Democracy is Like Virginity

So Musharraf, the dictator, is formaly including the role of army in Pakistan by stripping the new PM of his powers ( President can sack the PM and his cabinet now, and P will also chair the new NSC ) and keeping the countries reigns in his hand. The delimma is not that ``another one here who wants to amass power and coninue `looting` apna pyaara watan.`` The real delimma is that Musharraf is a benign dictator ( does that type exist? ) who wants a good, safe, prograssive Pakistan. His method and his reasons are hopeless. I urge all Pakistanis to end this ``one man show.`` But does corruption seep in when power dilutes in Pakistan? Its a hard question to answer. If history is a judge, Musharraf will be remembered for his power thirst and not for his ``vision.`` Musharraf should realize that everyone is like him - we all want a strong, just Pakistan but our means should also reflect our committment to our ideals. But then again, what about armed struggles etc. Ok, now I myself am confused and before I decided to delete all this and write an article, I should click on ``post.``

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Jay,

You have a point there.

I often wondered when RAW would get the point...and start targeting pakistani military men and their families, comfortably settled in the west. It need not be killing. Just a website listing these families and their location and photos would go a long way.

regs,

Sadna,

I did not not mean that US is going to influence the kashmir situation, that part of the jihadic border is for india to control. The fundamental problem is that jihadist are the uncountable of the pak elites. We have the ilks of urstruly, romair etc who real out the dead in kashmir. They never mention the pak jihadists killed, they are the uncountable of pakistan.
In fact isreal addressed thae same issue in palestine by killing the arafats police. Before that the arafat govt had nothing to pay for the jihadic attacks, the jews killed were a bonus like in kashmir. Once his own buildings are demolished and his own men are killed, arafat has started to control the jihadists. If india cannot attain a similar situation, the jihadic killings in kasmir will continue.

So much for an `Independent` Election Commission -- actually it`s musharraf`s mdependent EC:


Reality and perception
(Dawn editorial)
excerpt

This newspaper has previously taken note of the many complaints made about pre-poll rigging, and it is probably a little late in the day now to comment on the more recent allegations or perceptions of bias on the part of the authorities.

Nevertheless, a few points can still be made.

First, the Election Commission itself.

It has an advertisement on television and in the press urging people to take part in elections and vote to initiate change. It is entirely right that the commission should seek to encourage citizens to exercise their right of franchise.

But by asking them to vote for a change, the commission`s message acquires a cryptic political connotation.

Change from what? the neutral observer is tempted to ask.

From the previous civilian order or from the present military set-up?

The commission`s slogan can be interpreted in either way, and in both cases carries an implication that the election body would clearly have wanted to avoid; it should immediately be deleted from the commission`s publicity campaign.

Then, yesterday, we carried a story from our Islamabad office quoting a former MNA as saying that an Election Commission advertisement probably meant to educate people on how to cast their votes shows a ballot paper marked by only four party symbols.

The symbols do not include those of the PML(N), the PPP or the MMA, some of the largest parties and groupings in the field, but do carry the bicycle symbol of the PML(Q), believed to enjoy official patronage.``(Dawn)

Bravo! – an Mdependent Election conducted under the watchful barrel of a Mdependent Election Commission!! -- another Referundum -- rig it man rig it -- it`s all yours.

Jay
Its a question of how a decision is taken and put across on a fundamental issue. (Though its pretty certain at this point of time the disinvestment minister of India Arun Shourie HATES the term `consensus` and wishes ABV was a fascist dictator :) ) Musharraf is sitting pretty at this time, so why not educate the willing public and get their institutional agreement on various issues? Tomorrow if people are lathi charged or die in police firing at least some part of the public like poets in California will know why and can be restrained from composing poetry or quoting Faiz or whoever on the issue.

``At last it is good for india, the jihadic frontier is under control ``

Its not actually. If you read the daily news reports, the problem is getting worse. The reason is that now Musharraf just needs to deliver one Al Qaida man per month to the US and he obtains license to kill a 100 in J&K in that month with no questions asked. Given the increased jihadi attacks killing candidates, election officials and voters, its clear that once the new J&K state government is sworn in, the US will just watch while the new MLAs are finished off one by one.

Sadna 39,

It is sad to see pakistan moving towards company farming and the consequent heavy mechanisation. In india the move has been to give land to the tiller, to support intensive cultivation of land by the small land holders who cannot afford to leave the land fallow, who can practice environmentally friendly farming, a mixture of say rice and vegetables as it happens in kerala,. Pkaistan is moving the philippines way, turning the small farmers to farm labourers while the rich will become richer.

