The Calculus of Miscalculated Human Misery

``Death row Briton leaves Pakistan.

A British man who spent 18 years in a Pakistani jail has been freed and has flown out of the country, a day after his death sentence was lifted.

Mirza Tahir Hussain, 36, of Leeds, West Yorkshire, was convicted in 1989 of murdering a taxi driver, but always said the killing was in self-defence.

Mr Hussain -- said President Pervez Musharraf, who commuted the death sentence on Thursday to life imprisonment, -- ``had shown himself to be an enlightened man who has rectified this miscarriage of justice``.

Before Hussain was freed, there were pleas for clemency from the Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Tony Blair, European politicians and human rights groups.” -- and most importantly from.........Chowk

This sentence quoted by BBC from Musharraf intrigues me:

``Mr Hussain -- said President Pervez Musharraf, who commuted the death sentence on Thursday to life imprisonment, -- ``had shown himself to be an enlightened man who has rectified this miscarriage of justice``.(BBC)

Mr. Hussain had shown himself to be an `enlightened` man who has rectified (shouldn`t be -- has borne with patience and fortitude?) this miscarriage of justice.

Perhaps like syntax challenged Mr. Bush -- Mr. Musharraf was actually talking about himself that -- Mr. Musharraf had shown himself to be an enlightened man who has rectified this miscarriage of justice......:)

This time the General can do all the self-praising self-patting he wants to, to his heart`s content -- and it will be ok -- with us.

Great that the author has come to the reality. Our world is a dynamic place and Utopian peace is possible only in small chunks of time. Even Allah Mian had to deal with shaitan so who are we the mere mortals to face the new shaitans like bin laden.

In any dynamic environment there are opportunities to become prosperous, or the possibility to lose your shirt.

Smart men (and women) will be prosperous in these times. Just see the examples of Japan, China, and South Korea. While the idiots in the Middle East, or countries like North Korea, and Venezuela will end up losing their shirts.

So for Pakistanis it is the decision time. Be like North Koreans or Palestinians and lose your territory or your prosperity or both.

Or we can be like South Koreans and become prosperous. The choice is ours.

Re: # 83

``So for Pakistanis it is the decision time. Be like North Koreans or Palestinians and lose your territory or your prosperity or both.``(taikonaut)

this commendable thought can be brought a little nearer home than faraway North Korea and Venezuela -- the countries who are niether going to lose their shirt nor their territory.

Nearer home -- the sentiment may sound like this and still be pertinent -- ``So for Pakistanis it is the decision time. Be like Talibans of Afghanistan and lose your territory or your prosperity or both.`` -- or be like Hindustan where the super power will give you all the nuclear bombs you need or -- you don`t need.

Re: # 84 Nearer home examples of ``stans`` i.e. Afghanistan or Hindustan sound good but they are inaccurate. Pakistan`s resources and geostrategic location is not comparable to Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a tiny landlocked country that was historically dirt poor. Hindustani example is a bit far fetched too. The ``deal`` that Hindustanis got is more for civilian purposes. As far as bombs are concerned Pakistan and Hindustan both have parity on it.

There are specific reasons why we can`t be like Hindustanis, otherwise Pakistanis would not have separated to begin with. South Korea is a much better role model for Pakistan as both have stronger free market approach compared to Hindustan. Sure we have IT business growing in Hindustan but there is a natural cap on IT. Our target growth rates need much more open economies and Hindustani communists won`t allow that to happen.

Anyway thanks for appreciating my point. North Korea vs. South Korea example is good to show two people who are exactly alike (language, religion, history etc.). Yet the North is a basket case, while South is in the top 10 economies of the world.

Thanks.

#85 by taikonaut on November 19, 2006 4:19pm PT


Pakistan`s resources and geostrategic location is not comparable to Afghanistan.


Why not? You`re both getting your citizens whacked by CIA hellfires...

Re: # 86 drags this discussion into hindustani mud by saying ``Why not? You`re both getting your citizens whacked by CIA hellfires...``.

Hindustan takes the cake when it comes to whacking the citizens. Government (be it provincial or federal) continues to ``whack`` its citizens. The examples off course are too numerous to list in the chowk.

This however is not meant to gloat over killing unlike our dear poster. Nay! This is just a reminder for our enlightened writers from Hindustan about their ``glass house``.

ڪ پاڪستان لاءِ به اطمينان بخش نظر نٿي اچي. ڇاڪاڻ ته گذريل ڪجهه عرصي دران ڪلچرل قبيلائي علائقن مان نڪري اقتدار ۽ طاقت جي مرڪز اسلام آباد تائين پهتل انتهاپسندن في الحال ته منظر نامو بدلائي ڇڏيو آهي. ميلوڊي ۽ آبپاره جي وچ تي قائم ڳاڙهي مسجد المعروف لال مسجد جي برقعا پوش ڏنڊا بردار مذهبي خواتين پاران روڊن تي نڪري اچي پوليس اهلڪارن کي يرغمال بڻائڻ ۽ ٽن عورتن تي بدڪرداريءَ جي تهمت هڻي کين زوريءَ گهر مان کنڀي اچي مدرسي ۾ واڙي ڇڏڻ، حڪومتي عملداريءَ کي چئلينج ڪرڻ نه سڏجي ته ان کي ڪهڙو نالو ڏجي؟