Survival of the Fittest

If Pakistan plays its cards correctly, it could end up come out of this New Newer World Oder quite well:

- Domestically:
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1. Pakistanis needed to indulge in great deal of introspection over their past and present. This occurred in the form of a tidal wave after Sep 11. The whole world`s attention was on Pakistan, putting in under a microscope. All the criticism, both legitimate and illegitimate, has served Pakistan well. Pakistan has carried out the highest amount of intrsopection of any country in South Asia and perhaps in the Muslim world.

2. We need to get out of the clutches of reglioginists and the secularatics. After hearing their arguments, I am convinced both these groups are useless ideologues, who believe only in their respective concepts, not in the welfare of people. Both these groups need to be sidelined, opening the door for whatever the people of Pakistan want. Pakistan is not a religious state nor is it a secular state. It is somewhere in between, and these groups will never accept this fact. They will destroy Pakistan, while trying to destroy each other. Economic progress, education, removal of poverty should take precendence over religion and secualrism.

3. Pakistan`s macroeconomic state has stabalized. This is indicated by the credit ratings it now has (this is all that really counts in the world). Its growth rate should be 4.5% this year (according to UN). And then 4.7 to 5% next year. And then onwards to the holy grail of 6% growth rates. This despite, wars, droughts, Sep 11s et. The only thing remaining is local investment in the industry, instead of in stock markets. This will come around soon enough.

- Foreign Affairs:
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1. Pakistan needs to completely get out of all third country conflicts. We have our hands full with India. I don`t think we can do much for Iraq, Chechnya, Palestine, etc. Not to mention the fact that Iraq and Palestine have never taken Pakistan`s side on Indo-Pak conflicts. I don`t know why Pakistan is so emotional about them. We should only point out these conflicts in light of human rights, never get involved in them practically.

2. Pakistan needs to recognize Israel. It is ridiculous not to. We have a direct conflict with India, yet we recognize India. Why not Israel? If killing of Muslims is the criteria, then Turkey has killed quite a few in Kurdistan, India has killed huge amounts in Kashmir, US has killed Muslims everywhere, Russia has killed them in Chechnya, etc.. We should de-recognize all these countries. Infact, Pakistan has killed quite a few in Bangladesh, so we should de-recognize ourselves.

No country can take on Israel. This is a fact. Palestine sent a delegation to BJP when India had its troops piled up on Pakistan`s borders. Why doesn`t Yasir Arafat ever come to Pakistan, and make pro-Pakistan statements? Beause he doesn`t care too much for Pakistan, and probably cares (or at least used to care more during Congress days) more for India. Even though the BJP is completely pro-Israel. I don`t understand, why Pakistan does not look after its interest vis-a-vis Israel. Israel would love to have Pakistan recognize it. Pakistan is one of the few Muslim countries that Israel has some respect for and actually fears also. A lot of US Jewish money would start flowing into Pakistan, if Pakistan recognized Israel. Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Morroco have recognized it. We should recognize it to the borders of 67, and then just oppose issues based on human rights.

Arabs consider Pakistanis second rate citizens. We cannot do much for them, and they have never done much for us.

3. Pakistanis need to get over their love-hate relationship with USA. The 1% burger crowd considers the USA the answer to Pakistan`s problems, and loves it beyond belief. They will even support the killings by the USA of innocents. They can see no fault in the USA and are thus no different than the extremist mullah brigade, which can see no fault in the Ummah. 90% hate the USA, even though the USA, has never really done much to harm Pakistan. Both groups are extremists.

The USA will only help Pakistan if it has interests there. And it is not out to destroy Pakistan either (unless the Likud party tells it to, which won`t happen if Pakistan recognizes Israel). Pakistan needs to completely reduce its dependencies on the USA. Keep it as a friendly acquientance, rather than as an involved disturbance. Don`t love it and don`t hate it. As they say in Urdu, ``alaik salaik`` should be the policy.

4. Pakistan needs to go full blown towards China. They really need us and we really need them. And foreign policies are based on needs and not loyalties. It is not without reason, that China sends its very senior officials to attend insignificant events in Pakistan, and Pakistani Premiers can just waltz into China to meet its Premiers anytime they want.

Chinese want Pakistan to get involved with China even more. I think they are quite disappointed in Pakistan`s lack of ability to integrate more with China. Pakistan`s and China`s economies need to be joined at the hip. Just like Pakistan`s and China`s defence production is starting to be joined. Pakistan will have achieved great successes in defence production, technology transfers, indigenous productions, if it can delink itself from super expensive and fickle US hardware to cheap and jointly developed Chinese military hardware. It needs to do the same in other areas. 25 years from now people will be migrating to China like they migrate to USA or Canada. Pakistan needs to be the first in line.

