Watching Poverty Grow

Re: # 166
Khyber
I think the role of Pakistan army in 62 years could be useful to determine their political character as well as their crimes against the people. Musharraf's role is a part of this setup where the army takes over the country when they want and run the country as their subservient fiefdom.

#166 why they dont kick musharraf out of chak shahzad and bring him to trial for his vicious crimes against the pakistani people is beyond me. pakistanis are too tolerant of thugs. in fact, properties created through abuse of office by musharraf in islamabad and by other rogues like AQ Khan (jeopardized pakistani security by enriching himself through sale of nuclear secrets) should be confiscated and turned into orphanages.

http://www.asia-pacific-action.org/node/69

Pakistan: $23.8 Billion Corruption From Privatization Under Musharraf
"1550 billions Rupees (US$23.84 billion) worth of corruption in Privatization process during 8 years of Musharraf dictatorship."
Farooq Tariq, Labor Party Pakistan: There has been massive corruption during the eight years of Musharraf-Shoukat power period from 1999 until 2007. It is very clear that the privatization process has not been proved as a key to economic development as was claimed by the government, but instead a total disaster for the economy.

http://pukhtunkhwatimes.blogspot.com/

http://thepathans.blogspot.com/

In a country,where people are selling kids and kidneys,can't claim economically successful,its a shame that Pakistani elite and wealthy politicians are building palaces but then they beg for money from other countries. Musharraf included the most corrupt elements among the civilians in his own government.
This is a tragic truth of our nation that army generals always give protection to most criminal personilites of Pakistan. Its really amazing that when Mush took power he was against all the negative stuff,corruption etc but like I said before,he jumped into same corrupt club of politicians.

http://pukhtunkhwatimes.blogspot.com/

http://thepathans.blogspot.com/

Re: # 162
Politically motivated defence of Musharraf is factually incorrect. By the end of 2007 prices of necessary commodities shot up. There was wheat shortage which necessitated import. Long hours of load-shedding had already begun. Oil prices went up. The lawyers movement had been curbed by imposing emergency. Judges and their families were put under house arrest. Musharraf's legacy includes deals with Taliban and military operation in Balochistan. Besides a public mandate, the present rulers needed a deal with the army to assume power. The role of army in the history of Pakistan has not been quite constructive, instead it was the military rulers who presided over the debacle of East Pakistan.

Re: # 163
Correction: I share in your sadness.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 161
I share in your address. It's a great loss to the world of music and entertainment.

Jackson was a musical genius but he leaves a very mixed legacy because of his personal problems, particularly the allegations of child molestation.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 158
Your view is a not shared by most international observers and independent economists. The data on growth in Pakistan's economy, employment, industrial development, telecom boom, middle class growth, vibrant media, etc. speaks volumes for itself, regardless of your politically motivated criticisms of Musharraf's economic legacy.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 160... I am deeply saddened by the death of the most unique talent the world has seen in pop music. Michael Jackson was one of the greatest music icons of the 20th Century. A true star who will never be forgotten.God Bless him.

http://pukhtunkhwatimes.blogspot.com/

http://thepathans.blogspot.com/

Re: # 157
He was only 50. A huge loss for the world of music.

Re: # 158..well said,thats what military dictators leave for our nation,Zia left drug mafia,weapon,religious fanaticism,MUSHY BOY took power and claimed he is in love with ATTA TURK and then he jumped into greedy politicians club.

http://pukhtunkhwatimes.blogspot.com/

http://thepathans.blogspot.com/

Re: # 154
General Musharraf left the economy in shambles. Power outages, higher gas prices and political uncertainty(lawyers movement and Taliban) was his legacy which the (so-called) civilian government inherited from the military dictator. The present government seems representing a civilian face to the military establishment but democratic process has just begun. The sovereignty of civilian rule is yet to be established.

Here is a breaking news......CNN

Michael Jackson is dead

The L.A. Times and TMZ.com report that Michael Jackson has died after going into cardiac arrest.

http://pukhtunkhwatimes.blogspot.com/

http://thepathans.blogspot.com/

Re: # 155
I agree. In resource rich economies, such as GCC nations, where the rulers do not need to tax their people to meet expenses, they do not have to listen to the people. Instead, they bribe their people to be fat, dumb and happy to maintain their power.

But even in India and Pakistan, only a very small fraction of people pay taxes and they often do not get their voices heard because they are such a small minority.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

imo democracy works with taxation, esp successful income taxation. in arabi and islami world, there is little of that with oil etc..where there is (turkey e.g.) it kinda works. india it works moderately since taxation (income) is also moderate...its about link of accountability

Re: # 152
PPP-Zardari inherited record reserves exceeding $16 billion and a fast growing economy. It's their mismanagement that has cratered it.

Summing up the economic situation last year,the Economist magazine in its June 12 issue said as follows:" (The current) macroeconomic disarray will be familiar to the coalition government led by the Pakistan People's Party of Asif Zardari, and to Nawaz Sharif, whose party provides it “outside support”. Before Mr Sharif was ousted in 1999, the two parties had presided over a decade of corruption and mismanagement. But since then, as the IMF remarked in a report in January, there has been a transformation. Pakistan attracted over $5 billion in foreign direct investment in the 2006-07 fiscal year, ten times the figure of 2000-01. The government's debt fell from 68% of GDP in 2003-04 to less than 55% in 2006-07, and its foreign-exchange reserves reached $16.4 billion as recently as in October."
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide