Where's the news?

Very interesting take, good read.

Comparing the mass movement politics of the 1970's and 1960's today with present day activism is comparing apples and oranges. The old concepts of static borders, deep ideological divides and a monolithic state no longer apply.

A modern day movement may be smaller but that does not mean one should diminish it's effect. The state apparatus is also far weaker and requires less force to provoke a collapse. This applies universally rather than specific to Pakistan.

With reference to Imran Khan, the writer seems to have a deep personal dislike for the man, so whenever I read his name mentoned by NFP I expect the following bits to be quite negative.

Re: # 18 Today history is happening and all worlds eyes on arrival of Mrs. Bhutto.
Almost 90 years ago similar thing happened in Russia. Mr. Vladimar Lenin arrived from europe after exile of several years to lead russian revolution. He was self exiled homself to save himself from Tsarist military regime. Then he changed and affected russia and world.
Today after 90 years same scene is repeating only place will be Karachi than Petrograd.
Lots of people will come out to greet around million people just to be part of history. Just like lenin Mrs Bhutto is going to change Pakistan for ever for good and bad only history will decide. I hope is for betterment of country. So all people should welcome daughter of Quaid E Awam and wish her best luck and hope for best and prepare for worst is prudent welcome way.

Paracha finally fails to deliver. For a media person to not figure out what is happening out there is unfathomable.
Here is my take paracha, run with it.

Pakistani politics is like a soap opera with numerous turns, twists and sub plot with major theme changes. Seriously, you should have figured it very quickly. You got the Imran Khan part right but missed the rest. If you watch Indian TV, you will spot that it is an extension of Bollywood. All big shows are related to movies in one way or other because movies, songs, and emotional themes sell and Indian TV shows build reputation on what is already successful. Same is the case in the US but the US tv has built its own identity too.

In Pakistan, there is no other kind of entertainment for TV to build around and create a market for itself. They finally figured it out that politics in Pakistan is high ticket selling item and now they are selling it, building the audience and their franchises based on Politics. All Pakistani popular channels are primarily political channels. They have more news, more talk shows and some very aggressive hosts. Today I watched Faeza Dawood for the first time and I can see that there was no other way for this girl to make a name for herself, Even though she is clearly talented. Look at Dr. Savera. This is one ideal host for any show but she too is forced to talk politics.

You talked about Imran but you missed the clown of the this political drama Shaikh Rashid and what about the mullah who try and look very sharp but have no idea what they are talking about.

Buddy pay attention to these little things. The media needs the movement. Media needs drama queen Benazir and the media needs melodramatic kidnapping of Nawaz and I promise you they will keep this thing going or they will lose money. I can foresee that soon media will offer political parties money too for elections and the media would find more Shaikh Rashids to fill up the air time during the next few months.

I wish Main Tufail was still the Amir of Jammat Islami, He was the ultimate clown. He would have beaten Shaikh Rashid and Imran Khan both in TV rating.

I am sorry to say that you just don't know what the 60s movement or the 70s harampai was.There was no movement by Bhutto. it was all a joke until east Pakistan got in to the act. Lefty students used to take out ten kids and there used to be more policemen around them. After the demo on Regal chowk, student leaders used to run to the newspaper offices to beg the editors to run the news with their names in that. Some big name student leaders came up that way. Including Mairaj and that lefty doctor who is still underground ( I cannot remember his name now). At that time newspapers were the only source to build political name recognition.

Pakistan is going thru a situation which is not good enough for the short attention span, raised on sound bites generation. You appear to be one of them.

I have heard about market rates to arrange for people in India. I understand the rate is anywhere between Rs.1000-10000 with meals.

I guess the same may be true in pakistan as politics everywhere is the same. Anybody have this kind of info on going rates for masses in Pakistan?

I fully agree with Zakkk here. The major problem with NFP is his obsession with the religious right. He is deeply fearful that these powers may get into power and therefore he keeps on downplaying the lawyers’ movement as well as anything which opposes Musharraf regime. Although I do not endorse religious right but NFP should stop treating Musharraf as liberalism's last hope. His support for Musharraf manifests itself in various ways such as ridiculing the issue of uniform, satire about the significance of emergency and any criticism on president as Media gimmicks to attain more ratings. It seems despite passing of so many years his obsession with corporates is still intact.

According to NFP, these are not real issues and therefore any movement built upon on these will fizzle out.

I would partly agree that real issues are poverty, security and economic development. But current issues are also important as creation of effective checks and balances, reduction of power of army as well as president are necessary to create apparatus which would ensure that all the future governments do not abuse their powers and are geared towards concentrating their energy towards development. I know it won’t happen overnight but it will be an important building block.

Moreover if the movements have to be based on real issues to be effective and sustainable, let me ask one question here to Mr Paracha. Kindly let me know which movement has taken place in the past 3 decades, which aimed at addressing the “real” issues and which was effective also. And moreover if the criterion of truth is mass support than why he continues to claim that he is marxist leninist as frankly Pakistan does not seem to be moving towards a Proletariat revolution. When his own convictions are concerned, he measures truth through his own rationale and discards the fact that a vast majority of people do not accept those as valid. However regarding issues in which he is taking a contrary opinion, he is quick to cite lack of public support as a proof that the opinion is rubbish.

A warm welcome home to Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

It has been a long time but she has not been forgotten.

The most important issues to address are Roti (Rupees 4,

Terrorism and the Return of Democracy.....

Who knows what the future brings but let us think positive.

Ras,

U r not a stereotype Pakistani. Do u REALLY believe the arrival of Benazir is the arrival of democracy? Why somebody getting elected other than BB OR NS be called tthe arrival of democracy?