Now pakistan has not much options, the americans are going to stay put, directing the economic policey and keeping the bomb under control. What pakistan did in support of its kashmir jihad has ultimately led to its colonisation. At last it is good for india, the jihadic frontier is under control for the movement of men and technology, a prerequisite for world peace.

Greedy Gephardt falls for the Texas Toddler

If that mask-faced QUISLING Gephardt thinks -- that breaking ranks with Tom Daschel on IRAQ will get him the Presidential nomination from Democrats -- he can forget that -- over Democrats dead bodies.

that pathetic zombie -- blondi shoeshine boy of Texa`s War Mongers has thrown his career into a squald gutter -- by throwing his lot with the Texa`s Oil Mafia.

Gore/ Tom Daschel -- the next Presidential team of the United States of America -- WILL kick the Power Drunken Crazy Baastaards out of the oval office into the garbage can of the history -- where they belong -- in 2004.

ajeet
True, and the bestest lathi is the support of the US government. Keeps the corp commanders at bay and the elite quiet. After all who can oppose the US ? But these ordinances being slipped in are like straws on the camel`s back.

For example, according to the newspapers, there are going to be a new set of land reform ordinances which are imminent not due to pressing social concerns at home, but due to pressing corporate interest abroad. The amount of acreage of land Pakistanis can hold will be decreased and the amount of acreage of land companies can hold land for farming will be increased.

Perhaps some rich Pakistanis want to get richer through corporate farming and have friends and relatives in the Army to help them.

The proof of this will be in the fact instead of thrashing out the pros, cons and long term consequences for the country and those affected, including large numbers of small farmers who may be pressed to give up land rights to large corporations, ordinances for such `reforms` will simply be issued in haste before the elections. As for dissenters and opposers, after politicians and disaffected newspaper editors, it will the turn of the feudals and grassroots social activists to be described as unpatriotic for dissenting with such `long overdue measures`. Those who protest in an organised manner will be called RAW agents and communists The bhed bakri awam will nod its head and complain about increased number of beggars and slums encroaching into their posh localities. End of matter. Want to bet?

Sadna,

`Its clear the Pakistani nation is operating under a one line constitution, `` Those who disagree with or oppose Gen. Musharraf are unpatriotic.`` `

I have a different perpective of what Pakistan`s constitution is, and it is very simple.

`Jis ki lathi us ki bhanse`

This is the way it has been and every succeding dictator has reinforced it.
The paper constitution is just paper. Musharraf is a fool if he thinks some body is going to attack his legitimacy thru the constitutional means. The Pakistani awam is like sheep. Whosoever has the danda is the shepherd.
What he shoud fear - and I think he knows that - is the next ambitious general who does not have the patience to wait for Musharraf to transfer power peacefully. The new tinpot will also invoke the same clause that Musharraf invoked and the dependable supreme court will dutifully rubber stamp the new amendments that the new general will think about, and so on and so on.

For his sake I hope the next dictator will be kind enough to let Musharraf spend his golden years in saudia, rather than end of on the scaffold.

nasah
A court in Pakistan has ruled that Musharraf`s constitutional amendments have to be ratified by Parliament to be valid. So the newspapers report that to avoid this, the Prime Minister and members of National Assembly may be required to take an oath to uphold Musharraf`s various orders and constitutional amendments and leave them unchanged and unchallenged. This sounds very like proving ones fitness to hold office in an Islamic republic by assertions about the finality of the Holy Prophet.

Musharraf and his government`s scrambling to tie the hazar loose strings and loopholes to prevent anyone from challenging him constitutionally or politically reminds me of student days when we oftem scrambled to tie up school homework in the same hotchpotch way, with no attempt toward mastery of subject through reason or coherence or sincerity but exerted only enough effort to meet the deadline and shut up the teacher, in this case the apathetic Pakistani public and politicians.

Its clear the Pakistani nation is operating under a one line constitution, `` Those who disagree with or oppose Gen. Musharraf are unpatriotic.``

This single sentence defines
the entire scope of your fundamental rights,
your freedom of expression,
your right to association and organised activity,
your freedom of religion,
your rights over the land you till,
your right to protection of life and limb and due process of law and justice,
your right to exercise your cultural and regional identity,

This single sentence constitution also defines the entire scope of

your right to exercise power of constitutional structures for decisionmaking,
the balance of power between national institutions,
your defence and foreign policy,
your national philosophy and your national interest.

