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Making a Mockery of Democracy

Mohammad Gill December 30, 2007

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#65 Posted by tvarad on January 1, 2008 3:34:25 am
Salim_Chuahan:

"Clearly you have succeeded in compensating for my bad moments.:) As evil as Mushy is, I have not heard rumors about his $1.5 B stash in Swiss banks or palaces in Surrey or being convicted of money laundering by a European court."

For the faujis, Pakistan is their own Swiss Bank and fiefdom, so why would they need to stash away their money elsewhere and buy up palaces in far-away lands?
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#66 Posted by majumdar on January 1, 2008 3:34:58 am
(MQM is much bigger evil company than PPP. )

How so? How many people have MQM killed? How many people were murdered in B'desh at ZAB's behest, how many in B'stan and NWFP in the ZAB Govt. And how many Mojos in Karachi by BB- N Babur combine, and how many killed by Talibs spawned by BB's 2nd Regime.

Regards
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#67 Posted by freethinker on January 1, 2008 5:11:53 am
Salim-Chauhan (61), tahmed32, and hamidm2:

Guys, thank you for focusing on the raison d'etre of the article.

Mohammad Gill
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#68 Posted by arjun_1 on January 1, 2008 5:36:10 am
#66 Posted by majumdar on January 1, 2008 3:34:58 am


How many people were murdered in B'desh at ZAB's behest


Why are you bringing up the killing of a few hundred thousand people? Are you a muslim hating, pakistan hating indian hater or something?
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#69 Posted by tahmed32 on January 1, 2008 7:25:52 am
#60 krashid: I wish what you say about mqm being non-ethnic were true. But I dont see how can say that in the face of evidence to the contrary over a period of decades. The fact is that while mqm leaders understand that they can never be a significant political force at the national level without support from the rest of Pakistan, they have proved emotionally incapable of thinking outside narrow ethnic boundries. They are thus doomed to playing a negative and divisive role in Pakistan politics.

On your specific responses:

1. Killing of peaceful protestors on March 12.
You say: MQM claims that it is other way round.
My Response: You know what mqm claims is not true, so it is obvious that you merely gloss over this fact merely to avoid agreeing on this point of fact. All you achieve, though, is undermine your own credibility as an objective observer. The Chief Justice had spoken before peaceful demonstrators for democracy in other cities in Pakistan, and there was no reason to believe that things would be otherwise in Karachi. The Chief Justice was speaking out against military dictatorship, not against mqm or any other political party.

2- Promote ethnic rifts in Karachi.
You say: As the above history suggest MQM started as ethnic party, but later changed its direction. In fact administration supported the party based on Mohajir Qaumiat against Muttahida which changed its direction. And MQM is composed of Non Mohajirs as well as Mohajirs.
My Response: While mqm tried to change direction, it has failed to do so. Just changing the name means nothing. And its betrayal of the democracy movement and support for musharraf can only be understood based on its ethnic mindset I referred to above, since there is no other obvious reason for a mqm to have supported musharraf's attempts to stay on as military ruler. This again points to the short-sighted mindset of mqm leaders who failed to recognize that musharraf owes his power to the military, and military rule is ultimately harmful to all Pakistanis regardless of ethnicity.

3- Promote violence against political opponents.
You say: When APMSO started its politics it was targeted and its workers were beaten badly. It from the very beginning had to fight the Jamiat terrorism. Later on since it has changed its name and direction, violence is against MQM and thousands of its workers havers have been killed in the name of EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLING.
My response: The killings of May 12, and the fact that the murderers of May 12 walk free without any mqm leader calling for their arrest, demonstrate otherwise.

4- Supporting a military dictatorship, while ridiculing Pakistan civil society.
Your response: Where was Pakistan civil society when there was operation in Sind and Baluchistan against the people by the Army. MQM always supported and took stand for those people, whether they were part of Government or not. While so called flag bearer of civil society were taking oath on PCO bypassing the principled Supreme court judges and making sure their children get a good future bypassing the law.

My response: In writing the above, you provide a "rationale" for opposing the civil society of Pakistan. Thus contradicting your own claims above that mqm is no longer an ethnic party. Nor is this "rationale" - even if it were fair and objective - is not enough to support the betrayal of Pakistan by mqm during its darkest hours.




