A Letter To President Musharraf

Salim #148 The impact to date of lal masjid on Musharraf`s standing (internal and external) is I think obvious from the reaction - there have been no mass demonstrations (except by maulvis) to protest, and (from interviews etc.) most people, while horrified by the killings, think that lal masjid maulvis left him no choice. And that has given a setback to efforts to get Musharraf to step down as dictator.

This setback will probably prove temporary, and in that sense I agree with you.

Here is an interview of people in the street on the lal masjid issue - and while this was taken in karachi, it could have been anywhere in Pakistan. And I think the assessment of these people is by and large very reasonable, and certainly much more reasonable than the posturing and one-sided arguments one hears too often on chowk.

Re: # 158

arjun2

((((dhobia ka mushy, na allah ka na amrika ka)))

ROFL...

arjun ji...can you please provide the link of this news???

dhobia ka mushy, na allah ka na amrika ka...

expect a few more lal masjids in the tribal areas...and a few more hellfires..

Musharraf has failed to contain Al Qaeda: US

LAHORE: President Pervez Musharraf has failed to contain Al Qaeda and must regain control over areas bordering Afghanistan, said Stephen Hadley, President George Bush’s national security adviser.

Answering questions in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s ‘Political Capital with Al Hunt’, Hadley said Musharraf’s strategy of giving tribal leaders more autonomy “has not worked the way it should have”.

The US is working with the Pakistani government to thwart the latest threats, Hadley said, adding that the Musharraf government is “beginning to take some moves that will reassert control in those areas”.

rockets red glare
the (american)bombs busting in (paki) air


Analyst predicts US military strike in Waziristan

By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: A leading conservative with a known entrée in the Bush administration has said that in his view the president is “going to have to take military action there (Waziristan) over the next few weeks or months” because he has to disrupt that sanctuary”.

Bill Kristol, political analyst at the conservative journal, The Standard, said in a Fox News programme on 12 July, “I think, frankly, we won’t even tell Musharraf. We’ll do what we have to do in western Pakistan and Musharraf can say, ‘Hey! they didn’t tell me’.” He said Al Qaeda has gained sanctuaries in Waziristan “and this is not acceptable.” He claimed that Al Qaeda has a safe haven in western Pakistan, more specifically in Waziristan, adding, “Al Qaeda ... is running from Iraq, apparently to Pakistan.” Asked if this report had come out on purpose so that “we will have the right ... to go after Pakistan now,” he replied that the president is going to have to take military action “over the next few weeks or months” so as to disrupt that sanctuary.

Kristol said, according to the online site DesPardes, that he is not going to lose sleep over it, pointing out that Gen Musharraf already has problems in major cities and “may look the other way” if Waziristan is visited or struck from air by US and NATO forces. According to Kristol, “The big problem now is Waziristan, where Al Qaeda has made sanctuary for itself. You cannot let them have a safe haven … that’s one lesson we’ve learnt from 9/11.” He said in answer to a question that since Al Qaeda is on the run from Iraq, it has reconstituted itself in Waziristan after President Musharraf “cut deals with Taliban and left them alone” to operate. It was also said in the programme that Vice President Dick Cheney had reportedly called up Gen Musharraf a couple of weeks back and told him “this is not acceptable” while referring to Al Qaeda gaining a “safe haven” in Waziristan.

arjun: I see your attempts at draping your primitive hindu mindset in US clothes (the national anthem in this case) continue.

The rockets red glare is about human liberty and freedom. Not the red glare of a spiteful, smoldering hindu chauvinist. You of course are too stupid to understand that.

Re: # 162 Arjun `Analyst predicts US military strike in Waziristan`

Ignore Tahmed`s asinine response, and check out:

``If the threat of a government fall was the only thing holding Washington back in 2005, and now that the fall is imminent through no action of the United States, what does Washington have to gain from restraining itself any further?

