Media: The more things change...

I only read the teaser on the main page and have this to add:

Najam Sethi was picked up as Army wanted him picked up because he made some anti-Pakistan (I dont know how else to describe then) remarks in India. It was only that it was NS's regime.

We should be truly proud of the courage and professionalism that our people have shown the past several months.

The Chief Justice and the lawyers have led the way by risking their lives, losing their jobs and freedom in the line of duty - protecting the Constitution and the rights of the ordinary person before the brute and lawless force of a dictator!!

The journalists have been right there with them, with many of them losing their lives, others getting beaten and arrested by police - again in the line of duty. Which in their case is to serve as the eyes and ears of the nation!!

Inspired by these, even our corrupt politicians for once seem to have understood that there is something more important than becoming the government in power - it is doing their duty to support the the judiciary and freedom of speech and free and fair elections in the country. Because if we dont have these in a nation, we are reduced to being slaves.

And, perhaps most heartening of all have been the Pakistani students, led by the best and brightest. They have come out in protest - and done their duty as the future of Pakistan by doing so in a dignified way without burning buses or destroying national or private property!! Some have even taped their mouths shut, and in doing so spoken louder than a dictator ever could through the microphone. Others have sung the national anthem as police has, with faces showing their shame at what they are doing, arresting them in the name of the dictator.

I have never been so proud of our big hearted and courgeous people as today.

"And, perhaps most heartening of all have been the Pakistani students, led by the best and brightest. They have come out in protest - and done their duty as the future of Pakistan by doing so in a dignified way without burning buses or destroying national or private property!! Some have even taped their mouths shut, and in doing so spoken louder than a dictator ever could through the microphone. Others have sung the national anthem as police has, with faces showing their shame at what they are doing, arresting them in the name of the dictator."

Hi tahmed, stop the diarrhea, the students did teh right thing, was it not at the presigeous Lahore University that teh students handed over Imran Khan to teh police.

I cannot recall any significant action by the other students that you allude to.

The pak univesities are fully islamised places where the sjunni shia battles are faught. Most of teh demand for burkha is coming from teh student unions, as testified by teh action of student organisation in handing over Imaran.

SWo take it from me tahmed, the largest and oraganised student groups are jihadis.

Atleast we were never fooled into believing that the media was "free" when we clearly saw Musharaff stage managing the media jamboories and his press conferences with carefully planted questions by 'friendly' scribes since the Agra Summit days.

India also has no true freedom of press as all indians are brain washed for years of propaganda against Pakistan.

Dear Beena S,

"A nasty civilian elected government is better than a benign military government."

Lacks evidence and based upon wishful thinking. It seems u r making linear assumptions about civilian Govts ie if they are elected by the ppl they will b rejected by the ppl. There is no guarantee these corrupt, authoritarian civilian structures will not manipulate the system.

Author,

The police did not stop these protests or baton charge or arrest the journalists or lawyers. At the end of the day, ... Sharif was a civilian ruler whom the people of Pakistan would have rejected at the polls had the process of democratic politics been allowed to continue.

Thanks for your clear thinking. You are a genuine patriot/activist and wish more of the Pakistani liberals had a level head on their shoulders as you. As it is, all they indulge in is cutting off their nose to spite their face.

Just a small addition/clarification re the Najam Sethi matter. He had briefly occupied the position of National Security adviser in one of the caretaker administrations with access to sensitive information associated with that post, and then had gone to India and argued Pakistan to be a failed state. That was considered seditious and more than just an ordinary journalist voicing opinions, and was picked up by Military Intelligence (MI) on the COAS's instructions and later released by the same.

The entire incident had nothing to do with Nawaz Sharif, but has been widely cited as part of his character assassination campaign.

As you would recall, his sole publication then 'The Friday Times' continued uninterrupted during his detention even though it carried a regular feature on the back page dedicated to name calling and personal insults to Sharifs written by Jugnu Mohsin, Sethi's wife.

This is just for putting record straight.

