He had no Choice!

Shame on you for not being able to understand your petty father's psyche.

While I understand your pain, perhaps this will enlighten you on the REAL ROOTS of our troubles.

Love and peace.

Imran

Brig Tariq Jilani
Director, ISPR
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Fax +9251 9271603

Subject: Telecon / Meeting with General [R] Pervez Musharaf

Dear Brig Jilani

You and the ISPR are well aware of my efforts to save and grow Pakistan vide seminars held for MNAs and politicians in 2006 and publicly available online at www.ahappyworld.info

Background
My efforts to stop smuggling of cell phones in Pakistan have yielded the country USD 1 bn vide CBRs SRO 391 in June 2001 supported by Mr Shaukat Aziz (who happens to be from the same IBA that taught me one thing “DISCIPLINE�), Dr Atta Ur Rehman, General [R] Khalid Basheer and the former Chairmen of CBR, Mr Riaz Malik and Mr Riaz Naqvi. I never asked the Government for even an acknowledgment of my efforts, while it is true that my focus on “governmental� affairs from 1999-2001 did cost me my job as my boss gave a damn to what the Government of Pakistan gained, he didn’t gain much during this time anyway, I survived and am Alhamdolillah, after 7 years back to the level I deserved as Regional Director for a European multinational covering 20 countries in GCC/MENA. All this time I silently continued my efforts to change the country’s policies to enhance foreign investments and law and order.

Past communication with the President (General Musharaf)
Back in June 2001 I wrote a letter to General Musharaf, then CE of Pakistan. To my surprise not only was my communication acknowledged I was invited by a Colonel Kamran Dy MS to CE to visit the “CE� house, now the President house, behind the Secretariat, where we had an in depth discussion. The core idea I proposed was to involve the Army in re establishing law and order in Pakistan besides many other ideas that are on record at the President House. Col Kamran informed me that this idea was discussed by the Core Commanders and in view of foreign pressure (remember this is pre 9/11) we couldn’t do that, moreover the Army’s role is limited to:

1. Give an “injection� to civil institutions
2. Exit once they are “fixed�

I disagreed with Col Kamran on this strategy and openly told him that not only is this incorrect, it will never happen, and when your core commanders DO realize this is wrong CHANGE the strategy. I WISH I was wrong then though time has proved me right.

Current Situation

Law and order
7 years down the road, corruption is rampant in Pakistan-the law and order system is NON EXISTENT, the Judges we have, never gave justice to the poor, the police is an exploited arm of the politicians and administration. Bottom line our PRESIDENT himself does NOT trust this system, hence his demolition of the judiciary, Benazir died due this gap, the PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN ARE FED UP WITH THIS LAWLESS STATE THAT YOU CALL “PAKISTAN� they are dying or moving out of the country, they face inflation beyond logic and have to fight to survive at all levels. YET I SALUTE PAKISTANIS living in Pakistan for their persistence.

Foreign relations/Media
From Tasleema Naseem, Brig Cheema and so many other jokers who played havoc with our image, not to mention the obvious: THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS DEAD AGAINST GENERAL MUSHARAF for their reasons (watch Syriana and JFK to get a better idea strategic and tactical actions in the region and priorities) – the recent press conference Gen Musharaf had, was he not able to grasp the animosity and bitterness in the questions? Who was funding GEO? Or the others, one must be stupid with a capital “S� to say “PPP or Nawaz� – there’s a lot more, and deeper into it as described above. Moreover, the TERRORISM card has been way too overplayed by Gen Musharaf and foreign powers have NO FAITH IN HIS ABILITY TO TACKLE THAT ISSUE. In my view they are partly correct in this regard as I will explain in the “WHAT MUST BE DONE� section later

STATUS QUO: What is going to happen STEP BY STEP
1. IF General Musharaf survives assassination, he is 95% sure, by my book, to be deposed as President in a timeframe of within 180 days from now.
2. Interim government will hold polls in 90 days. Nawaz Sharif will be allowed to contest.
3. Elected “LOOTERS� from any party will take office, PPP or PML (N)
4. Phase “x� of corruption, lawlessness and malpractices will re-start in Pakistan, that was “controlled� to some extent in Musharaf era
5. The country will slide to oblivion
6. NO OTHER ARMY GENERAL WILL HAVE THE GUTS TO ENTER POLITICS ONCE MUSHARAF EXITS BY FORCE OR BY CHOICE.
7. The fate of the people of Pakistan (except “party� workers) will be sealed: SIMPLE, LEAVE PAKISTAN IF YOU WANT TO SURVIVE