Take good care of your one-line constitution, flesh is not any less vulnerable than paper.

beware chowk and chowkis -- attention -- sameerjb -- hamidm -- tahmed -- caution -- ayaz amir -- irfan husain

a new Blasphemy Law for Prophet Musharraf

ISLAMABAD – President General Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday promulgated an ordinance on defamation which would tighten rope around (the neck of) those media men who would be accused of doing ‘unjust critcism’ or propagate such false information that may harm the reputation of an individual.

The Ordinance brings under its net all those newsmen who circulate misleading statements which may reduce the person concerned to ridicule, dislike, contempt or hatred.

“Any wrongful act or publication or circulation of a false statement or representation made orally or in written or visual form which injures the reputation of a person (such as calling Musharraf a Busharraf), tends to lower him in the estimation of others or tends to reduce him to ridicule, unjust criticism, dislike, contempt or hatred shall be actionable as defamation,” says the ordinance.``(Nation)

hamidm miaN -- where r u -- u have to do something abot this -- u have to write u give up.

Can anyone comment on why there seems to be no effort on the part of media or politicians to mobilize opinion in favor of voting and participating in the coming elections?

If anything only there is only discouragement and cynicism in the daily media discussion about rigging. Noone seems to be pointing out that it becomes that much more burdensome to rig results, the higher the turnout and voter interest. This is an opportunity for people to assert themselves and make it a little more difficult for their rulers to ignore them by simple act of turning up to vote, however flawed the choices or the final result.

Can it be that the politicians of various shades are hoping for some deal with the military and so everyone is afraid of a high turnout and assertive voters, both the Army and politicians?

European Union observers say ban on opposition leaders illegal:

ISLAMABAD, Sept 29: European Union (EU) election observers have reportedly criticised the government`s decision to bar top opposition leaders from next month`s polls, saying it ``seems to have no legal basis at all.``

An EU report also expressed concern about controversial constitutional amendments by President Pervez Musharraf before the polls, which ``institutionalises the presence of the military in the government of Pakistan.``

``The disqualification of Nawaz Sharif and the new PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) leader Shahbaz Sharif seems to have no legal basis at all, either in the domestic legislation nor in internationally accepted practice,`` report said.(AFP)

No legal basis? -- is EU crazy?

Mian Musharraf may himself be -- illegitimate and illegal – and he is -- but when it comes to barring NS, BB, or Shahbaz -- he is an exemplary `constitutionalist ` -- and scrupulously ‘legal’ –

he never bars anybody -- without producing a `constitutional’ amendment – from his own pocket.

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So this how the Deputy Prime Criminal Advani ended up comgratulating the Chief State Criminal Modi -- for `preventing` the backlash:

``LUCKNOW, Sept. 28. — The communal flare-up in Gujarat was a blot on the government’s record, Mr LK Advani said today (thanks to my rath-yatra -- my desruction of a historical structure)

The Deputy Prime Minister was speaking at the concluding session of the state BJP.

He praised the Narendra Modi government for checking any backlash after the terrorist attack on the Swaminarayan temple.``(PTI)

`Praise be to Modi MiaN -- for preventing the backlash -- thanks for `VOLUNTARILY` believing in the RULE OF LAW --

`Guj is in Good Hands` -- now, folks.

Re: dost-mittar
``..I liked Musharraf much more as a dictator...``
How can reasonable people make unreasonable statements like that while enjoying the protection of a Western liberal democracy themselves?

Glimpse of RULE OF LAW after the dastardly attack on innocent temple worshipprs by murderous militants.

How a communal backlash was prevented

SANJAY SINGH
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, Sept. 28. — An unwritten order to the Army and central paramilitary forces in Gujarat helped contain retaliatory violence after the temple attack.
In contrast to the post-Godhra situation, Army and paramilitary officers were asked “to act on their own if they sensed that violence was imminent”.

They had the authority to shoot, if the situation so demanded.

Significantly, the requirement of prior permission from civilian authorities before moving in a specified area was waived.

Senior government leaders, sources said, made it clear to the Narendra Modi government that it must issue “necessary paperwork” to the armed forces in case the latter had to take on-the-spot decisions.