Regards

Dear Author,

On the issue of journalists being harrassed, it is important we highlight the reasons why the corrupt, totalitarian Najaiaz Sharif Govt went after Najam Sethi, Jang Group and other journalists trying to do their job.

Najam Sethi was attacked because of his interview to the BBC documentary that highlighted corruption in Najaiz Sharif's Govt.

Jang Group also became the victim of Najaoz Sharif's open badmashi when the Jang Grouo refused to comply with their ghoonda ghardi.

Three journalists were arrested in Karachi for their expose that irked the shallow Najaiz Sharif N Co.

Beena,
Not to undermine the struggle and determination of media, please clarify the doubts that exist about LIFAFA Culture and the names associated with it.

As for Najam, I do not consider him to be very strong in convictions and sense of history.

#2 Posted by tahmed32
“The journalists have been right there with them, with many of them losing their lives, others getting beaten and arrested by police - again in the line of duty. Which in their case is to serve as the eyes and ears of the nation!!”

I agree with you tahmed in entirety! After having lived outside the country for more than two decades, I can only salute the Pakistani nation for standing up for democracy and the rule of law. It seems to me that all political strains in Pakistan are uniting for one goal and that is to remove the army from the political scene. Sindhi, Baloch and Pathan nationalists, separatists and leftists and Punjabi moderates like Nawaz and Imran are gathering on one point agenda and the agenda is not just getting rid of Musharaf but to create a united front against the army. It is not easy and it is not going to happen overnight.
The beast called army in Pakistan has long tentacles.

The independence struggle that MOST Pakistani missed or forced to stay away from in the 40s has finally started in Pakistan. Like the Indian struggle for independence led to a continuous civilian rule and shades of democracy in India, this Pakistani struggle for independence will lead to a genuine democracy in Pakistan. For the first time after two hundred years Pakistani are getting closer to independence.

Beena,
One must study the changes that have taken place in the Jang group after the death of Mir Khalil ur Rehman. He never wavered in his support of the army but it seems that his son is not afraid of taking up the army. why and how this transformation took place? I hope some day you will get to this subject.

Dear Beena,

Liked reading this piece.

It does seem to be true that a sizeable section of the Pakistani society is up against the army. As a result Pakistanis have gained quite a bit. These gains, however, may trickle away EVEN under a democratically elected BB or NS and even if this leader comes to power on the base of the present movement. Please note that democracy is sweet only for the politician who is out of power, not for those who are in power. To check against such adverse flows the process of politicization has to reach the "unwashed" masses, till then this present movement has to continue.

For me, it is sad that BB believes that she can only make a difference by being in power. She may have been able to contribute much more by being outside.

GT, HP,

.... i was busy all last week so i didn't get a chance to keep up with the pakistani tamasaha ... do we have have democracy yet ?

....... like you guys, i too got caught up in the jungle fever of this 'revolution' led by the droopy-eyed pco-1 cj who suddenly found religion and refused to take oath under pco-2 ...... i was certain that he, along with the unemployable lawyers and the elite students of lums was going to storm the dictator's camp office and boot him off to boston ..... instead, it seems he has moved into better and rent free accomodations at the presidential palace and is looking rather dapper in mufti ........what happened ?..... he is begining to look awfully like ghulam ishaq khan .... remember him? ......

.........and maulana fazloo is looking happier than santa clause with paris hilton on his lap, while the qazi lookes peaked and imran khan is looking more and more constipated ....... the honorable brothers look like deer caught in the headlights and if they are not careful they will become gt roadkill for the chaudharies to feast on - those happy hyenas couldn't look happier!......... as for bb, she is beginning to sound like a menopausal spinster who is desperate to jump into bed with anything or anybody before it is too late .........