WHAT MUST BE DONE IMMEDIATELY BY GENERAL MUSHARAF

Put law and order on track
1. Realize and accept that the Army has TWO ROLES:
a. External defense: that you already excel in
b. Internal defense: that is currently with the “police� and “judiciary�
i. As the QURAN says Al RASHI WAL MURTASHI FI NARE JAHANAM i.e. Bribe giver and taker goes to HELL. YOU CANNOT CHANGE OR REFORM THEM (your judges and policemen). PERIOD. You triple their salaries they will STILL be corrupt and abuse powers.
ii. We need a SHORT TERM ALTERNATE SYSTEM during which time we refresh the force and judiciary
iii. This task can ONLY be done by either enforcing APC (Army Penal Code) via serving or RETIRED army personnel
iv. The benefits are obvious, the ARMY is the ONLY institution in the country which follows its CHAIN OF COMMAND DITTO, and there is LEAST corruption in the army compared to the rest (excluding supplies and all, that too at senior levels)
v. Look at the retired sepoys from the Army, they work as private sector SECURITY GUARDS for Rs 3200 per month WITHOUT CORRUPTION, their tummies are intact, they come to duty in ironed uniform ON TIME, they do NOT abuse authority, they FOLLOW their management.
vi. Reality is 80% of EX ARMY PERSONNEL ARE MIS FITS IN PAKISTAN, they don’t belong in this corrupt environment from the disciplined environment they came from. LET THEM ENFORCE LAW AND ORDER IN THE SHORT RUN LATER RECRUIT PEOPLE FROM CIVIL LIFE ON THE SAME PATTERN AS ARMY DOES
vii. Get army judges, QUICKLY modify APC to adjust to LAW NEEDS OF TODAY, REMEMBER our lawyers and judges are following antiquated systems and processes that the BRITISH used to RULE OVER SLAVES (Contract Act of 1872 and Companies Ordinance of 1935 renamed o 1984). Our intellectual think tanks can study models of excellence in Dubai and elsewhere and change laws to deliver SPEEDY JUSTICE
viii. Free the innocent inmates in jail cells, picked up for personal animosity or plainly a woman raped and held for Hudood! Raped further by policemen, poor serfs of landlords and mafia rotting away for no crime, even CHILDREN!
ix. DIVIDE ARMY INTO TWO PARTS, EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL, both report to COAS as of now.
x. General Musharaf: YOU CANNOT SHOW YOUR FACE IN THE OTHER WORLD IF YOU DENY YOUR PEOPLE WHO TRUSTED YOU FOR 9 YEARS NOT EVEN THE BASIC RIGHT OF LAW AND JUSTICE AS OUTLINED ABOVE

Put “Extremism� back on track

I do NOT blame the “WEST� Uncle “Bush� and Uncle “Brown/Blair� for their mistaken policies to handle terrorism, they DON’T UNDERSTAND ISLAM or how this WAR is working internally, YOU DO AT LEAST, why don’t you educate them that:
1. This is an IDEOLOGICAL war waged on the free world by Al Qaeda etc you CANNOT defeat it with cannons, for every 1 person you shoot, 10 more will be born, and INCREASINGLY from the educated class, not just the “Taliban�. CASE IN POINT, London bombing was done by INDIAN DOCTORS that UK cannot reconcile with until now (how come people born and bred and working in UK became “terrorists�?).
2. TO FIGHT THIS WAR, download and read my action plan on www.ahappyworld.info
3. Simply stated:
a. WE MUST IMMEDIATELY STOP THE FIGHT BY FORCE
b. We must get IMAM E KAABA and relevant religious icons to VISIT these areas and go live on air spreading REAL message of Islam of love and peace, General Musharaf doing it is not credible or enough we need role models these people believe in
c. Tell America and Europe straight “WAR ON TERROR IS A WAR ON IDEOLOGY OF MISUNDERSTOOD ISLAM, IT CANNOT BE FOUGHT OR WON BY FORCE AS OF RIGHT NOW� at they same time tell the Western media to START HIGHLIGHTING GOOD THINGS AND PRACTICES IN ISLAM that will soothe the pain on BOTH sides.
4. General Musharaf: You need to get HANDS ON to solve these problems, saying “GOVT IS DOING THIS AND THAT FOR A REASON� WITHOUT GOING INTO DEPTH AND SOLVING IT (like you told foreign journalists when they asked why they cant go to rural areas AFTER you INSTRUCTED them to “GO TO RURAL AREAS TO FIND WHAT PAKISTANIS THINK�, Sir! YOU MUST INVOLVE YOURSELF IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS BEYOND THE OBVIOUS.
�5. Islam’s message is of peace and love, OPEN PAKISTAN’S BORDERS to EVERYONE, just charge a HEFTY VISA FEE
a. USD 1000 to visit Pakistan
b. USD 50000 to become a permanent resident of Pakistan
6. ACCEPT ISRAEL, all the Muslim TALK Pakistanis talk about is CRAP. Give visas to Jews and Christians. THAT IS THE WAY TO FIGHT INTERNAL TERRORISM tell your people loud and clear that Islam propagates the message of love, we are LUCKY to be born Muslims hence our SYMPATHIES with NON MUSLIMS who DON’T KNOW THE REAL MESSAGE and through our CONDUCT, LOVE and GOOD BEHAVIOUR alone can we influence them.