This is more than a rhetorical question. The relative inactivity of al Qaeda these past six years, as well as the political situation in Pakistan, has imposed a shaky equilibrium on the issue. Al Qaeda`s security protocols curtail al Qaeda`s threat level, and that has allowed the United States to shelve the issue for another day. Meanwhile, the instability of Musharraf`s government limits the United States` ability to pressure Islamabad over the issue of al Qaeda. Consequently, al Qaeda has been more or less hiding in plain sight.

Alter any aspect of this scenario -- in this case, drastically increase the tottering of the Musharraf government -- and the ``stability`` of the other pieces immediately breaks and the United States is forced to surge assets into Pakistan.``

here ya go...:

Musharraf has failed to contain Al Qaeda: US

``here-ya-go`` US slang expert arjun#162 and this is news to anyone? duh uh!!

rockets red glare
the (american) bombs busting in (paki) air...


Pakistan seeks compensation from Nato

By Rauf Klasra

LONDON: Pakistan has demanded of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) to pay compensation for the killings of 65 innocent civilians in air strikes inside its territory.

The demand was made by a Pakistani delegation, which was attending a six-day parliamentary meeting held at the Nato headquarters at Brussels from July 8.

The civilians ñ majority of who were children and women ñ were killed during aerial and missile attacks in South and North Waziristan.

The Afghan delegation also backed Pakistan’s claim and demanded compensation for its civilians too.

Afghan civilians are the worst victims of aerial attacks by the allied forces.

The Pakistani delegation was led by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed and its members included PPPP Senators Enver Baig, Shujal Malik, Senate Secretary Raja Mohammad Amin, Rashid Ahmed, Jamil Qureshi, Ms Iffat Mustafa.

Delegations of countries where Nato forces are presently engaged also attended the briefings.

Senator Enver Baig had stirred the proceedings, when he raised the issue of loss of human lives during Nato operations in Pakistan and demanded financial compensation for the loss of 65 men, women and children.

#134 by tahmed32,

zeemax: #105 Why did you make me read that Time article? There is
nothing new there.

There`s nothing new for me in it, but there should be something new in it for you.

I made you read that Time Magazine eye-witness reporter account for the following lines, for you to see whether there was a hail of bullets at that particular time when the photo was taken or not; and how those girls were not afraid of them:

``Come on, we are going out to protest,`` says Aman, now recognizable only by the glasses perched on the outside of her burqa mask. I follow her outside the madrasah gate where a hundred or so black-robed women chant in unison against Musharraf and Bush. A crack, a small explosion, and a cloud of acrid tear gas drifts our way, fronted by a pack of stampeding men. Apparently they tried to occupy the neighboring Environment Ministry.

I run back to the gate, having lost Aman in the sea of panicking black robes. More explosions, more tear gas. And the gunshots begin. First from the mosque, then in retaliation from the rangers. We are caught in a narrow corridor, bullets slicing through the thick smoke on either side of us. Another canister of tear gas rolls past my feet, spewing cottony clouds that claw at my eyes and tear at my lungs. My sweat, picking up gas particles clinging to my clothes, burns my skin. Someone from the second floor above the gate pours a bucket of water on us. Blissful reprieve, even if it lasts only a few seconds. Eyes streaming, coughing, choking, spitting, we scrabble at the front door, battling to get through the narrow passageway, back into the madrasah, to safety.

Once inside the metal gate, we suck lungfuls of air through wetted rags. Young girls pass bowls of salt. Eating salt lessens the effects of the tear gas, they say, with an air of practiced impatience. This is the second time the madrasah students have been tear-gassed; they know what to do. The afternoon call to prayer echoes through the halls, barely audible above the wails of women hurt by burns, tear-gas inhalation and, in one case, bullets. Dozens of hands push cups of water on me, conscientious, even in the middle of mayhem, about the foreigner in their midst.

The firing slows, and Hassan strides into the courtyard triumphant. ``Good news,`` she announces. ``Our boys stole four guns from the rangers.`` The atmosphere is electric. Aman`s headscarf and robe are dripping with water. I realize that the head-to-toe shrouds serve another purpose: sopping wet, they provide excellent protection against tear gas. Aman`s eyes, though bloodshot, are exultant. ``We are students, not fighters, but if the government pushes us to fight, so be it,`` she says. ``God will give us the power to win.`` I ask if she is afraid. ``We are not frightened,`` she says. ``One day all lives will end, [so] why not give [our lives] to Islam?`` Amma Adeem, a 20-year-old student in the same class, says she is willing to sell her life for paradise. ``This is the house of Allah,`` she says, meaning the madrasah, Islamabad, Pakistan and the world. ``We must live by his laws. We don`t do this for ourselves—we do it for Islam.``

Steady gunfire continues to rattle the metal gate of the madrasah. Snipers are perched on the roof of buildings surrounding the complex. Outside, the male students are fighting with the rangers. Inside, women fill buckets of water at the tap and pass them, fireman style, out the gate to the men. They hurl bamboo staves, broom handles and water bottles over the complex wall. The bottles return, empty, and the women fill them up again and toss them back. Aman disappears out the gate. ``I will do everything in my power to protect my madrasah,`` she says. ``I am ready to die for it.`` An hour later I find her again, pressing a wet rag to her streaming eyes. ``I wanted to die, but my elders stopped me.`` Friends, crowding around, nod in sympathy.

An explosion shakes the windows of one of the classrooms. A rumor that one of the male students has detonated a suicide bomb whips through the corridors. Last week, after the students abducted six Chinese masseuses for being prostitutes, Musharraf announced that he was ready to storm the mosque. But then he said that suicide terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda had infiltrated the men`s madrasah, that going in would provoke a bloodbath. One of the female students laughs at the idea of an al-Qaeda link: ``We ourselves are willing to die for our school; we don`t need any outsiders to do it for us.`` (I later learn that the explosion came from the Environment Ministry, which had been torched to the ground while I was inside the madrasah.) The woman offers me lunch. When I point out that perhaps this isn`t the best time, considering the ongoing fighting, she shrugs. ``It is not a good time,`` she agrees, ``but you are our guest and we have to look after you.``

No government in the world has been able to ban alcohol consumption including the US where prohibition gave rise to the serious menace of bootlegging and had to be withdrawn. The right thing for Pakistani governments would be to let people live their own lives. Open liquor trade. A Muslim who thinks there is nothing wrong in drinking will visit the theka sarab desi whereas a devout Muslim will keep away from alcohol. Let the individual decide what is good for him. Why should the state dictate the lives of the people. Take secular India, we have 150 Million Muslims. If in their wisdom they choose to deviate from Islamic tenets they have the freedom to indulge as they want, no questions asked , if they want to be dinkum Muslims, there is no stopping them, India has 3000 madrassas where the most devout Muslim tulaba train. As the world progresses, the state is expected to interfere less and less in the individual`s life. Let Pakistani authorities stop taking retrograde steps and move to secularise the country.

#152 by PM,

Why not kidnap a few high ranking income tax officers, loan-defaulting politiicans and the like, known to benefit immensely at the expense of the common man?

Are you forgetting PM Saheb that much before Aunty Shamim, they had picked up policemen twice, four first alongwith their two vehicles and then another two?

Re: # 179 ahmedmadani

{General and Mrs Bhutto combination will not work is speculation. It will work more like business relationship}

Your analysis makes lot of sense. Gen. Mush may kill many birds with one stone. The boss (Bush) will be happy that new generals will put their hearts into the new jobs and work honestly to implement their committments to washington. Lady Bhutto will get the blame if Jihadis can not be controlled. Meanwhile as president he will still have enough influence that no one can touch him and he can continue to diversify his investments. Who knows if situation becomes real bad, americans may ask for his forgiveness and request him to take charge again.

