Common Pakistanis US Foreign Policy

Lahore : the height of nautanki


Yes. that is correct. You have read it right. IMHO this is nautanki (thanks sadna). Pakistani elite nautanki at its most brazen level.

At stake is $2B per annum from the US - which will dry if everything is normal. The current bid is to increase this amount. this is at a similar level to what was considered "peanuts" by Zia Ul Haq (with inflation etc added).

Pakistanis are the greatest
(a) actors
(b) blackmailers
(c) drama queens

In this respect. they know how to extract the maximum dollar from the world. Shylock and his pound of flesh episode is a bleeding joke when compared to these guys.

Re: # 171

SPY: "India goes to polls in the next few weeks to decide on all these issues - concerning daily life and long term strategic issues all. They decide or influence what gets done or not done."

Really? What choices do they have? Between the same old recycled politicians? Is there room for new blood in Indian politics?

While some have joined the long-running Maoist insurgency in the "Red Corridor" , I think the saving grace for India is the infinite patience of the majority of its poor and practically disenfranchised people.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

"Neither government is concerned with the welfare of its poor people. By percentage of population, India has more of them than Pakistan. Particularly disturbing is persistent hunger in India, which PM Manmohan Singh describes as "India's Shame" while at the same time India holds US debt worth $30 billion."

This is incorrect both India and Pakistan's poverty rates are roughly the same (~25%). Albeit India's historically India's poverty rate was far higher even in the recent past.


https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/pk. html

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/in.htm l

But quite honestly that is almost irrelevant. Many poor peeps in India are poor because they have no drive to succeed. Instead they sit on their asses and expect the govt, relatives, etc. to support them.

#167 Posted by RiazHaq

"Neither government is concerned with the welfare of its poor people." - Agreed

"By percentage of population, India has more of them than Pakistan" - Agreed, but the numbers for India are reducing while increasing for Pakistan. Pakistan should prevent it increasing.

"Particularly disturbing is persistent hunger in India, which PM Manmohan Singh describes as "India's Shame" while at the same time India holds US debt worth $30 billion."
That shows the maturity to accept the real issues and to deal with them.

"Do you think it's fair to the hungry people many of whom are worse off than people in sub-Saharan Africa?" Agreed - not fair, but that is life. People willing to work do not face such situation. Your statement and my responses are true in most of the countries of the world including India.

Note: India goes to polls in the next few weeks to decide on all these issues - concerning daily life and long term strategic issues all. They decide or influence what gets done or not done.

Re: # 16
Tahmed 32:

I agree with you that I did not go into the details of atrocities committed by the misguided people. That would require another extensive article. I wanted to highlight the US policy of using force that has failed and cost tremendous loss of human life.

I believe force should be used as a last resort. I categorically condemn people who burn schools and kill innocent people.

Re: # 6
Shankar:

I agree with you that one prescription does not fit every human being. The people who are brainwashed in certain way can never learn to respect human live.

Hersh Mander wrote about Gujarat massacre of Muslims by highly educated Hindus who belonged to RSS and VHP. These people had complete addresses of Muslims in the area, used cell phones and were well versed in english. All of these educated people committed tremendous atrocities.

Looking back at the history, the Germans who committed Holocaust were also highly educated.

However I have seen people completely changed when they are exposed to new language and ideas. I know many Pashtuns who started in tribal environments, received education and completely changed.

So if in the Madrassah, people who learn english and get exposed to new ideas might change. Even a small percentage will be worth the effort.

Rajesh:

I believe that the states should look after their own affairs and not blame others. So Pakistan should not blame India and India should not blame Pakistan.

Politicians find this easy way out to cover up incompetence. In this World states behave like human beings. The states like people look after their own interests.

The religious fundamentalists, Mullahs are on the wrong side of history. In the contemporary World, the nations and people rise only if they are educated and technologically advanced. No nation has risen in the recent history by being religious.

Regarding the attack on Sri Lanka team, I believe this was a massive failure of the state. The governor Salman Taseer was busy in horse trading to install PPP in Punjab. Shrief brothers were disqualified, Chief minister was sacked and governor kicked out the police officers and replaced them with his own people. So under these circumstances, it was a miracle that Sri Lankan team survived.

Lastly I believe India and Pakistan should follow the path of peace. We should learn from Europe and rise above our differences.