“Post facto, on paper everything would be fine. It would appear that the state administration and the armed forces had acted in tandem”, sources said.

After the Godhra incident, the state was accused of keeping the Army idle for several hours and not providing soldiers with necessary logistical support and also not deploying the forces in areas where they were required most.

An indication of the new orders came on Thursday, the day of the VHP bandh. One of the first decisions defence minister Mr George Fernandes took after reaching Ahmedabad was to order a flag march by the Army in various areas to instill a sense of confidence among local people.

The alertness of security forces, sources said, prevented a flare-up in Ahmedabad. A crowd had gathered in a “sensitive” area but within a few minutes, Army personnel, accompanied by the police, reached the spot.

Given the unsettled conditions in Gujarat after the post-Godhra violence, a certain degree of Army presence was being maintained in the cantonment in Ahmedabad so that quick action was possible in case of any trouble.

Which explains how troops were able to react almost immediately to the attack on the temple in Gandhinagar.``(SNS)

ferozk 10-4!
__________________________________________________________-


Sobho: the struggle continues

By Beena Sarwar

Had he been a bit younger, Sobho Gianchandani might have been contesting the forthcoming elections on an independent platform from his hometown Larkana. But at 83, the veteran activist and lawyer now limits his political activities to attending seminars and gatherings. This summer, for example, has seen him in Hyderabad, Larkana, Karachi, and Jamshoro, despite the intense heat, on the invitation of those for whom he has long been an inspiration and a symbol of commitment to leftist politics and Sindh.

When after about twelve years of dictatorship, Pakistan returned to electoral politics in 1988, Gianchandani took the plunge into the electoral fray, contesting on a seat reserved for non-Muslims under the separate electorate system imposed by Gen. Ziaul Haq. Although in principle opposed to the separate electorate system, he felt that was the only way he could get into the assemblies. He won, but the results were `reversed` after having been announced. A court case followed, which lingered on until the dissolution of the assemblies in 1990 ushered in a caretaker government and fresh elections.

By that time, he already had almost half a century of political involvement under his belt, having started out during the Quit India movement in 1942. Then still a student at the S.C. Shahani Law College (now S.M. Law College) in Karachi, he soon found himself in jail, the first of many such incarcerations. On being freed in 1945, an unrepentant Gianchandani joined the communist Party, and became a leading member.

``I fought for the freedom of Sindh, which included Larkana. I fought the British.`` This struggle was in line with the policy of the communist Party ``to support the struggle of the backward Muslim nationalities for nationhood.`` Young Gianchandani, born to a Hindu family in the village of Bhindee near Mohenjodaro, joined in that struggle with an undying commitment.

But the new state of Pakistan was not sympathetic to such politics, and he was imprisoned again in 1948. Told to leave for India or be prepared to die in jail, Gianchandani refused. He was released in 1952, but then again arrested and jailed (1954-55) after the communist Party was banned two years later. In 1957 he joined Karachi University to study law, but his politics led to another arrest, this time resulting in a five-year confinement at Bhindee (1958-64). During that period he threw himself into agriculture, and ``became an excellent farmer``, as he recalls with some satisfaction. The next year, when India and Pakistan went to war, he was jailed again, for three months this time.

He has humorously referred to himself as a three-headed monster: a Sindhi, a communist, and a Hindu -- each an anathema for the Pakistani authorities. In his own family, he remains an oddity, a Hindu who refuses to pander to the `choot chaat` of the caste system. ``When the rag-pickers come to our door, I give them water in my own glass.``

In 1968, Gianchandani made another bid at completing his studies, joining Kazi Fazulullah Law College, Larkana. He finished the course in two years, and began teaching constitutional and international law there. ``I came into civil and criminal law later,`` he says, conjecturing that today, he is probably the oldest practicing member of the Sindh High Court. (``I don`t take new cases though``.)

A vociferous reader, he continues to build up an already extensive knowledge of history and politics, vocally opposing military rule and arbitrary changes to the constitution, advocating a swift return to democracy and peaceful relations with the neighbouring countries. However, he concedes that some of the steps taken by the present military government have been positive, like the abolishment of the hated separate electorate. ``Now there are constituencies where the Hindu or Christian vote will matter,`` he says. ``Before, if a Hindu girl ran away with someone, her family would have to go to the Hindu representative in the assembly if they needed his intervention, no matter if they lived in Larkana and he was in Lahore.``

Gianchandani`s nationalistic consciousness was first jolted awake when he went to Bengal, to do his BA at the famous learning center, Shantiniketan, founded by Rabindranath Tagore near Calcutta. The years (1939-41) spent at that sophisticated and cosmopolitan environment were an eye-opener for the village boy from Sindh, who had travelled across the sub-continent by train; the general disparagement about his ethnic background, including the astonishment of Tagore himself that Sindh had sent across this intelligent young fellow, stirred up pride for his heritage. But Sobho Gianchandani is no bigot.