I hope to have an audience with the President on phone or in person to apprise him of the situation and the actions he must take immediately.

Pakistan Zindabad!

Regards


Imran Owais Kazmi
Chief Thinking Officer, Strategy2Action

GSM: +971 50 5849562/ +971 55 8094119
www.crscube.com
www.ahappyworld.info

I only want to refer to some of his coments on Mr Jinnah.The Muslim League was routed in the elections of 1936 in Muslim majority provinces.So Mr Jinnah made a compromise with the feudals in Punjab and Sindh.The Jinnah Sikandar Pact was the alliance of the opportunist Unionist Party with Jinnah's Muslim League.The gamble paid and Jinnah's Muslim League won in 1947.The result was disintegration of Jinnah's Muslim League between 1947 and 1955.It was an opportunist party.Dr Iqbal was happier with being knighted as " Sir" in 1920s when the Muslims were being kicked and made to crawl at the height of the non cooperation movement in India.

Dear Bilal Musharraf Sahab, I think today on the "historic" comeback of Benazir, your father had no choice but to bow to wishes of western powers!!

Dear Editors,
Chowk.com


The following write-up expresses the feelings and reactions I had towards the military coup in Pakistan as well as to Bilal Musharraf`s article on the Chowk.com

Through my alias on the Chowk at that time I expressed my opinions freely and often. I have, therefore been very pleased to see this analysis in the South Esia Tribune. I should like to share it with friends.

At the time when that exchange was dropped from its active status, and warehoused, I and many friends protested most vehemently, and consistently, against the action of the Editors. Still, there was little we could do about it. I am, therefore, very pleased to see that that exchange has continued, sort of, over the years in the form of addition of a letter or two to it occasionally. Somebody, including me, sees it and ads a few words even now to it.

Personally I had a very strong suspicion that Bilal had had that article written by somebody else, and ready to be made public on a moment`s notice, as the need arose. The reason for this thinking of mine is
that there was not enough time between the coup and the its presentation to the Editors in such a finished form.

This whole shebang took place late on the night of the 12th of October and the very well composed and written article was out two days later, on the 14th. Knowing Bilal`s education and experience I never believed that the piece was ``straight from the heart``, as it were. It was the handiwork of mature professionals.

The present analysis is from the South Asia Tribune. It did not indicate a copyright. Still, I have informed Mr. Shaheen Sehbai, the Editor of the South Asia Tribune that I am using this piece to add to the story which we started on the Chowk on October 14th and which still continues!


---------------------------------------------


A New Political Family in the Making in Pakistan

The Political Ambitions of Bilal Musharraf!
K. Hasan

WASHINGTON: When General Pervez Musharraf’s son, Bilal wrote an article for a popular web site Chowk.com on July 28, 1999, just 10 weeks before his father took over power in Pakistan in a coup d’etat, he was introduced on Chowk.com as: “The author works as an Actuarial Analyst, quantifying financial contingency. An avid follower of South Asia’s socio-economic and geo-political reality.”

“The overwhelming majority of people feel powerless in the scheme of things in Pakistan and in their desperation are blinded to reasoning and rationale and continue to project their ambitions on to individuals
that have little to show from their past and fall short of such a responsibility,” this soon-to-be-First son wrote knowing fully well that his words were coming from the heir apparent of Pakistan’s most powerful man, the Chief of the Army Staff, who could topple the government any time and who did not feel as “powerless” as he was not a part of that
“overwhelming majority” he was pleading for. Click Here for Bilal’s Article Dated July 28, 1999 [Look up ``Evaporation Drops the Temperature`` on S.P.]

Bilal’s article was clearly a declaration of his family’s political ambitions and the obvious intentions of his father, a clear inside view of what the family of Pakistan’s strongest man with the gun was thinking. It also
reflected a deep-seated hatred against the “individuals who have little to show from their past and fall short of such a responsibility.” These individuals were clearly the politicians his father was soon to act against.
Bilal and his father hated Nawaz Sharif and this was evident from Bilal’s article written in July, 99. Instead of directly attacking the then Prime Minister, Bilal cleverly quoted a paragraph from well known columnist of
‘Dawn’ Ayaz Amir. The selection of Ayaz Amir’s quotes was meaningful to the last word: He selected this para for his article:

``The tragedy is not Nawaz Sharif`s who has already known more than his share of glory. The tragedy is that of the Pakistani people who while yearning and indeed waiting for heroes have always had to settle for less
than heroic figures. In the present case the tragedy is two-fold because the people of Pakistan have deluded themselves. Far from anyone else betraying them, they have been betrayed by their own expectations.
Nawaz Sharif was no stranger to them. They knew his strengths and weaknesses as also the history of his rise to political greatness. But driven by their own desires they saw things in him that were not there. Who is then to be blamed: Nawaz Sharif for being true to form and character or the people of Pakistan for living out another chapter of their unchanging tragedy?``

Then Bilal asked: “Who are the people at the two ends of the bell-shaped empowerment curve for Pakistan?