Re: # 165
SPY: "So you tell me which govt is taking more care of its poor people. Absolute numbers of poor will be larger in India as it also has a larger population. A better measure will be to check if those numbers are reducing in percentages in the last few years."

My answer to your question is: Neither government is concerned with the welfare of its poor people. By percentage of population, India has more of them than Pakistan. Particularly disturbing is persistent hunger in India, which PM Manmohan Singh describes as "India's Shame" while at the same time India holds US debt worth $30 billion. Do you think it's fair to the hungry people many of whom are worse off than people in sub-Saharan Africa?
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 162 SPY-ji donot worry. that is MASTAH Tahmed32 just trying to be funny and sarcastic at the same time - little realising that he is missing his intended targets. You will get used to it once you are hear for some time.

Re: # 164

Hi Riaz, I agree with you and wish that India could have spent more time / effort / money for its poor people. But there is difference between the relationship of handling poverty and strategic interests for India, vis-a-vis the same issues handled by Pakistan.

While Pakistan govt is broke, defaulting on international loans, begging IMF for short term capital etc. but still it spends more % of its GDP money on its defence and strategic interests, despite clearly knowing that India is not a threat (Zardari's words). Compared to this India spends lesser in GDP% knowing fully well that Pakistan govt (and a large Pak population also) has always been hostile to India.

So you tell me which govt is taking more care of its poor people. Absolute numbers of poor will be larger in India as it also has a larger population. A better measure will be to check if those numbers are reducing in percentages in the last few years.

The Indian Govt. can do more and has done significant poverty handling measures. But there is a point, beyond which it is not possible, and other issues also gain importance to be handled. I believe the point where the Pakistan Govt changes its focus from the poverty handling steps and starts looking at the strategic interests, comes much earlier than required.

Example: The Indian govt has spent enough money to have basic schools in villages, for the poor to get their children educated at a cheaper cost. Pakistan govt does not spend much money on schools, with the result the children go to Madarsa and easily get exposed to redical / terrorist teaching. In fact it is the USA which is making schools in many places of Pakistan as non-military financial aid.

Re: # 153
SPY, There are 450m (three times the entire population of Pakistan) poor, hungry and homeless and/or slumdwelling people in India who are picking through garbage and coming up empty handed. Would you then argue that India should forget about its strategic interest because of the well documented, widespread and abject poverty in India?
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

SPY-ji,

you are quite right, in fact this fire has always crossed the border. But it is important that it express itself in the land of its origin. becuz that is the only way the ruling establishment in pakistan (yes, its fractured, and, yes, many there are sick of this strategic depth bakwaas) will take action against it. Its only when friends and family of Hamid Gul and Kayani and other real power brokers are scared of death from "freedom fighters" that they will realize that they need to change things. Otherwise, these great thinkers will always manage to come up a good reason for killing indian civilians for no reason.

Re: # 158 "looks like the lahore attack has the indian specimen on chowk squawking with excitement."

Ahmed sahab, very much disagree with you on this. Only the foolish Indians might be rejoicing at this.

If the neighbours house is on fire, and we do nothing, it is not long before our house will also meet the same fate.

I sincerly wish that all the terrorist groups behind such attacks are destroyed and neither Pakistan nor India face such attacks again. Ideally we should be handling this problem together, but unfortunatley there is lot of mistrust and complications at each stage. I hope things improve before this fire engulfs us fully.

Re: # 103
Rajesh...
FYI...
The attackers spared the bus driver, and his brother was sent to arabic moon god's whore house by Indian armed forces in kashmir (died in jihad in Kashmir)....Isn't it enough?
None of the Srilankan cricketers are feeling comfortable to play in Pakistan, anymore....They are now undergoing psychological treatment by an Art of Living Guru.......
The fact is, Paki cricketers (most of them are members of Tablighi Jamat and all are muslas) left hotel much after the Lankan cricketers left....You mean to saym they were not aware of it?
It may be the work of Javed Miandad (he perfectly fits to be a terrorist), using his nexus with Dawood Ibrahim, Omar Seikh etc...plotted this....

cricket was still a gentlemen's game....disgusted Dennis Lilee, kicked that rascal....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jwI4LwgL9c

Re: # 151
BJ2...
most of Indians are also captive....Otherwise, how come UP,Bihari bhaiyas still shout in the name of Rahul Gandhi....India don't lack stupid people like Pakistan....

#143 mr. madani: you should not "laugh exceedingly". it will making bhayya altaf worrying exceedingly that you are catching his manic depressive disease.