An Open Letter to Gen. Pervaiz Musharaff

Hi Mueen Batlay & Rahal Saeed,

It is true that you feel that miltary should not act in haste, but consider what an average pakistani is feeling toward his country.

In the newspapers the public has welcomed this change. May the Democracy prevail.

Anand

I`d just like to say that I think people who are criticizing the authors on the basis of their names are being quite silly. It`s ridiculous to make judgements about people just because of how they`ve signed this letter, or any other article for that matter. I can`t tell you how many times I`ve had people ask me if I`m Gujerati Indian, just based on my name, when I am actually a Sindhi whose parents argued over whether to call me Binafshe or Mumtaz, and finally settled on Bina as a compromise! Please, fellow Chowkwallas let`s not be so closed minded and petty to condemn people for their names... judge them by what they write instead.

To all my concerned Pakistanis fellows.

Read Pakistan`s Constitution and 14th Amendment to the constitution in particular. If you cry for the demise of constitutional government which gaged its own members from any disagreement with its leadership on the floor of the Parliment does not warant any sympathy for you ignorant zelots.

While Mueen Batlay and Rahal Saeed do have a point, one must realize that the democracy they refer to can only flourish when the citizens are educated or literate or informed enough to understand what it really means.

It is a sad reflection of our country that despite over 50 years of independence, our education level remains below 30% (even that is suspect).

We have had governments that have had complete majority in Parliament and what did they do for the country? The results are there for everyone to see.

I believe it is important to ensure that state control of radio, television and newspapers are completely removed. This would be the first step in ensuring that the people are well informed and if the General can do it -- then so be it.

Secondly, I would suggest to the writers of this article that they should read the report of Violence against Women in Pakistan which has just been released and then write another ``open`` letter to the General. May be that will be more ``realistic`` and will provide the readers with the feeling that the writers are really aware of the ``situation`` in our country and it is not simply rhetoric.

Re: Batlay & Rahal

Your article is disgusting. What rubbish !!!

And where did you get your hindustani names from ???

Maybe the Chowk website is also hindustani !!!

Pakistan has suffered quite heavily at the hand of several democratically elected governments. Whether the leader was corrupt is not the question. The fact remains that they were unable to curb the rampant corruption in the country and state of lawlessness. Thus they failed in their duty to the nation. Previous regimes are making rather hilarious statements about the Nawaz Sharif, firgetting the fact that it was during their era that Pakistan was ranked as the second most corrupt country following Nigeria.

How do we approach democracy, not by educated decision making, but through appealing to people`s emotions. How else could Benazir during her first successful campaign openly state her desire to avenge her fathers death? Again its hilarious to see her trapped in the current situation. Benazir was a strong opponent of any military involvement in the government especially because it was the military that had ousted her father, another corrupt politician. Her statements that military`s action was unfortunate but inevitable may actually teach her why it was needed 2 decades ago in her father`s case as well.

Gen. Musharraf seems to be a sincere man, but he needs to take some active steps to correct some of the damage that previous regimes have done. All tax evaders should be sued for all owed taxes and heavy penalties. Tax evading businesses should face penalties, including termination of current management/ownership and strict ongoing audit control for the next few years. Politicians who have ammassed personal wealth due to corruption should be treated in the following manner.

1) Completely audited, All family assets seized.

2) Banned for life from holding a public office.

3) Suitable and befitting jail term.

4) Politicians hiding overseas, including Benazir and Altaf, should be brought back and tried in the same manner as described above.

5) The seized assets should go towards our foreign exchange reserves.

Some other action items:

1) An organization such as the National Security Agency should be created and empowered.

2) Work should be initiated on a basic infrastructure for a realistic monetary and fiscal policy, I am sure numerous of our eminent scholars in top institutions in the world would be more than happy to assist in a sincere effort.

Much work needs to be done to rid the country of corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, industrialists and religious leaders. I will cheer for General Musharraf when this is done and well planned and sincere steps taken to build the infrastructure of the country. At this point I am fairly confident that he is sincere, he just needs to take immediate steps to prove it now.

Once this is done, it is his duty to allow democracy to return. The bigger challenge that we will face as a nation is to bring about true democracy, not feudal lord contingent returning to power again and again.

I totally and completely agree with what Maueen and Rahal voiced in this open letter to the General.

It is a shame to see Pakistan move backwards while the rest of the world is marching forwards. The military is supposed to guard the boundaries of the country and not indulge in the politics. If the general was so keen on setting things right then he surely should have resigned from the services and entered the arena of the politicians.