Re: # 169
Romair...... I read your comments. You are getting emotional which is understandable. When you read too many -ve comments this happens.
General and Mrs Bhutto combination will not work is speculation. It will work more like business relationship , all work no affection. Mrs.Bhutto has been out of country for years and and that has affected her ability to great extent. She has only solid support in Rural Sindh. Punjab still will be controlled by Choudharies, mrs Bhutto has no command. ( she never had good or faithful following). She is perceived as corroupt politician but all politicans are perceived liked that but lustrue is gone for ever.
General has lost popularity as you have mentioned and he needs Bhuttos support to save him for crime of ``treason`` if other get power. Bhutto needs pardon for corrouption business and general wants same for illeagal take over. Both are afraid of MMA. General has used them and abused them and they understand he has allowed to have power in two provinces. This unique situation makes both work which will work . MQM will support BB only if general is President and she will accept as insurance policy against army take over. Corp commanders will be happy with this combination as they are weary of taking burden of ruling as it has been waering on them for some time. Recent book about army and business ms. Siddika has has affected even army higher up and there is very reluctance of status quo. The army will like get out of governing will like to return to barracks, ruling pakistan is not fun but it is work.
Economy is doing alright and situation on that front may not be great but not bad at all and country is slowly but steadly progressing.
Free trade agreement with China is about to happen and Chinese companies and citizen are ready to pour billions of Dollars in pakistan and transforming like China ifself. USA will be happy with Bhutto and general combination. USA army and state dept have cordial relationship and they need to continue same to have good logistic for usa army fighting in Afghanistan. For first time Pakistan has started getting economic benefits as staging base for american army in A.Stan similar to Japan got economic benefits while USA was operation agfainst terrorism in Vietnam. Pakistan has become Unstoppable war base safe and it will be spending more and more money. Like presently all oil supply transport contracts are having with pakistani companies. Many services are outsourced to local people as war takes lots of materials and local get good rates for srevices than what they can make in pakistani free market. USA may not like but as they move out of IRAQ they will be pouring more money and efforts in A.Stan. Most say it will go for atleast 30 years and that many years of economic activity will only help.
There are problems but good opportunities also and FREE TRADE AGREEMENT with China and China money investments ,personals and american war base need of pakstan will be locomotive of Pakistan economy for next 30 years.
Good night.

hamidm2 mian#: `` finally, after all these years we agree on something ! ........ however, i think he might just quit after a year or so - she is one tough cookie and he could never stand playing second fiddle .........``

....based on previous history, not a single leader of pakistan has ever quit voluntarily......hence the chances of musharraf doing so, are quite low.......apparently leadership of pakistan is one hell of a joy ride.......no one wants to leave.......

.....benazir lost her father and two brothers.......her husband was in jail for 7 years.......she is in exile, with her kids.......she is wanted in pakistan to switzerland.........everybody and their grandmother thinks she is a thief, yet she desparately wants to be pm........and will not let anyone else in her party, even come close to the candidacy......

........musharraf has been president for eight years.......he has had to face two assasination attempts........his security is as tight as bush`s.........after an initial honeymoon of popularity, he is slowly reaching the stage where people are starting to hate him.....he could get the death penalty for the coup, once he is out of power........yet he doesn`t want to leave.......

........shaukut aziz had reached the top of the int`l corporate ladder at a very young age......his next step would have been as the ceo of a major int`l bank.......at one time, he was in line to become ceo of citibank.........he got invited, personally, to all the hotshot events from davos to detroit.......he then became the finance minister of pakistan and did (at least in my opinion) an exceptionally good job, under the circumstances........he could have retired as a successful finance minister in a blaze of glory, and moved back to citibank.......yet he jumped at the chance of becoming pm - a job for which he had no qualification and experience, and for which he had to play second fiddle to musharraf - a man with a fraction of shaukut`s qualification..........yet he took the job and doesn`t want to leave........i bet even if he was offered the ceo position of citibank he won`t leave......

so being head of a country - even if it is bhutan or liberia - must be one hell of a power trip, which no one wants to give up.........

as for pakistan: i agree with you, it will continue on in the same manner.........it is too advanced to totally fail, and too backwards to make much progress.........all of us in the chowk crowd will enjoy it (as much as possible), while the remaining 95% will live their desparate existence..........as china, india etc. pass us by.........

in any case, i am back in the area, and am trying to do my bit.........

contd ...#168 ...

.... unless of-course you think that the police system in Pakistan is much better than the aunty Shamims and didn`t deserve to be picked up (being law enforcing authorities?), while the income tax wallas are much worse and should have been a priority for them ...