karachi. …

Read more >> ViewPoint

Pakistan, Politics

Pakistan’s prize bluffer —Dr Mohammad Taqi

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While the disaster management efforts of the present government in the wake of the massive floods are shoddy at best, to call for a quasi-military rule in a country that has suffered four martial laws is to submerge it in a bigger deluge

“Mussolini is the biggest bluffer in Europe. If Mussolini had me taken out and shot tomorrow morning, I would still regard him as a bluff. Get a hold of a good photo of Signor Mussolini sometime and study it. You will see the weakness in his mouth that forces him to scowl the famous Mussolini scowl that is imitated by every 19-year old Fascisto in Italy. Study his past record” — ‘Mussolini, Europe’s prize bluffer’, Earnest Hemingway, The Toronto Daily Star, 1923.

While the discussion about who breached which river embankment and why goes on, Pakistan’s prize bluffer has attempted to breach the bulwark of democracy itself.

The undisputed leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Mr Altaf Hussain, has called for patriotic generals to take action similar to a martial law against corrupt politicians. Is this a cry for help from a bleeding heart or a vicious threat? The past record says it all. All the scowling, verbosity and thunder — part theatrics and part cheap imitation of the late Allama Rasheed Turabi — cannot hide an inherent insecurity that a chauvinist enterprise feels in a functional democracy.

Packaged to look like a statement made at the behest of the military brass, the sinister pot shot at democracy is a bluff by an arch-Bonapartist looking for a strongman to protect his fiefdom in southern Sindh. Add to it the August 20, 2010 meeting — a diplomatic routine — between Mr Hussain and the US State Department functionary, Bryan Hunt, and one has all sides thinking that the other wants a change of guard. But the timing could not be worse: Mr Hussain has added insult to the massive injury caused by the floods. On one occasion where the MQM had an opportunity to jettison its neo-fascist baggage and help the nation recover and rebuild, its leader has stuck to his myopic agenda pursued through intrigue.

Read more: → Daily Times
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/print.asp?page=20108%5C26%5Cstory_26-8-2010_pg3_2

Pakistan, Politics, Sindh

MQM call of martial law in Pakistan

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Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) has noted with grave concern, the statement made by MQM chief Altaf Hussain regarding imposition of martial law and has demanded that under article 6 of the constitution a case of high treason be lodged against him and he should be brought back to Pakistan through Interpol to face the charge.

SDF has expressed the surprise on the supporting statements of Pir Pagara and Imran Khan and says that these forces are the protégés of the agencies, created by military dictators like Ayub, Yahya, ZiaulHaq and Musharraf and they feel suffocated in the democratic rule in the country.

The present democratic system has come to the country after the great sacrifices of the people of Pakistan, where unfortunately nation has lost its finest daughter Benazir Bhutto and hundreds of other political workers and citizens in the war against military rule of Musharraf. Today MQM being partner of the democratic government is adding salt to the injuries and insulting the mandate of the millions of people of Pakistan who have voted for a democratic Pakistan.

SDF further expresses that Pakistan has faced complete destruction of democracy, political systems and constitutionalism in Pakistan at the hands of the military dictatorships especially under the martial laws which has weakened the federation and democratic process. The seed of hatred among the federating units and nations was sown by the military rules under martial laws. The separation of east Pakistan, the creation of one unit, conflict on water and natural resource distribution have also been the results of long military interventions in the country.

The critical challenges country is facing today including talibanisation, religious fundamentalism, sectarian and ethnic divide, rise to poverty, hunger, unemployment and corruption are the result of anti-people and anti-democratic rule in the country.

SDF resolves that the present style of governance is not satisfactory as there is not much progress on both internal and external fronts but this does not mean that army rule should be welcomed. It is only democratic government which is accountable to the people of Pakistan.

SDF says that the democracy and progress loving people of Pakistan has a firm believe that martial laws and dictatorship has never been a suitable alternate to democracy in any scenario and that’s why they keep on voting for democracy in the country and support peoples rule through political parties.

SDF welcomes the straight forward statement of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and says that he has spoken the sentiments of millions of peace and democracy loving people of Pakistan.

SDF shows great surprise over the hypocrite silence of PPP and asks the government to stop the so-called policy of reconciliation and get MQM out of the government at federal and provincial levels and demand removal of the signatures of MQM representatives from the documents of 18th amendment, which took oath that only rule of law, constitutionalism and democracy will be supreme in the country.

Pakistan, Politics, Sindhi

Memories of my childhood in Zia’s rule

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by Prof. Nadeem Jamali

My childhood in Karachi, during Gen. Zia’s rule, the government organized massive celebrations on each independence day. Citizens of Karachi in particular — mostly non-Sindhis- participated in these celebrations enthusiastically, with Pakistani flags everywhere.

In our Sindhi home, we were not done mourning Bhutto’s hanging. Seeing my father sitting in dark, with tears in his eyes was very difficulty. I had cut out black and white pictures of Bhutto from the newspapers reporting his death, and put them in frames all around the house.

P*** flags were not allowed in our house. We were Sindhis, not Pa****. In the GOR (Government Officers Residence) neighborhood on Bath Island, our apartment stuck out as a home that did not celebrate independence. To me and my brother, just over 10 years old children, this was not fun. It was isolating. It was also frightening at times. On one occasion, some kids in the neighborhood, after visiting our home for a birthday party and noticing the un-Pakistani life style, threatened to report our family to the martial law government… Our father laughed it off, but we children were nervous. But August 14th came around, more than anything else, we felt a sense of isolation, of not being part of something celebratory going on all around us, of missing out.

So, one year, we pleaded with our father to let us bring some Pa**** flag decorations to hang from our balcony. After some initial resistance, he relented, perhaps appreciating what the children were going through. It was great fun. Our balcony looked beautiful. It no longer looked like a balcony of sourpusses. We were like everyone else, one with our neighborhood, joined in a celebration.

I don’t remember the exact reasons, but when the next year’s independence day came, we children did not feel like getting any P*** flags. Perhaps we had grown up a bit and realized that there were things more important than being part of a celebration. .. the enemy’s celebration. Or perhaps the MRD movement had begun.

Courtesy: Sindhi e-lists/ e-groups.