Medals of Freedom for Justice Chaudary

Thank you.

There is hope. There are critical thinkers like yourself and Nadeem out there.

Good article.

Stupid article.

You say:
"Symbols should be clearly differentiated from individuals. When people make a figure into a symbol, most of the time, the figure can't live up to that image, and in fact..."

Stop the B. S.

Medals are at times given for consideration of a specific time period of high importance and what the individual has done during that time period. This Medal of Freedom which is being rebuked by this author is clearly in lieu of the the currrent crisis and Chief Justice’s resistance to the Musharraf regime. Highlighting period of 2000-2005 when clearly the award may have not even considered that period is pointless. And Harvard Law School is not bothered by much what CJ has done during his entire lifespan.
Regarding Nadeem being critical thinker, now that is funny. He is radical and controversial. Is that critical? I am at times amazed at the way, he “selects” supporting evidence to prove his points and puts an amazing spin to justify apparently impausible views. I have pointed out several contradictions in the interact section when his last article “Cholosterol say Pak” appeared.

Of course he is going to get the Medal of "Freedom". The entire CJ crisis was manufactured by the US using the Pakistan Army to put pressure on their peon out of favor, Musharraf. The lawyers movement that emerged out of it was very real. Therefore when Musharraf was willing to sit as civilian president, and give up the uniform after US pressure to negotiate with the BB, the CJ's office let his election go ahead and declared the objections "umanageable". The lawyers recognized this farce and got beaten up as a result. Damage control was then performed by the CJs office by issuing verdicts against the police officers involved. When US/Musharraf fallout occurred on Nov 3, by declaration of emergency which was declared not to save any civilian presidency of the dictator but to save his uniform, because without the uniform he has no power whatsoever, the CJ became a bearer of "freedom" again. The fool is no hero, he would hop to on the Musharraf bandwagon, were it not for the US backing (Pak Army) backing him up during the so-called crisis. The only positive coming out of the entire episode was the lawyer's movement.

In all honesty I beleive that Choudri Iftekhar Sahib should tell Harvard to take its medal and shove it. Accepting it would be tentamount to an insult to the people of Pakistan who love Ch. Sahib and came out on their own to suppot what was his crusade. Ch. Sahib must understand that those who are offering him this medal are the just sending him another set of shackles and chains; as the urdu poverb goes "sugar-coated knife". Currently, people of Pakistan are laying down their lives to break free from the system of corruption and oppression these frigging self-proclaimed champions law and democracy has imposed on us through their hired goons. Tell them choudri sahib, tell them.

Urstruly #5 Spoken like a true loser - the whole world is your enemy, and you are the only good-intentioned individual left on earth other than those who turn young people (not their own children) into suicide bombers who kill themselves and other innocent people.

Masadi the Pea-brain of the East: So, the Chief Justice is a fool who is being manipulated by the west. Musharraf loves geniuses like you!!

Skeptical: If Pakistanis want to be free, they need all the support they can get. This Medal of Freedom has been done in a timely manner, since it makes it impossible for Musharraf to "disappear" the Chief Justice as he has "disappeared" others. It changes the face of the opposition to Musharraf to that of the Law, rather than that of Musharraf-wannabes whose uniform is a beard.

If Pakistanis chose to treat everyone as an enemy and are incapable of understanding even these basic things, then they will continue to be ruled by others, rather than have the right to elect their leaders within the rule of law.

tahmed writes "So, the Chief Justice is a fool who is being manipulated by the west"

Not only that, he is a f..ing immoral sob, who deserved to get a medal of freedom from the enemies of freedom i.e. the US elite and their conservative institution of higher learning where immoral a$$ wipes are trained to perpetuate barbarism around the globe.

Re#8 I agree, I was merely responding to author's assertions in the article by pointing that the medal is for the resistance in the current crisis and therefore her point about his tenure from 2000-2005 is irrelevant

Healthy skepticism is necessary when dealing with situation in Pakistan.
I don’t think the CJ has done any thing to deserve this medal except perhaps standing up to the General for saving his job. Did the CJ plan what happened after March 9? No, absolutely not! So his first motive was to save his job and the lawyers movement came about because the Pakistani society was tired of the army rule and the way army was running the country. Pakistani middle class is tired of this BS in Pakistan and the lawyers took the opportunity to take on the army on the CJ issue. There were many before this CJ who refused to work with the Army and lost their jobs but they never became heroes. Justice Wajihuddin is one of them. He deserves as much accolade for losing his job as the CJ did. Just recall that when Justice Wajihuddin refused to take oath under the previous order, Justice Chowdry was more than willing to do so.

People at the top level have motives and interests and often they play. I am sure the CJ knew what was required of him. He played it well and then got lucky that the Lawyer movement was successful in bringing him back even though the General always had the option of declaring emergency.

Things in Pakistan are not as simple as they appear. Just look at how Saudi Arabia is helping the General and now how Dubai came forward to help him. It shows two things: first, Musharaf and the army have reasonable amount to influence over the Saudis and the Gulf States and second, he still is not isolated and the US will have to do more to remove him. One more thing, the US alone will not be able to remove him, his ties with Saudis will have to be cut.

The US never wanted to remove Musharaf they just wanted to clip his wings and impose BB on him. He did not go for it and look who is supporting him. The most trusted US allies in the area Saudis and the Amir of Dubai.

The CJ drama was manufactured. When a company puts a product out in the market, the company itself doesn’t know how the product would be received. It could bomb or it could make the company. The group in the ruling classes that supported the CJ initially did not know what would happen and I can guarantee they were not expecting that things would reach this stage. The product they put out has taken a life of its own and is in heavy demand. They don’t have the ability to stop the demand. However, what they can do is try to manage the demand by controlling the media, press and the political parties. The US sends out Negroponte who wants to figure out how to help the army. He also wants to assess: where would the bleeding stop? The resistance in Pakistan may end up blocking the army from the future adventures and that is not in the US interests.

The damage control is in full swing. I seriously doubt that the US would be able to control the events in Pakistan.

Please help!

Explain to me please just one thing: does independence for a judge just mean independence from the executive branch?

Or, independence from personal feelings? After he came back to his job, you could bet that he would take that decision that would be most against Musharraf. How judicial was he?

Re: # 11
Many have done even better deeds...
But only a few are lucky because of the timing and public recognition which at times transforms into public support..
In a charged atmosphere those with public support become one of the key movers and shakers...
Moreover intentions also do not often lad to the desired consequences as events have a tendency to spiral out of control...
This award is perhaps influence by all that...

Many have done even better deeds...
But only a few are lucky because of the timing and public recognition which at times transforms into public support..
In a charged atmosphere those with public support become one of the key movers and shakers...
Moreover intentions also do not often lead to the desired consequences as events have a tendency to spiral out of control...
This award is perhaps influence by all that...

HP: The CJ lived up to the saying "It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness". And if that candle has inspired other noble judges and lawyers, and if they in turn have inspired thinking people around the world who understand the importance of the rule of law, then more power to the Chief Justice.

Perhaps the military boot will crush this movement. Perhaps it will not. But one thing is for sure - those who gave up their careers, or suffered police batons and prison, or gave up their very live - will go down in Pakistn history as the true patriots and heroes. And Musharraf's name is mud, no matter if he clings to power another few weeks or another few years.

Re: # 15
agreed once again...
tell it to followers of hypocrites like Nadeem Farooq Paracha..