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#70 Posted by krashid1961 on January 1, 2008 8:17:25 am
TAhmed:
On your point1
{On May 12, 2000, Pakistan's Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup}

{Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was made a "non functional Chief Justice" on March 9, 2007. In so acting, President Pervez Musharraf invoked two main clauses of the Constitution of Pakistan.}
{On 12 March 2007, lawyers across Pakistan began boycotting all court procedures in protest against the suspension. In the capital Islamabad, and in other cities such as Lahore, Karachi and Quetta, hundreds of lawyers dressed in black suits attended rallies, condemning the suspension as unconstitutional.}
{According to Khairi, Hussein Chaudhry acquitted two people -- Eid Gul and Shahzad Gul -- who were sentenced to life imprisonment by a session judge. The complainant has maintained that the judge took a bribe in the case.}
{This constitutional amendment has paved the way for a large number of lawyers and private citizens coming forward to lodge their private complaints against the judges of the Superior Judiciary," said a senior lawyer.}
{According to media reports and SC sources, three members on the five-member highest judicial panel in the country face references pending against them on charges ranging from misconduct, misuse of authority, corruption and embezzlement. The fourth has a personal grouse against Justice Iftikhar for having occupied his residence in Karachi while the presiding judge has a conflict of interest problem.}
{Arbab has said that he would appear before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) if asked to give a statement. A number of complaints have been placed on record by the Sindh province concerning the conduct of the suspended chief justice}
To be continued
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#71 Posted by krashid1961 on January 1, 2008 8:39:43 am
The district and sessions judges who were sidelined by the then Lahore High Court Chief Justice Falak Sher on account of their involvement in financial irregularities
{ oath taken by the judges under Provisional Constitutional Order and in view of recent verdicts upholding various orders and acts of the present military regime}
To be continued
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#72 Posted by krashid1961 on January 1, 2008 8:46:15 am
Riots disrupt Karachi calm: •34 killed, 140 injured •rivals trade allegations.
The utter failure of the Sindh government and the law-enforcers to maintain law and order made the city hostage to political workers. However, Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister on Home Affairs Waseem Akhtar blamed the chief justice for a breakdown in law and order and deaths in incidents of violence.
{Despite the heavy deployment of law-enforcement agencies across the city as claimed by the police, they suddenly disappeared from the troubled spots allowing the rival groups to trade fire with each other, resulting in deaths and injuries to dozens of people.}
{DIG Operations Mushtaq Shah said that 2,000 additional police personnel were deployed along Sharea Faisal. “Police acted as a buffer between the rival groups; otherwise the casualties would have been much higher,” he added
{Sporadic incidents of violence started early in the morning as a man, belonging to a religious group, was gunned down in Landhi while people preparing to receive the Chief Justice were fired upon. Similarly, three policemen and seven other people were wounded in clashes between rival political party workers at Abdullah College and two other policemen were wounded in SITE}
(Police said participants of the opposition rally attempted to set fire to at least four petrol pumps on Sharea Faisal following the incidents of firing by the rivals}
{The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) said in a statement that its 10 activists were among those who lost their lives on Saturday while PPP said its 15 party workers were killed in attacks on the rally}
All news from Dawn 13th March
To be continued.
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#73 Posted by rf786 on January 1, 2008 8:54:21 am
Re: # 63

Salim Sahib,

Pleasure is all mine. Making a mockery of democracy is a pertinent title for all the bigots on this forum who pretend to uphold highest standards of democracy but in actuality behave practice the worst kind of hypocrisy.

The Sharifs and the great white hope Imran Khan have openly practiced Punjabi/Northern politics at the expense of the Southern populations yet the hypocrites fail to acknowledge and condemn these bigots simply because they themselves are hypocrites.

MQM is what it is, like it or not they are here to stay. To their credit they do not hide behind some fake rhetoric nor do they cater to the rich and famous. Yet they are not suitable for these jackasses, so I say girthee huwee diwaron ko aik dhaka aur do...
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#74 Posted by tahmed32 on January 1, 2008 9:05:02 am
krashid #72 It is impossible to understand your point if you simply cut and paste some news item. Instead, could you please simply say briefly why you disagree on item 1 (to which it seems your 3 posts below relate) if you still continue to disagree on what I think is a simple factual matter?

And why is it so important to defend a political party as you are doing for the mqm? Why is it so important to provide legal cover (as you seem to be doing) to a military coup? If you really care about Pakistan, or even about one community of people within Pakistan - that is fine. But then, it is better to identify these and see what is the best way to serve this interest. A political party is a means to and end (i.e. the welfare of the community one cares about), not an end in itself. I would urge you to re-think your views in keeping this in mind - and then perhaps you will see why the struggle for democracy in Pakistan is ultimately in everyone interests - the mohajir community in Pakistan, Pakistan as a nation, and indeed the entire region and the rest of the world as well.
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#75 Posted by mohar11 on January 1, 2008 11:06:49 am
Looking at the level bad blood and vitriol among various major enthnic groups in pakiland - it's probably better for you guys to just split up - enough with this pakiland experiement already...separate sindh, punjab, baloch... and give out NWFP to afgans... :)

go the checkoslovakia way - peacefully and cordially - before it's too late and too many people die... too many people are dead already...
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#76 Posted by mohar11 on January 1, 2008 11:15:11 am
Just make sure you allocate a patch of land somewhere for mohajirs... I don't want these people to turn around and knock at our door... :)
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#77 Posted by Salim_Chauhan on January 1, 2008 4:10:00 pm
rf786 #63 {"The Sharifs and the great white hope Imran Khan have openly practiced Punjabi/Northern politics at the expense of the Southern populations yet the hypocrites fail to acknowledge and condemn these bigots simply because they themselves are hypocrites. ...MQM is what it is, like it or not they are here to stay. To their credit they do not hide behind some fake rhetoric nor do they cater to the rich and famous. Yet they are not suitable for these jackasses, so I say girthee huwee diwaron ko aik dhaka aur do..."}