Some years ago, when he was invited to give a lecture tour in the USA and applied for a visa, the American ambassador expressed an interest in meeting this man on whom they had a file several inches thick. ``He asked me, `Do you want Sindhu Desh?` I said no. I want maximum autonomy for Sindh within the Pakistani federation,`` recalls Gianchandani. ``Mengal accused me in London of being an anti-Punjabi. I told him, no. I am not. Just as there are good people everywhere, there are many in the Punjab too. Our comrades in the Punjab, people like Ahmed Salim, Abdullah Malik and others, they have always stood by us and supported the struggle of the oppressed people for justice.``

Nor, he asserts categorically is his quarrel ``with the Americans or with the mullahs,`` although he is openly critical of the role played by both in destroying the social fabric of Pakistani society. ``Terrorist organisations were given permission by America to operate here. Pakistan is virtually under American occupation now. From Jacobababad to Pasni, America rules.``

``My struggle continues to be for justice. A father, when he goes to sleep at night, should be confident that his children will have enough food to eat the next day, that they will have a future. My struggle continues to be for socialism. You can call it Islamic socialism, or democratic socialism as in the Scandinavian countries, or anything. I still believe in the revolution, in a society that provides justice for all, not denies it because someone is a Hindu or a Bheel. I still want a change in society so that no one goes to sleep hungry.``

This tall, straight-backed man with the steady gaze has had his share of personal tragedies: a young grand-daughter`s husband killed by dacoits, an infant great grand-daughter drowned, the untimely death in 1983 of his son-in-law Asomal Pohu, who was also a comrade-in-arms, and the biggest blow of all last year, the death of his only son Kanaya, a medical doctor who had hepatitis-C. Gianchandani sold his precious library, for half the price originally offered some years ago by the Ministry of Culture, to pay for Kanaya`s medical treatment. This extensive collection of rare books is now in the Shahnawaz Bhutto Library in Larkana.

``I kept some children`s books for my grandson, and some 3000 books that had gone for binding. All the rest are gone. My collection of pre-Independence books, books on Communism and Socialism, all my editions of the Quran, I told them, take these, but treat them with respect. Here, they are properly kept in cupboards and treated with respect, don`t mistreat these books. I still read the Quran every day. All my editions of the Bhagwad Gita... they told me, hide these. I said no, nothing to hide,`` he says in his straightforward way. ``In fact, that`s my mission in Karachi, to collect more books and build up my library again.``

(ends)

Let us be enlightned about Decmoractic dictatorship of worthy politicians like b.b. and navaz who have now ganged up. Crying hoarse for the constitution takes you nowhere.None shed a tear when Navaz left for ksa to establish steel mill there. bb is busy in counting her dollars and giving semons on democracy.After daughter of East , the nation missed Madre-Millat , kulsum navaz.

Re:Temporal, Sadna and Jay

Sadna, if you see this post, please note that I was sick the last few days and hence, could not leave a reply to your and Jay`s post. I will try to answer your in the Hoodbhoy article/thread as soon as I can...also, give the same message to Jay, if possible. Thanks! :)

Temporal, send me an email, when you have the time, I have an idea for a Chowk article, which I would like to discuss with you...

Ciao

Thanks temporal -- I voted.

the vote against Bush`s Iraq policy is running 75% against -- amazing!

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Ref 12-Head #17
[No mention here, of course, of the privileges enjoyed by the majority community, the best example being the tax advantages conferred on Hindu Undivided Families.]
Before you quote the ``Anti-Hindu``, why don`t you tell us exactly how many joint undivided Hindu families exist today and how many millions of rupees of taxes have been legally avoided?

Even the Birlas have divided their companies among the grandchildren of GD Birla. India`s business magazines are full of stories about how every single industrial house has been broken up because of intra-family squabbles.

By the way, doesn`t the Uniform Civil Code mean the abolition of the favorable tax treatment of the Hindu Undivided Family? Or, is that too difficult a concept for your puny brain to grasp?

apologise for using this board: following may interest some choksters
____________________________________________________________

IMMEDIATE ACTION ALERT ON IRAQ
from Progressive Portal
and Global Exchange


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Anti-war citizens have just a couple of days to influence the
Congressional debate about Iraq. Congress is expected to pass a
resolution next week -- and there is evidence that a strong
outpouring of anti-war sentiment is starting to have an impact, as
members from both parties express skepticism about the broad war
mandate sought by the White House.

Please take a minute as soon as you can to:


(1) Send a letter to Congress at:
http://www.progressiveportal.org/letters/global/iraq/
You can do it in less than a minute.

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Time is VERY short -- please act today if you can!

dos-mitter sahib -- indeed Chief Musharraf thinks that -- by putting all his eggs in American basket -- all his five fingers are in ghee ---- his Indians are at bay -- and his politicians are in a dog house -- and his throne is personally gaurded by General Rumsy.

hence the ever increasing imbecile arrogance

But he is divinely delusional and congenitally concieted -- if he thnks -- it`s not all MAYA.

when the going gets tough for miaN Musharraf -- the American toughs won`t get going --

as the history of American promiscuity with regard to sleeping with ANY dictator suggests --

they will drop him lik a bad smelly egg with pinched noses -- just like that --

Mr. Musharraf will be a muhrless divorcee in a flash -- by only one `Tilaq diya` -- not three.

as Banjara sahib would like to remind Bey JahaaN Panaah Musharraf:

``sub thaaath paRaa ruh jawe gaa jub laad chalegaa banjara``...

dos-mitter sahib -- indeed Chief Musharraf thinks that -- by putting all his eggs in American basket -- all his five fingers are in ghee ---- his Indians are at bay -- and his politicians are in a dog house -- and his throne is personally gaurded by General Rumsy.

hence the ever increasing imbecile arrogance

But he is divinely delusional and congenitally concieted -- if he thnks -- it`s not all MAYA.

when the going gets tough for miaN Musharraf -- the American toughs won`t get going --

as the history of American promiscuity with regard to sleeping with ANY dictator suggests --

they will drop him lik a bad smelly egg with pinched noses -- just like that --

Mr. Musharraf will be a muhrless divorcee in a flash -- by only one `Tilaq diya` -- not three.

as Banjara sahib would like to remind Bey JahaaN Panaah Musharraf:

``sub thaaath paRaa ruh jawe gaa jub laad chalegaa banjara``...

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Ref Studebaker #11
[I have no problem EXCLUDING ALL pharmaceuticals .The payoff will be trillion$ to be invested in preventive medicine,home care ,nutrition ,& exercise like 5 times compulsory namaz....u think its crazy]
Man, you are the pill pusher here. If you don`t want to get paid for writing prescriptions, that is fine with me.

As to namaaz as exercise, may I pass? I don`t think the Saudis are all that healthy.

arjun_m,

Bhai arjun,
You are always right about Pakistanis and I am extremely impressed with your profound knowledge of that country and its people.But here you are being unfair to Pakistan. Mr Shah aka 12-head with 30 different nicks is an Indian.If you are intrested, proof can be provided on request.Now that it has been cleared,would you APOLOGISE to Pakistanis ?

Regards.

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Dear Author,
Without knowing anything about the Pakistan political scene here are some general comments. Musharraf is able to do what he does because there is no sizeable expression of consensus opposing him. It is difficult to have a functioning democracy if there is no wide and demonstrable consensus in favor of it.

Musharraf will have to respond if and when political parties can show that they can build up a sizeable and coherent body of public opinion on any issue of national/regional interest.

To begin with, it seems Musharraf will face a parliamentary consensus against himself and his amendments. But until the public opinion or nationwide consensus is not awakened to match this parliamentary consensus, he will be able to get away with manipulating parliament(arranging defections, having a puppet prime minister, paying off key members with favors, or outright dismissing parliament).

The same thing will happen in every matter in which the majority of elected assembly differs with him, unless the public is shown to support the majority of the elected assembly(and the usual method of engineering violence in the streets by party members willnot convince but will only be condemned).

So instead of banking on the strength of their elected members or their existing organisation(or solely on the rosy cheeks of their most famous leaders), before or after the election, political parties and leaders will need to start at the very beginning, ie go back and win the support and consensus of ordinary people, issue by issue, region by region, neighbourhood by neighbourhood.