At one end is a minority of individuals who possess the political/
professional/ financial clout to influence progressive change, and at the other is a self-centered wealthy ruling elite, that resists change and thrives on status quo.”

And calling for a change, Musharraf’s son wrote: “…The nation is increasingly left with a ruling class that is indifferent to the priority in which the fundamental needs of Pakistan need to be addressed. In the presence of a rarer medium, a liquid will eventually dry up…The working class of Pakistanis, inside and abroad... need to WAKE UP and influence change.”

These words were just 10 weeks before the October coup. They betrayed the deeply embedded ambitions of the Musharraf family to take control, bring about a change, or what Bilal called ``a wake up`` call given, in Capital Letters.

Then the moment of glory came and on October 12, 1999 Bilal’s father took over power. The son immediately jumped to his rescue as so quickly he and his father had not learnt to play the power game as it
is normally played. Two days after the coup, Bilal again wrote an article on Chowk.com, entitled “He had no Choice” and defended the take over in these words: “My father is a self-made man and I wish to state this
up front that he has made a conscious effort to never abuse his influence for personal gain.`` Click Here for Bilal’s Article of October 14, 1999
He then asked some pertinent questions: How could we continue a state of misgovernance for FIFTY-TWO years? Why hasn`t there been a single person who has been able to introduce fundamental reforms? How
long can the teeming majority of unemployed and impoverished be ignored? How can we even begin talking about the `quality` of life, when we fail to address the fundamental `sanctity` of life….

He continued justifying the coup d’etat: “This day was not envisioned. I never thought there would be such unanimous consensus within the military, amongst the people of Pakistan, and amongst the Pakistanis abroad, behind one cause. The cause being pure and unadulterated REFORMS! I honestly feel that what we are witnessing is the culmination of a collective yearning of the overwhelming majority of a hundred and fifty million people. Democracy is an essential ideal, but let`s look into our souls and understand why it has not taken root. The time has come for introspection for a fundamental change in state and society so democracy can actually blossom.

”What are the options? Back to a façade of democracy in the existing political structure? Satisfying the immediate expectation of announcing a hand picked portfolio of technocrats that would form an interim
reform government? Devoting all attention to an across the board accountability?” he wrote.

The second article drew a huge readership on the web site. Although it was given 1.5 stars out of 5, it had attracted over 40,800 readers with over 1100 readers posting their views in response to his thoughts. By
and large the sentiment was in favour of the Musharraf coup in the beginning and there were some negative remarks. Bilal was quick to respond, like a deft politician, to the critical remarks.

One critic (at Response #168) wrote: “Can your dad change the attitude of the entire civil service, bureaucracy, politicians etc in 1-2 years time.... He is neither trained nor given the mandate to run the
country. He should force his way out of this mess as soon as he can. If he is as genuine as he is made out to be (and he might be for all I know), he should join the politics (like other military men - Aslam Beg, Asghar Khan etc) and run for elections. If people want him, he will come back into power. Why put a knife to people’s throat and ask them to agree with your decisions. Do you really think the Pakistani public has a
choice in accepting the army coup or not? Our people are in a despair because of the repeated failures of the politicians AND army executives. They have no choice but to nod in approval at any change in the
status-quo. It has become a question of choosing the lesser of the evils, and not that of choosing between right or wrong.”

Another note (#189) written by B Ahmed, a university professor who later died in 2002, wrote: “Can your father provide an environment that encourages Pakistani elite to patronize (though both monetary support
and usage) Pakistani educational institutions and health facilities? But, above all, we need to have freedom to think and act in the interest of us (as individuals), our neighborhoods, communities, our nation, and our world at-large. Can your father ensure these things to every Pakistani regardless of class, gender, ethno-linguistic background, religious preference, and other bases of individual and collective identity. Of course, this is an extremely difficult task. Having said this, let me say something that you may not find palatable. Pakistan Army, despite its sacrifices and achievements, is a major part of Pakistan`s problems. Can your father ensure a change? I am not against the Army personnel, I am against the institution of Army that, according to an eight-five year old wise Pakistani, is a ``bottomless pit that eats all the resources the country should be spending on development schemes (Frontier Post, May 13, 1999). Can your father create an environment to drastically reduce our so-called defense expenditure? Can your father ensure that our national wealth is used for the welfare of the nation as a whole (nor merely on the import of sophisticated and extremely expensive
military hardware: planes, submarines, tanks, etc.)? Your father is in a lot of hot water because he has done something against the law of the country. This is sedition. Isn`t it?

Bilal Musharraf responded (#187) by saying: “On a personal side note however, I have faith that my father has the will and the spirit to see this change through. I think my father understands the importance of what
this point in time means for Pakistan and its long awaited overhaul of a decaying colonial system. It should suffice to say that at this point, allegiance is to the people of Pakistan and ‘the system’ is in suspension.”

Then there was a deluge of criticism for the next two years and Bilal was told by the Pakistani Establishment not to indulge in such a public debate at such a forum on a web site. He stopped responding to criticism and
writing any further articles. Yet he was actively involved with his father and during the many visits General Musharraf made to the US, Bilal was the main contact person, inviting the elite, arranging meetings and
looking after his Dad`s back.

By his initial responses and actions Bilal Musharraf had amply demonstrated that he had political ambitions and strong views on many subjects and he was not shy to express them either. For example in his response (#187) on Chowk.com he talks about negotiations with India and how should Pakistan be handling the situation. This was just three days after his Dad had taken over the country.

Like many children of famous politicians, Bilal Musharraf is proving to be naïve and inexperienced with views formed on subjective and emotional basis. Two days after the October 12 coup he wrote: “My immediate
family has made do with the income of a military officer and there have been no complaints. There is only relief that he has made it this far without compromising his ethics. Both my sister and I are married and
settled in our own lives.”

What does he say now when details of his own father in law have emerged proving that he was drawing a 2 per cent profit from the Rawalpindi-Peshawar Motorway firm and had been promised that profit for 25 years for providing consultancy services. Likewise that company he worked for bought off 12 industrial units during the Musharraf regime. Has Bilal any comments to offer on these obviously dubious favors?

Likewise where is the agenda for the Reforms he mentioned again in Capital Letters in his article. His father went on from one political fraud to another, consolidating his own grip on power instead of what the
Boston-based son had predicted. “Why hasn`t there been a single person who has been able to introduce fundamental reforms?” he had asked in his article. Will he now answer that very question himself? What
happened to his father’s will to reform. Where is the basic land reforms? Instead he is giving away lands not only to army officers, now foreign companies will buy land without any limit. Is that what he meant by basic
reforms?

And Bilal talked very animatedly about “Across the Board Accountability” in his article. Does he call his father`s track record as befitting that description. All the big “chors” (thieves) and choudhries who are known
to be big `chors` are in his father’s camp today, enjoying unlimited access, political freedoms and powers. Is this across the board accountability? What about the permissions given to looters in uniform like Admiral Mansoor ul Haq to take away millions by paying just a few per cent of the loot?

If Mr Bilal Musharraf has any modicum of respect and justice, he should now come out and write again on Chowk.com or anywhere else and explain what he thinks about his father’s performance now. How does he
justify all that has happened and is going on in the name of reforms and democracy.

”My father is a self-made man and I wish to state this up front that he has made a conscious effort to never abuse his influence for personal gain,” was his opening line on October 14, 1999. Can he start his new article with the same line now?

By all counts Bilal Musharraf will not respond as he has now learnt the tricks of how to be a power player.

He seems all set to become another Gohar Ayub Khan, Ejaz ul Haq and Humayun Akhtar Khan, with a lot of money left by their Dads, nothing to worry about and politics as their new profession.



#187 by BilalM on October 15, 1999 2:03pm PT

``We are looking at the sanctions now. We`ll come to a judgment on that but from a practical point of view most of the sanctions that we can put ARE ALREADY IN PLACE,`` says Joe Lockhart, Clinton’s spokesperson. This should address one section of the apprehension out there.

Some amongst us have a valid concern about how a ‘product’ of the system can be critical of the system itself. I do feel that what is at play here is bigger than the position my father is currently holding and it will play itself out for the betterment of the country. I am against dwelling too much on individuals and personalities, so I would request a move away from it. We should all submit to higher ideals of social equality and justice that we all believe in and let actions speak louder than words. On a personal side note however, I have faith that my father has the will and the spirit to see this change through. I think my father understands the importance of what this point in time means for Pakistan and its long awaited overhaul of a decaying colonial system. It should suffice to say that at this point, allegiance is to the people of Pakistan and ‘the system’ is in suspension.

This is really not the time to engage in discussion with folks from across the border. If they want what is best for Pakistan and India, my suggestion to them is that they should really try to be reserved in physical and intellectual engagement. One thing that I tend to see time and time again is that most Indians can not, or do not want to understand Pakistan’s reality.

Folks from across the border should indulge in some honest introspection of their own. Understand what Indian policymakers envision the South Asian region to be and understand why Pakistan feels threatened by
India. Try not to confine Pakistan in the subcontinental straight jacket. Pakistan is as much part of West Asia, as it is part of South Asia. Understand why the Shimla Agreement was compromised by India’s voluntary and unilateral actions. Understand how India tries to exude a dictative perspective towards Pakistan. How was Pakistan supposed to reconcile the 1984 Indian military action in Siachen against what India declared to be ‘cartographic aggression’? ‘Cartographic’ aggression being that private European and American hiking groups were showing the glacier (a majority of which fell on the Pakistani side according to the northward LOC definition of 1972) as being within Pakistan because they tended to take the easier terrain to the glacier from the Pakistani side. Troops have been dying on both sides, every year since 1984. Kargil was not an isolated, ‘freak’ incident by a ‘rogue’ Army. The magnification of the Kargil conflict to involving the bigger issue of the dispute over Kashmir had a great deal to do with India’s own insecurity about reinforcing its federation and projecting hegemony within South Asia. We need a fundamental change in perspective in dealing with each other going forward.

I would like to exercise my prerogative as a private individual from answering every single individual’s doubt that lingers out there.

Sincerely,
Bilal Musharraf

GPM #1104

So, does this board/link/thread ends where it started?

It started with the worship of the man by his son, and seems to be ending by another worshipper; you.

Never be so ignorant as to compare this ignominious fellow with Jinnah. It is almost tantamounts to blasphemy.

General Pervez Musharraf - A New Jinnah In The Making





http://www.GeneralMusharraf.co.uk

General Pervez Musharraf - A New Jinnah In The Making

http://www.GeneralMusharraf.co.uk

ahmadb #80

Dear Bilal,

On a serious note, do you think that the situation in Pakistan is as hopeless and gloomy, and the politicians/civilians are as corrupt and inept as Umairr and Ferozk portray them to be?

Umairr #73

I hope you won’t mind me addressing you directly… I am also one of those interactors with whom you do not interact voluntarily.

Your statement:

“There are many countries in the third world that have elections regularly, and remain in the third world. Elections do not equal democracy. Democracy involves a lot of other things also.”

Remaining in the Third World does not mean that people in those Third World countries don’t live in relative peace and harmony compared to Pakistan. A stable Third World country is not so bad, you know! Small steps… one at a time will do provided they are in the right direction. Haste makes waste, and waste makes worry!

Whereas I concur that elections do not equal democracy, regular elections over a long period of time (without regular military interventions) would be a start and a step in the right direction… Things evolve on this planet. Those other essentials of democracy you talk about will slowly make their way into the system once we make up our mind that democracy is what we want for our country.

So, here is an alternative for you… regular elections over a long period of time (say 25 years) “without regular military interventions”… something Pakistan has not experienced since her inception! Why not give it a try?

Your statement:

“I think Pakistan is going to need a knight in shining armor to come in for a few years, and set up institutions.”

Your argument is fatally flawed. Setting up of institutions comes under the process of nation building. Process of nation building cannot be successful (and hence institutions cannot be setup) unless an overwhelming majority of population feels that they are a part of it. Dictatorship of any sort is the last thing that is going to achieve the objective of nation building/setting up of institutions in a country as diverse, as multi-national and as multi-cultural as Pakistan. Haven’t we had the longest period of government under a dictator? How successful was that?

It is interesting to note that Ferozk wants us to commit suicide, and you propose Russian roulette as an alternative -:)

Inshallah Pakistan will be a dynamic and progressive nation.

A quote by Bilal Musharraf form the reply of his Article.

“Some amongst us have a valid concern about how a ‘product’ of the system can be critical of the system itself. I do feel that what is at play here is bigger than the position my father is currently holding and it will play itself out for the betterment of the country. I am against dwelling too much on individuals and personalities, so I would request a move away from it. We should all submit to higher ideals of social equality and justice that we all believe in and let actions speak louder than words. On a personal side note however, I have faith that my father has the will and the spirit to see this change through. I think my father understands the importance of what this point in time means for Pakistan and its long awaited overhaul of a decaying colonial system. It should suffice to say that at this point, allegiance is to the people of Pakistan and ‘the system’ is in suspension.”

http://www.nation.com.pk/inset.htm

Interview with Pakistani CEO Parvez Musharraff

Q. You claim the final word.Genetically speaking, are Indians and Pakistani`s the same?

A. I think that they are very different in many ways.

Q. Physically or character-wise, the two nations are different?

A. I think both ways. Physically and also character-wise.

Q. How many children do you have?

A. Two. A son and daughter.

Q. If your daughter would come and tell you that she would like to marry an Indian .... a terrific Indian. ``A doctor``, Would you object?

A. If it`s a Muslim Indian I wouldn`t. If it`s a Hindu Indian I would certainly object.

Q. You would object? If she would be willing to marry, let`s say, a Catholic American, Irish American?

A. I would again object.

Q. You requested international mediation of the UN Aren`t you concerned that just because of India`s reputation as a democratic country, (``the greatest democracy in the world``) This mediation will tilt in favour of India because its a democracy?

