Men in Khaki

#148 by zensufi

PIA (having worked there for 5 years) was the only airline in the world which never had to struggle its seats. All its flights were always overbooked depite the grumblings over delays etc. This was because of the inflight service, and a loyal passenger base of overseas Pakistanis. This was also despite PIA being the most expensive on many international routes than its competitors. There was great employee loyalty as well because of generous medical and travel benefits plus job security offered to employees despit a high employee/aircraft ratio and low take-home compensation.

The downfall began in 1980s after the PIA hijack to Kabul by Al-Zulfiqar when PIA was absorbed into the Ministry of Defence instead of being an autonomous corporation, and every retired colonel or wing commander replaced professional managers in departments like stores & purchases, marketing & sales, flight services, flight kitchen, communications, transport etc etc., and the rot began. It was pure loot mar after that. And here we are. PIA is barely being kept afloat as it is the national career. Actually it must be grounded and completely overhauled.

BJ Kumar: Read- Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry here is the info about administering Oath to general Mush! You can actually see the pictures too!

See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6462745.stm.

The article is ``Blood and batons spur Pakistan row By Masud Alam
BBC Urdu service, Islamabad Saturday 17th March 2007

Kamath

Hallo - interesting, however... I was hoping to read more about PIA and how the problems can be resolved. Perhaps, nothing to report on that front, given PIA is pretty much ignored now, huh?

-zensufi-

#140, Kamath {``Salim_Chauhan: I say to you too. Take it easy and enjoy the show. You sit here in your comfortable sofa, polish of your whiskey and write between sips! Don`t you?
Enjoy the Tamasha. There is not one little thing you can do to help poor Pakistani brethren!
Wa Salaam! ``}

Kamath Sahib,
Thank you for understanding my feelings. At times like these I wish I was drinking again, but I haven`t touched the soothing nectar of life for almost two years - thanks to my wonderful wife. :) :(

I would enjoy the tamasha, were it not for a real fear of looming bloodshed for my brethren in Karachi.

Walaikum Salaam.

Justice Chaudhary , again, lip-syncing Troggs – ‘Love is All Around’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqYDbj_b7ns

In the meantime the real Justice Chaudhary aka Jumping Jack Jeetendra taking time to lip-sync reggae – ‘Jump N Move’ amidst his busy schedule of fighting the bad guys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpU5JAQFLic

Folks,
Did you see Chowk`s own YLH / mantolives at the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6447215.stm

Kamath sahib, the amazing thing is that ``heroes`` can jump up and grab you - from the unlikeliest of places, when you least expect it, someday, somewhere! (Source: Candid Camera)

Even from among lawyers!

Who would have thought?!!

For crying out loud....

#139 by kamath

[I read recently that the ousted Chief Justice WAS the very person who sworn General Mush to Presidency after the coup. What happened between then and now?]

This BBC news item excerpt provides a clue (the underlining is mine)…

….Which brings us back to how all the trouble started, the presidential move of 9 March, suspending the chief justice of the Supreme Court on charges of misconduct, the details of which are still unspecified.

The fraternity of lawyers has been protesting in all the big cities of Pakistan on a daily basis ever since against what they see as an attempt to humiliate and tame the judiciary.

Making of a hero

Until then, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry had enjoyed a mutually satisfying relationship with the media.

Now the situation has all the marks of turning into a big political challenge for Gen Musharraf and his government

He liked taking centre stage and often delivered his verbal judgments and comments in the form of sound bites that fitted nicely in headlines.

The media liked his penchant for judicial activism on public interest and human rights issues.

Journalists were also hugely entertained by Mr Chaudhry`s habit of passing harsh comments on senior government functionaries and frequently embarrassing them publicly in his court room.

But Justice Chaudhry was no public hero. Not, that is, until the government took action against him.

In the past he was seen very much as a supporter of Gen Musharraf.

Justice Chaudhry was among the half of the Supreme Court judges who validated Gen Musharraf`s 1999 military coup against an elected government. The other judges resigned in protest.

Later, when the general held a referendum to install himself as the president of Pakistan, and the act was challenged in the Supreme Court, Justice Chaudhry was on the bench that decided in favour of the general.

These actions brought him closer to the military rather than the ordinary Pakistani, making him an unlikely champion of people`s aspirations.

Recently as chief justice, he did grab a few headlines with some decisions that have been uncomfortable for the government. But he was never seen as a threat to the legitimacy of Gen Musharraf`s rule.

Black-coats

A simple constitutional matter of referring the country`s most senior judge to be investigated by the appropriate judicial body is getting bigger, nastier, and potentially more dangerous for the present government by the day. And it would appear that it is a problem of the government`s own making.

Essentially, a few hundred lawyers in half a dozen cities was all the opposition amounted to in the beginning.

If they had been allowed to shout slogans and wave their fists in front of courts, that would probably have been the end of the matter.

But local administrations chose to pit their police forces against the protesting lawyers. Bloody scenes in Lahore last Monday unified the lawyers like never before and hardened their stance.

They have taken to the streets again on Saturday. And the police have got their batons out. Result? More blood being spilt, more publicity.

The ``black-coats`` as the lawyers are being affectionately called these days, have never shown this kind of unity, nor this temerity, before.

Even lawyers politically affiliated with the ruling party have refused to toe the party line.

The president`s office has had to bear the embarrassment as one prominent lawyer after another refused to represent its case against Mr Chaudhry.

LOL


denial


Abuse and

Repetitons...

So whats new...

Bob Woolmer

Innallah-e-wa-Inna elehe Rajyoon ...

May his kind soul rest in eternal peace.

#133, Zeemax {``Yes I`m worried too about Salim...``}

Jeemax,
Don`t worry about me? I am having a great time. The cricket matches and the misbehaving PPP liars in Lahore and Islamabad have given me more entertainment than ever before. When you PPPs can`t debate you start indulging in personal insults. Just worry about the rioting PPP liars and the future of Pakiland. Perhaps you can convince Sun Tani to get married for the sake of pan-Panjuism. :)

When you PPPs have to pay market rates for the gas of Baluchis you might come to your senses. Maybe the Punju Navy and the Afghan Navy can rent pier space at Gwadar from the Baluchis as you inhale their gas. LOL :)

overall, its silly for pakis to attack musharaff, as it is not good for soveriegnity of pakistan. if musharaff becomes ``weaker``, he will be more succeptible to pressure from the south-asia desk and langley..he is more likely to sell out the easy stuff. this is offcourse assuming soverignty is a virtue by iteself.

#132 by scoutmaster,

Yes I`m worried too about Salim ... where`s dr. sohail? I think he needs a shot of pathedrine, and if that doesn`t work, then some electric jolts.

Any doctors on Chowk? Please do something for Salim Bhai before he bursts a vein or something. He is the only warrior left in Pakistan. Salim Bhai Zindabad.;)

by atif2 on March 18, 2007 5:08am PT on UP
#11 - excuse me injun! pakistan was defeated by just 3 wickets. India got clobbered by 5 (FIVE!) wickets
take that! ``}

So, the PPPs are down to this?
Claiming victory over the Injuns for having only three wickets inserted up their ass instead of the 5 the Injuns inhaled rectally. :)