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Ref AAmir #4
[Are bhay why not Pregnancy or dead,married,there are many things that is or NOT ......why choose Virginity .
DEMOCRACY is just the last antibiotic produced by the western masters.
We all know hoe ineffective penicillin has become in fact all the latest ones are useless too .Does that mean non westerners never treated infections with sulphur ,barks of cholchicine tree,or antimony against syphyllis.]
When you are willing to treat your syphilitic daughter or son with antimony, you can tell the masses that you will treat THEIR syphilis with antimony. So long as you want penicillin or some other antibiotic for yourself and your family, don`t tell the rest of the world that they should undergo bloodletting, cupping or some other 18th century practice.
[CHINA, TAIWANS,.Korea ,SINGAPORE (HONG KONG)have acjieved progress without Democracy .]
Of these, China, Singapore and Hong Kong will NEVER have democracy. Taiwan is democratic just to show the mainlanders what they are missing. Till a half-dozen years ago, Taiwan was as repressive a system as mainland China. Now that they want to remain independent of China, they are adopting democracy so that the US cannot sell them down the river.
[In the recent times, there exist no state that achieved prosperity through democracy starting off poor and backward.
The ones that that achieved prosperity through non-demcratic means can now make a smooth and effectuive transition to one: South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China etc ]
Per capita FDI into Pakistan was at least as great as that into China in the 1980s. That money never went into schools, factories, etc., but into buying opium and trading that in the international market to make more money for the generals, into F-16s and into madrassahs. You reap what you sow. Zia ul-Haq could have asked for factories to make Nike shoes but he didn`t. China has existed as a Communist country one year less than Pakistan and still is far ahead of Pakistan. There is NO hope for Pakistan if the current spending patterns are not mended. All India has to do is to double its Defence spending -- that would put it at par with Pakistan for Defence as a %age of total budget -- and Pakistan would go bankrupt. Pakistan has spent its patrimony for the last 55 years and there ain`t much left.
[The reasons are not hard to find. The freedoms associated with democracy becomes too wild for a population, that is uneducated, unindustrialized etc. You put instability on top of that, you have no chance]
Why don`t you try that on the illiterate and unruly UP bhaiyyas and Biharis in India? Last time, it was Indira Gandhi who tried it and we all know where it got her.

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I have read this one n South Asia Tribune. I do not know about Khmer Rogue analogy, but this time around, military establishment seems more determined than ever to colonize Pakistan. My feeling is that it has to do many factors.
The sacking of Musharraf before he could unleash 111 brigade on Islamabad was such a slap on COAS face that it waked them up to fast slipping away of hegemony. They want to make COAS sacking can impossible.
Musharraf, not being Punjabi or Pathan has to keep pleasing mostly Punjabi and Pathan generals, giving them more than they could get from a strong Pathan or Punjabi COAS. This is my guess and I know too well, who is going to challenge this statement. For example, Lt. General Mahmood Ahmed was retired, perhaps under pressure from US but he remained so strong even after his retirement to line up Tariq Aziz Warraich as Principal Secretary to the President, Mr. Randhava as Punjab chief secretary and Chaudharies of Gujrat from his jat baradri and changed Musharraf`s mind from propping up Imran Khan. Talk of influence of a retired Punjabi Jat general. Imagine another one who retired with him, Usmani, influencing Sindh or Karachi poltics.
His statement: ``to keep the Army out, you have to bring them in`` is like allowing the rapists to just walk in and have sex, so as not to be raped.
Third factor for Musharraf`s hardening stance has to do with going all out against BB and NS. He will be in serious trouble without power, if still in Pakistan.
Democracy has a set of principles as uts foundation. If foundations and compromised for the sake of power, it is no democracy even if it allows certain democratic principles such as freedom of press to continue.

As long as Uncle Sam decides and Bubba applies the definition of virginity, Pakistani Democracy is on the way to sainthood.

Ras Siddiqui

Abrar:

first welcome to chowk…you are very kind when you say:

[…In reality, the much-hyped “continuity” is merely a codeword for the perpetuation of the hegemony of the military…]


...in Unraveling Pakistan I have written, “And those who think the coming elections would make a difference are in denial or delusional. Pakistan today is an occupied land. The Occupation Army has to be removed from the equation. Unless that is forced, nothing will change.``

rgds,

t