A. Well, we have demanded mediation, but mediation does not mean that we will automatically accept whatever the mediator concludes even if it is wrongfully tilting to the other side. We will certainly not accept it.

Q. Do you think that Pakistan, in general, Pakistani society, treats its minorities or different ethnic groups better or worse than India treats it own?

A. 200 times better! Q. 200 times better? A. If not more. I`m very sure of that and this is, again, an unfortunate wrong perception that Indians create against Pakistan, of our being not accommodating enough against the minorities and our having extremist attitudes towards the minorities. There is nothing farther than the truth.

Q. With the risk of irritating you, you said a short time ago that you would not be happy to see your daughter marrying a Catholic or a non-Muslim. Doesn`t this reflect some kind of intolerance towards,...

A. No, I would beg to differ. This is not intolerance. I would love to interact with anybody of any religion and I have been interacting. I have been abroad and I`ve been interacting, in fact, let me tell you that when I was at the Royal College of Defense Studies, I respected the Israeli officer very much and my interaction with him and also with his wife was very pleasant. So I have no intolerance against any kind of interaction. But when it comes to marriages that you are talking of, now this is a totally different issue. There are cultural differences involved and there are societal differences involved and therefore that is the reason when I said that I would not like my daughter to be married to a Hindu Indian, that doesn`t mean that I am intolerant. I interacted very well with the Indian Hindu officer who was there on the same course. He was my neighbour and we interacted very well with him.

Q. You point a finger at the media, saying that the media tilts strongly toward the Indian side?

A. Yes. Certainly. I strongly believe that this is the case. There are a lot of Indians in the media, controlling the media and that is the unfortunate part, they distort facts. Actually perceptions that are not the reality.

Q. You are speaking about Indians who work as English journalists in England, and American journalists in America? Are you claiming that their heart is really with India? A. First of all there are a lot of Indians in all places in the international media .... television, newspaper .

Q. Sure. There are talented Indians.

A. These Indians do have actually an interest themselves, and they also influence others, those who are around them, those of other nationalities.

Q. A plebiscite was offered in Kashmir by the United Nations in 1948. Do you still want it?

A. Yes. Certainly. That is our position.

Q. Now, going back to what you said before, If the results would be pro-India, would you still accept them?

A. Well, I am more than hundred percent sure that the (plebiscite-R.L.)results will not be pro-India.

Q. What if the people of Kashmir will vote for independence?

A. There`s no room for that. They have to vote either for India or for Pakistan.

Q. Kindly mention to me the four countries that are good friends of Pakistan.

A. Okay. Number one, China. Turkey. Saudi Arabia. Abu Dhabi.

Q. Abu Dhabi is not a very big country.

A. (Here the Pakistani Ambassador suddenly joins in, and corrects his chief executive: ``UAE, United Arab Emirates, and the chief executive accepts.)

Q. You don`t count the United States as one.

A. Well.

Q. I said ``good`` friends.

A. We have been good friends but not all that. ..

Q. Do you think that the nuclear weapons now present in both India and Pakistan make the sub-continent more, or less secure?

A. More secure, I think.

Q. The people of India and Pakistan have shared a history of several thousand years, shared language, shared cuisine, music and common culture. Yet, there are more Muslims remaining in India than there are in Pakistan. Is that true?

A. Population wise, is this true. I don`t think it is true that India has more Muslim than we have. But I would like to comment on the first part when you talked about our history and our commonality. I do beg to differ. Our history is totally different. Our heroes are their villains and vice-versa. Our culture is absolute the opposite. They consider cows as their gods. We slaughter cows and eat them .

Q. Didn`t India`s culture stem partly from the area of what is Pakistan now?

A. No. The Buddhist culture originated from Pakistan. But the Hindu culture did not originate from Pakistan.

Ranan R. Lurie is a Senior Adjunct Fellow with the CSIS, The Washington based think tank, the political cartoonist for FOREIGN AFFAIRS magazine, and an internationally syndicated political analyst/cartoonist

http://www.foreignaffairs.org

http://www.csis.org

Samarif2000 #1184

Thanks for bringing to our attention that this board had an objective, a goal, and focus. It is about B and P. Musharraf.



Although I can`t even stand the thought of my country being again ruled by the armed forces (occupation!), so long as he is where he rules, I ask him, how about doing small courtesies to the nation e.g., not throwing innocent functionaries, students and others behind bars and subjecting them to torture, and, instead taking care of situations e.g., what I just heard on the T.V. That is, automatic-gun men entering a masjid and indiscriminately firing on the namazis.