Bismillah Bhai,
I agree with you completely. These bigots use "democracy" as a cover for oppression and a return to the horrible years of BB I, NS I, BB II, and NS II. Did you notice that all the chest-beating mourners of May 12 are hypocritically silent at the behavior of PPP goons and the loss of life and catastrophic destruction of Pakistan that they have inflicted?
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#78 Posted by krashid1961 on January 1, 2008 4:12:05 pm
TAhmed:
Point 1 is killing of peaceful preotestors. I just put the news. As reported. I am not MQM.
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#79 Posted by krashid1961 on January 1, 2008 4:19:11 pm
2- Promote ethnic rifts in Karachi.
{To further the programme of national development and a nation-wide campaign against feudal domination, Mohajir Quami Movement was formally transformed into Muttahida Quami Movement on 26 July 1997}
PREAMBLE:
MQM is the only political party of Pakistan which represents and comprises of
working, middle class and poor masses of the country who are presently down
trodden, disadvantaged and exploited by the two percent ruling elite.}
{MQM has revolutionised politics in Pakistan by its peaceful struggle. Its elected
representatives and office bearers are chosen by ordinary party workers and people on
merit not by virtue of being born in a feudal family or political dynasty.}
{MQM is struggling to abolish this obsolete system in order to establish a truly
democratic, progressive and egalitarian society in the country where all citizens have
equal rights irrespective of their colour, creed, language, ethnicity, gender, belief and
religion.}
{The cherished goals of MQM are eradication of political authoritarianism, abolition of
feudal system, promotion of cultural pluralism, devolution of power to the grass root
level and to achieve maximum provincial autonomy. MQM believes in induction of
the common man in the power structure to provide maximum opportunity to
economically and socially deprived people-“empowerment for all” for a better and
safer life for today and tomorrow.}
To be continued

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#80 Posted by krashid1961 on January 1, 2008 4:24:12 pm
List of MQM Candidates:
ELECTION 2008

HAQ PARAST CANDIDATES FOR

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FROM

INTERIOR SINDH



District Sukkur:

No.
Constituency
Name

1
NA-198
Munawar Ali Chohan

2
NA-199
Waheed Mughal




District Ghotki:

3
NA-200
Pir Bux Solangi

4
NA-201
Dr. Imam Bux




District Shikarpur:

5
NA-202
Syed Jahan Shah

6
NA-203
Shah Nawaz Mehar




District Larkana:

7
NA-204
Gulam Mohiuddin Durrani

8
NA-205
Sohail Abbasi Advocate




District Qamber Shehdad Kot:

9
NA-206
Gulzar Mugheri

10
NA-207
Ubaidullah Blaidi




District Jacobabad:

11
NA-208
Mohammad Nadeem Brohi

12
NA-209
Mohammad Anwer Sayyal




District Kashmor:

13
NA-210
Khair Bux Khossa




District Noshero Feroz:

14
NA-211
Nisar Ahmed

15
NA-212
Mohammad Aslam Tahiri




District Nawab Shah:

16
NA-213
Mohammad Mureed Brohi

17
NA-214
Ali Asghar Rind




District Khairpur:

18
NA-215
Abdul Qadir Solangi

19
NA-216
Noor Mohammad Sehto

20
NA-217
Dr. Mrs. Irshad Bano



District Hyderabad:

21
NA-218
Fateh Mohammad

22
NA-219
Tayab Hussain

23
NA-220
Salahuddin

24
NA-221
Dr. Mumtaz Chandio

25
NA-222
Akbar Mallah




District Tando Allahyar:

26
NA-223
Mehmood Qadir Khanzada




District Badin:

27
NA-224
Aleem Qaim Khani

28
NA-225
Asghar Ali Purhyar




District Mirpur Khas:

29
NA-226
Prof. Khursheed Ahmed Siddiqui

30
NA-227
Shabbir Ahmed Qaimi




District Umar Kot:

31
NA-228
Ponjo Mal Bhel




District Jam Shoro:

32
NA-231
Mohammad Jawaid Quraishi




District Dadu:

33
NA-232
Gulam Murtaza Solangi

34
NA-233
Syed Zahid Ali Shah




District Sanghar:

35
NA-234
Riaz Shar

36
NA-235
Dev Das

37
NA-236
Hanif Ansari




District Thatha:

38
NA-237
Irfan Ali Bukuk

39
NA-238
Ms. Heer Ismail Soho

Excerpts from MQM websirte. (I don't see any ethnic tilt)
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