Its time that the people woke up and realized that they are being taken in for a ride yet one more time.

It is very easy for you to sit in the USA and make judgements on the situations in Pakistan. Do you have any idea how hard day to day life had become in pakistan? You talk about democracy, but you talk about it with the luxury of living in the USA where everyone, including the president is accountable; where the Judiciary, Police force and other indespensible institutions are independant and apolitical; and until you have these the term ``democracy`` is just a platform that legitamizes the evil doings of the corrupt leaders. For example, the Chief accountability Officer Senator Saifur Rehman, himself was not accountable; he and his family were major loan defaulters, to take his name off of the defaulters register he applied to the court who granted his request so he could apply for more loans. Do you realise that over 70% of the senators, MPA`s MNA`s of the country have been indicted or convicted of criminal offences? The situation is laughable. Before true democracy is able to work, we must conduct a purge of the system. This purge is not possible within the means of the constitution, as those who dispense the justice operate through a political agenda.

This purge has to be undertaken by the army as that is the only instituion left that hasnt been diluted. I have no doubt that when this purge is completed and strict guidelines have been put into place, that true democracy will rear its head finally in the land of the pure.

I have been reading comments about coup det`at with great interest. I was 4 years old when Pakistan gained independence. I have seen all the martial laws, two wars and a general decline in social, educational and moral standards since the time that I can remember. Things have changed so much that it is not the same country any more. I blame this on mullahs, politicians and generals, Firslty, the mullahs, I remember walking 3/4 mile from my school in Sialkot city to Dallowali near the border all alone when I was no more than 8/9 years old, never was any danger, never heard of any girls being molested or any one being shot. This was back in the early fifties, despite the fact that there were no islamisation and islamic laws. Now we have all the islamic laws but more rapes, crimes and innocent people being shot, just brcause they are of different sect.It is mullah who is directly responsible for this. I have seen the TV programme broadcast in London wherein Maulana Tariq Azam of SSP clearly incites his followers to kill shias. And the book by Maulana Farooqui which which states the shias are `wajibul qatal`. Why dont all the mullah`s isuue a fatwa that that to kill any human being, whether shia or sunni or christian or hindu is a grave sin and any one who preaches this is anti-muslim anmd anti pakistani. All mullahs were against pakistan and now they are out to destroy it in the name of islam. Secondly all politicians are corrupt. Initial 5 years of Ayub were good but then things started getting bad. I have never come across any regime worst than that of last Benazir Bhutto`s period. How came any one with the slightest rational mind can justify people like her. Basic ownership rights were not protected. It was during her first era when the kidnapings and car jackings started and during her second term the killing of shias started, Hakim Ali of ssp being one her ministers. Finally. the generals, despite the fact that economic progress did take place during ayub khan`s time, most of the current ills started during his time also. Zial ul haq takes the cake, he gave us the kalashinkov culture, ssp and mqm and of course the curse of the sharif brothers, when outsiders started calling pakistan a failed state. Why are pakistanis arguing about the rights and wrong of military take-over. What difference does it make, who governs or what kind of goverenment it is. To hell with the constitution if to safe gaurd it means the pakistanis are going to be killed and looted. Form of government doesnot matter.What matters is the people can go about their daily business without fear. The property is safe and rule of law is applied equally to all citizens and justice is not only done but also seen to done. People are made to pay the due taxes and loan defaulters are made to pay back the loans. Unless the above happens, Pakistan is not going to survive, we lost half of our country after 25 years and would lose the rest in next ten years. So my fellow pakistanis, please donot quible, what is done is done. Just pray to Allah that Musharaf and his junta delivers what they said they would. else we are all doomed.

dear mr musharaff

you have down well to move swiftly and stem the rot that would otherwise have been too late.

let no one believe that they can get away with looting a nation and securing their own interest at the expense of millions.

while it is a very bitter pill to swallow for every one in the international community, the remedy, inshallah shall be one that will justify the means

bhupesh

Just one question. What Constitution? Please if anyone was following the laws of that country in the first place all this s * *t would not have to take place. It`s great to have a piece of paper that tells a body of people what to do, but no one has been following the laws in a long time. Corruption is prevalant and it`s about damn time someone did something about it! As to wheter he will do any good, only time will tell. I hope so. I would like to be able to be proud of the accomplishments of my country, but let`s face it Pakistan has not done anything to be proud of in a long time. I hope he writes a new constitution, not one to serve his interests, but one that will genuinely benifit the people of Pakistan and one that, for a refreshing change, will not be based on religion but on the best for all the citizens of Pakistan.