Mr. Musharraf, don`t tell me that these things cannot be controlled, if not, in fact, completely stopped. May God give you a few iotas of graymatter. Otherwise, however, you are a confirmed idiot and a traitor to the nation anyway.

I am sure your father is a self made man, but please don`t tell me that he knows all about politics in the region. He is an army man, a servant of the nation, which I am sure he has served with great pride and dignity. Our army is one of a kind, and he has probably done a great job. However, I see little difference in him and his cohort, Zia, who is heavily to blame for the misfortune of Pakistan. Bhutto, and Sharif, have both had their days whereby they did everything they could to bring the country to it`s knees, but I feel that your father too is partly to blame. The military has no business in running a nation. He has chosen a man like Javed Jabbar to advice him; what credentials does he have? His wife is well known for her drug abuse and drinking habits, and while the man may be educated, I don`t think that you can give a man this power solely based on the fact that you know him personally. How has your father differed from any other politician from that region? Pakistan desperately needs help, and I don`t think the general is capable enough to provide the country the stability it needs.

You have to admit that Sharif was tried so ``efficiently`` because there was a personal vendetta here...if not then how come the Zardari case is moving so slowly. He is solely to blame for the financial ruin of the country!. Why is no one doing anything to try him?

I am not an ardent fan of any politician in Pakistan. My own father has suffered enough at the hands of the Bhutto government, not to mention the pain our entire immediate family has gone through. No one holds them responsible, the only one`s being held responsible are the Sharif`s because your father felt that he was wronged. I am not sure that this is the way to run a nation. I think your father will do the nation a favor the day he disqualifies the Bhutto`s and the Sharif`s, not to forget Altaf (the loser) and ensure a safe return to democracy by making sure that fair elections are held. I am not sure that in the history of our nation, a single fair election has ever been held.

Anyhow, you have a reason to be proud of your father, and his accomplishments, as are most children of their own fathers. However, when you have a parent in an obvious position of authority, you need to also see their faults from the eyes of the people. I have been in the US for over fifteen years, with family still in Karachi. I have to say that I am DISHEARTENED with the plight of the decent people in that country. I had said to my parents a long time ago, that in order to live in Pakistan, comfortably, one can not afford to be decent, harmless individuals...you need to be downright unethical, and have no morals at all. Yet they have proven other wise, although how comfortable they are mentally can be wisely judged by the fact that all their children are now overseas.

Regards,

Samia Arif

Umairr # 570 (Mian & Nayyar)

Okay Umair Saheb, what do you think about the following item in Dawn of 3 Jan, 2000 (excerpts):

[ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been advised to seek services of legal experts to find out whether the government should file an appeal in the Supreme Court to re-open the case against former Ehtesab chief, Saifur Rehman, and Pakistan Customs for clearing 25 under-invoiced BMW cars in 1995-98.

This advice has been given in an interim report sent by CBR to the Prosecutor General`s office of the NAB. The report has been prepared by a committee of five Customs officers. The comittee was set up in November, 1999..... The Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, had dismissed the case finding Redco-BMW Pakistan Ltd and Pakistan Customs not guilty in clearing these cars.

The interim report concludes its findings as follows: During the course of investigations of records, no tangible evidence was found against Redco-BMW.

The case-file was reopened by the CBR on instructions from the military government.]

Now, certainly I have no interest either in convincing you of the manipulative influence of propoganda and propagindists with which/whom you regretably are enamored in a simplistic manner, however the subject of corruption or otherwise of the Nawaz Sharif team is vital in understanding what is happening in Pakistan at the moment, for the benefit of other chowkwallahs. One must look into details and read between the lines instead of believing all that is presented to the visual senses.

The synopsis of the above news report is: The High Court had thrown out the case against Saif-ur-Rehman and Redco. The military junta, after the coup, assigned a committee of five officials of Central Board of Revenue to dig out some way in which the case could be reopened in the Supreme Court in an appeal. The comittee, despite the fact that Saif-ur-Rehman is in Jail alongwith his boss so obviously no political influence from their side, still reported that there was no case against them and the military govt should hire expert lawyers to try to pin something on the accused.

If I was the Federal Information Minister, I could get any newspaper in the country to print extensive investigative reports claiming that UmairR is in fact Santa Claus´ ... and people will believe that too ! Judicial enquiries and comittee findings are nevertheless quite another matter.

As for BBC, they´re an independant organisation and agreed to run the documentary prepared by the ex-chief of FIA in PPP Govt. for the sake of fairness because they ran a documentary on Zardari too. BBC does not take the responsibilty of confirming the veracity of each item it runs and the views presented are not necesarily their own. It´s upto the viewer to arrive at their own judgement taking all factors into account.

As for me, I have no personal axe on the grind. It´s true I´m one of the very few who believes in NS & Cos innocence as far as these corruption charges are concerned, but then again history has shown the most widely held opinions more likely to be absurd and the Truth has always been persecuted.