When Mushy got elected as Prez by the lameduck Assemblies, whilst his uniform is on, ur democracy was buried. AND with such an overlooming control of the Army & ISI on the state of Pakistan, u can never expect a genuine democracy in Pakistan.

Can anybody dispute this?

Re: # 25

Your contention is absolutely indisputable. For Pakistan in particular and elsewhere in the world in general, democracy means that the candidate of your liking should come into power and if he or she doesn't the it is not democracy.

In principle it is the curse of the system (democratic) itself. It is flawed on two fundamental premises. One, it only alowes voting population to chose what they perceive to be lesser of the two evils. But in fact it is just an ideal state; in reality voters chose "their own" candidate regardless of whether he is lesser evil or more evil. The US elections in the recent years are an example, where people have voted for their "cause" regardless of whether candidate is corrupt and incompetent or not.

The second flawed premise is that that system allowes "leadership" to emerge reagardless of whether the leadership is representative or not. For example, throughout all democracies around the globe only 25-45% of the voting population participate in the democractic process, which means either a vast majority of popopulation has no stake in the affairs of state or they do not trust the process. In either case the emrgent 'leadership" by no stretch of imagination can be called a "representative" leadership. The recent elections in a Canadian province are an eye opener where only 17% of voting population cast vote. Can the resultant leadership be called "representative"?


Islam on the other hand sets two ground rules for the leadership:

1. In Chapter 2 of Qura'n Allah has given examples of Bani Israel (Jews) many times where He sought oath or a promise from the people that they would never ever choose or elect a corrupt or morally bankrupt leadrship. Defying that they always did and hence suffered the misery of 2000 years.

2. The second ground rule, which is authenticated by both Qura'n and Hadith is that the only leadership that should be acceprtable to a Muslim would be that that would lead them through the path of Qura'n and Sunnah. A Muslim has no obligation to respect or accept an authority that compels them to go astray from this path.

The Pakistani nation defies both ground rules knowingly, deliberately, and arrogantly and hence suffers the misery of the past 60 years. And just as you predicted this misery will continue for decades and generations to come, until and unless we sart adhering to the ground rules.

I will get back to VRV tonight.

In the mean time...

Some IMPORTANT Links

http://www.pakistanlink.com/Community/2006/Apr06/21/04.HTM

http://www.pakistanlink.com/Community/2006/Oct06/06/01.HTM

http://www.pakistanlink.com/Community/2004/oct04/08/02.html


Plus

http://www.pakistanlink.com/Community/2007/July07/13/03.HTM

http://www.pakistanlink.com/Community/2007/Jan07/17/02.HTM

http://www.pakistanlink.com/Community/2004/Jan04/16/07.html

http://www.pakistanlink.com/Community/2006/July06/07/12.HTM

http://www.pakistanlink.com/Community/2005/Dec05/23/07.HTM

#26 Posted by Urstruly

"....the only leadership that should be acceprtable to a Muslim would be that that would lead them through the path of Qura'n and Sunnah. A Muslim has no obligation to respect or accept an authority that compels them to go astray from this path."

1. Where is this authenticated in the Koran?

2. Is the above universally accepted by: (a) Islamic scholars; (b) pious Muslims?

Regards.

An estimate of 2 lakh PPP supporters have jammed the roads and streets of Karachi. Common people, most of them. The media seems stunned. Just heard Mr. Paracha speak to a reporter on Aaj TV. He echoed Najam Sethi’s comments given to Geo TV. Both believe the media was concentrating on issues made up of “middle-class morality” … Mr. Paracha even went on to call it “anal urban middle class morality.” And both said this show of street power and mass strength proves that the common Pakistani and those living in rural areas don’t give a crap about issues like the NRO and the lawyers movement. Paracha seemed pretty pleased with the way things have turned out for BB.
So, first supporting Mushy and then defending MQM, NFP now seems to be moving towards PPP, even though, he was always a known supporter of the party, if not BB.

Re: # 28

Ans# 1:

Chapter 18 verse 28 is onley one of the many, but I am quoting only one here:

""Do not obey any such person whose heart has become neglectful to Our laws, one who follows his own desires and whose case has gone beyond all bounds"

In order to understand the mechanism of an Islamic polity I would recommend that you check the following website; starting with Soveriegnity:

http://www.parvez-video.com/state_affairs.asp

Ans# 2;

Those who have firm belief in Allah and his Prophet 9pbuh) unanimously agree on this edict, and why an Islamic polity is necessary. The munafiques, the illiterate ( you know in which sense) and the people with mentality of servitude and low self-esteem show doubt.

Urstruly:

You should be a bit careful. Here is the verse (a la the Koran you recommended me):

"(18:28) keep yourself content whit those who call upon their Lord, morning and evening, seeking His pleasure, and do not let your eyes pass beyond them. Do you seek the pomp and glitter of the world? Do not follow him whose heart We have caused to be heedless of Our remembrance, and who follows his desires, and whose attitude is of excess."

The above verse has to do with "voluntarily" following, I think. It does not necessarily say what to do when one is "compelled" to follow.

More over, "Our remembrance" is not necessarily "Our laws". Furthermore, (18:29), i.e. the following verse, urges caution and leaves consequences to be decided by Allah:

(18:29) And proclaim: 'This is the truth from your Lord. Now let him who will, believe; and let him who will, disbelieve. We have prepared a Fire for the wrong-doers whose billowing folds encompass them. If they ask for water, they will be served with a drink like dregs of oil that will scaled their faces. How dreadful a drink, and how evil an abode!

Am I seeing this right?