Mueen Batlay and Rahal Saeed,

As-Salaamu Ala-e-kum.

I have no way of knowing your motives for writing this open letter - I will assume a sincere effort on your part. I, however, must disagree with you on several accounts and comment on your writing in general:

1. First thing I noticed is that you have started your letter without the courtesy of a salaam to the Gen. - no Pakistani worth his/her salt will ignore the salaam. It is not only part of our culture but also required by our religion as a right of the one who is addressed.

2. I do not know the words of the oath of office that the Gen. took. However, I do not believe these words were: ``I will defend the constitution even though I see my country being sold out by the elected government.``

3. You consider the Constitution of Pakistan more important than the survival of Pakistan. You seem to ignore the peril the so-called democratically elected government was putting the country into.

4. In your criticism, you have ignored the fact that Gen. Musharraf has put his life on the line to protect our beloved country in the past for which he was decorated. You have also ignored the fact that the military took action as the very last resort.

5. Your emphasis is on the so-called ``illegality`` of the military take-over of the government without regard to the illegality of the ex-premier`s actions of the immediate past and of the past 30 months.

6. Your ideal is limited to democratic form of government - however corrupt - rather than a just and law-abiding government - no matter what form it is in. The Islamic ideal is not a particular type of government but a government that provides justice and equal opportunity for all the people according to the laws laid down by God Himself as shown to us by our beloved prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

7. Finally, you seem to be very concerned about the foreign investments (and, maybe, foreign aid) and their impact on Pakistan`s economy. In fact, Pakistan will be forever better off without the charity - and the strings attached with it. Without it, we can be self reliant, self-sufficient and prosperous. Hasn`t the world already seen that economic self-sufficiency is so vital to freedom? Trade as equal partners, yes. Anything else is unacceptable.

Please wake up to facts on the ground. The Pakistani nation has not grieved the demise of Nawaz Shareef. It has not grieved the demise of democracy either.

If you want to work for the betterment of Pakistan, work to retrieve the lost billions of national wealth stolen by our so-called elected leaders over the years. Work to ensure that there will be accountability. That is certainly work worth doing. [Gen. Musharraf has already shown his sincerity by putting his tax returns in the public record.]

Was-Salaam.

Sincerely,

A.A.Qadeer

As a sympathizer from across the border, I offer my best wishes to pakistanis. I do believe in the institution of democracy. But if Gen Musharaf

can pull the country out of the present hole its in, and restore the democracy, this would be one

case where the END would justify the MEANS. I have my doubts too, as POWER CORRUPTS the powerful. I hope that the General has the integrity to withstand the temptations of corruption.

To the trouble duo, Mueen Batlay and Rahal Saeed.

Where was your conscience when your democratically elected leaders were flouting your constitution, as if it was nothing more than a toilet paper?

Didn`t you have a silent majority then?

This letter smells of a RAT. Whatever has happened in Pakistan was long overdue. How long can one languish in the squalor of pseudo-democracy. The `` democratic governments of Bhutto AND Sharif`` cheated the electorate on every front: economic, political and last but not the least on the very essence of being a Pakistani -PRIDE.

The open letter to Gen Musharraf, is a lameduck of an excuse for continuation of democratic values (WHO WAS FOLLOWING THESE RULES? SHARIF? BHUTTO?). I am sick and tired of people who try to impose their ideology sitting comfortably 10,000 miles away in the safe haven of US of A!. Why cant the author duo buy a one way ticket to Pakistan and WORK for the restoration of democracy?

You should not blindly follow creeds. Sometimes a just king is better than a democratically elected politician especially in a country like Pakistan where it is easy to get votes from the illeterate masses if you have the contacts.

What is the use of democracy if it does not favour the people. All opinon polls both inside and outside the country show the people welcome the army takeover.

Time and time again the army has to step in to save the country. They are NEVER given an option. Even at this time they were patient for a long time before stepping in.

It is very easy for you to sit in Washington DC and make wise comments about what is good for the country. If you had been in the country you would have know the frustration of the people and their needs.

Thank God for the Pakistan Armed Forces. Without their impressive takeover we would still be in big trouble. Lets hope and pray they put us on a stable track before handing the reins over to a civilian government.

I read an open letter written to General Musharaf. The views and ideas in the letter do not reflect the aspirations of the people of Pakistan. The results of major surveys conducted by diffenrent newspapers preliminary show that people favoured the change in Pakistan. You must keep also in mind before opposing the new regime in Pakistan. You must accept it and criticize their wrong doings in the future course of their rule.

Abdul Wajid