........ i am afraid i have lost interest in democracy, independence of the judiciary, freedom of the press and other trappings of a civilized society ........ first things first, the unwashed masses need a bar of soap and some running water ....... like fanciful schholboys, looking at a centerfold, we are getting all hot and bothered when there is no real prospect of actual sex ........

zeemax #: "....He had briefly occupied the position of National Security adviser in one of the caretaker administrations......argued Pakistan to be a failed state.......and was picked up by Military Intelligence (MI) on the COAS's instructions....The entire incident had nothing to do with Nawaz Sharif..."

same discussion again, for which i had provided so many facts, so the same questions:

1. in which govt. was sethi a national security advisor? .... he was an advisor in one caretaker govt, but not on national security....

2. does pakistan have a position called national security advisor?

3. i remember reading some of the text of his speech....i don't recall the details, but exactly where did he say that pakistan is a failed state

4. is it a crime to declare pakistan a failed state in india (assuming he did so)

5. according to sethi's own interview, he was picked up by the punjab police and civilian authorities, not by the military intelligence....in addition sethi, himself, stated that musharraf got him out...so what is the basis of your stating otherwise

6. sethi, himself, stated that he was picked up by nawaz sharif because he exposed ns corruption on bbc......and that sharifs apologized to him when they were out of power....how then can one say that sharifs are being scandalized, when sethi himself is saying they picked him up.......and they, themselves apologized...

....if you want to push your cause, you have every right to do so......but it will only weaken, if it is not supported by facts.....

#13 Posted by bulleya,

bulleya, we have had this discussion at length and more will be just repetitive. Sethi was National Security Adviser (or Adviser on National Security .. as these things are named) in the Malik Meraj Khalid caretaker Government immediately preceding his second term. I may be wrong on the exact title of his post but he had the status of Federal Minister.

However, you may like to answer a question of mine as well. Why didn't Nawaz Sharif shut down Friday Times?

bulleya,

However I've found a particular item after a bit of googling (amongst mostly typical character assassination on the subject including a chowk article) which you might find interesting.

This is dated 7 October 1999. Remember Nawaz Sharif was still Prime Minister on that date.

The other fact it states is that Sethi was picked up by ISI i.e. the army. I maintain though that he was picked up by MI under the Army Act.

http://www.canada.ifex.org/alerts/content/view/full/9102

Election Commissioner dismisses petition against editor Najam Sethi

Country/Topic: Pakistan
Date: 07 October 1999
Source: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Person(s): Najam Sethi
Target(s): journalist(s)
Type(s) of violation(s):
Urgency:

(CPJ/IFEX) - After a two-hour hearing on 6 October 1999, the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan dismissed a petition that sought to exclude embattled editor Najam Sethi from political life by having him declared non-Muslim.

The petition was filed on 24 June by legislator Syed Zafar Ali Shah, a member of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's ruling party. It sought to disqualify Sethi, who is the founding editor of the Lahore-based English weekly "The Friday Times", from voting or running for office by requesting that his name be struck from voters' lists if he "does not fulfill the requirements of a Muslim," as defined in Article 260-3 of Pakistan's constitution.

The petition also charged that a speech that Sethi delivered before a New Delhi audience on April 30 violated Articles 62(h) and 63-1(g) of the constitution, which prohibits people whose speech or actions are deemed prejudicial to the "ideology of Pakistan" from holding any elected office.

The Chief Election Commissioner, Muhammed Qadeer, did not elaborate on his decision. Lawyers on both sides of the case presented documentary evidence only.

Sethi was arrested at his home in Lahore on 8 May, and was detained for nearly a month in the custody of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, the army's intelligence unit. Government statements indicated that Sethi was being investigated for "anti-state" activities, including his New Delhi speech, as well as alleged collaboration with Indian intelligence operatives.

CPJ believes, however, that the Sharif government has been targeting Sethi for his consistently critical coverage of official corruption, as well as for giving an interview to a BBC documentary crew that was producing a program on corruption within the prime minister's family.

Sethi and his family have also been fighting more than two dozen cases of tax evasion, all of which appear to be politically motivated.

Of-course the point below, in case you miss it, is that the Chief Election Commissioner ruled against the sitting government.

Compare that with the present times when the entire superior judiciary is thrown out when it is suspected of doing the same.