4. Pakistan needs to get out of this ridiculous concept of Ummah. I wish there were some economic union called Ummah (that may have been the original concept in Islam). However, there is no Ummah. So what is the point of joining a ficitionary organization. Hardly any Muslim country raised a finger when India was on Pakistan`s borders. So what is the point of looking towards them. They have nothing to offer Pakistan. Our labor is only in Arab countries, because they need it. Not as a favor to Pakistan. We should only be part of an Ummah if we are the leaders trying to take it out of the third world.

5. Pakistan needs to make peace with India. But it takes to two to tango, and India only wants peace on its own terms. So in that case, the ball will always remain in India`s court. And India will only be forced to make peace, and that too only if Pakistan is economically strong. It has too much to lose in Kashmir, if some sort of a peace agreement is reached, and thus will never do so voluntarily. But with an economically strong Pakistan, it will have no choice but to make peace. It cannot fight in Kashmir for the next 100 years. And I think it is slowly recognizing that. So there is always hope.

Sharifs completed nuclear plan, says Shahbaz

From Our Correspondent
NEW YORK—PML(N) President Mian Shahbaz Sharif has said that being an atomic power Pakistan is a safe country and there is no apprehension of any danger to it.
Addressing a ceremony organised by Council of Pakistan American at Marriot Hotel Lagvardia, he said atomic programme was initiated by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and by the grace of God was completed by Sharif brothers. He said former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif brought Dr Abdul Qadeer back to the country and completed the unfinished task and now no one can dare cast an evil eye on Pakistan.
He maintained that Ishaq Khan, Gen Ziaul Haq, and Benazir Bhutto continued the atomic programme during their tenure as the leader of the Pakistan but on the other hand the Arab countries despite having the wealth of oil and earning billion of dollars from its sale are unable to become the atomic power. It was the politician who made Pakistan an atomic power and made its defence invincible and the time has approached to pay attention towards the programmes regarding the progress of country, he stressed.
He said we had forgotten the saying of our great leader Quaid and today our society is on the verge of collapse, adding, we do have all the resources within our country but we are still facing the problems. Army has ruled the country for 26 years out of 56 years of its independence and the democratic governments established during the remaining years were also controlled by the army. whenever the army takes over the people celebrate but after the elapse of two or three years they become fed up and struggled to get rid of it. The four martial laws have destroyed the government system, he said.
Admitting the fact that the country has facing the worst situation, he said there is still a ray of hope. He said if we work with sincerity putting personal interests aside we will definitely overcome the problems facing at the movement.
He said the justice has become a purchasable commodity in our courts and in the police stations. He said it really a sorry state of affairs that our judiciary is not functioning up to the expectations of the nation.
He said the government will have to appoint honest and reputed judges for the survival of the country.
He said , during his tenure as Chief minister of Punjab he tried his best to eliminate the differences between the rich and the poor and the students were provided seats on merit in medical colleges and other professional institutions.
He said 10 per cent of politicians, generals, and judges of the country are enjoying the luxurious lives and causing heavy loss to the nation exchequer.
He warned that if we do learn a lesson from the history and the wealth of the nation is not divided equally, a bloody revolution will evolve which would destroy each and every thing.
I did not pay heed to the to the recommendation of any bureaucrat and took decisions on merit and recruited new and young officers in the police department and expelled the doctors who some how managed to get job on the basis of fake degrees and medical certificates, he continued.
He said sectarianism and mutual indifference have caused a situation of anarchy in the country.
Continuing he said the time has approached that the politician should solve their problem by themselves rather of referring it to the GHQ.
PML(N) Chief Organiser USA, Amjad Nawaz, Javed Saddiqui, PML President, New York Ijaz Butt and a large number of league workers participated in the ceremony.

Kashmir is the key to a stable Pakistan
By Anatol Lieven
Published: April 28 2003 5:00 | Last Updated: April 28 2003 5:00

Across most of the Muslim world, one key challenge for US foreign policy has not been changed by the war in Iraq: how to manage relations with client states so they do not collapse or turn hostile.


There are many Muslim states such as Pakistan that, for one reason or another, cannot be invaded and occupied by the US. In the words of one US general: ``The military is the hammer in the US toolbox - but not every problem is a nail.``

The problem of managing client states is as old as empire itself, and is extremely complex. The fear must now be that, carried away by hubris after their victory, the more radical elements in George W. Bush`s administration will underestimate this and overplay their hand, with potentially disastrous results.

Too little pressure on your clients and they may not follow your wishes, if a large part of their own populations oppose their doing so. Too much pressure and their humiliating submission to you will be nakedly revealed. Their domestic authority will collapse, they will be overthrown by rebellion and you may then be faced with an almost insoluble dilemma.

Pakistan exemplifies this dilemma for the US. On the one hand, from a US point of view it is far from being a fully satisfactory client state. Although some al-Qaeda leaders have been arrested by the Pakistani authorities and handed over to the US, many others are still at large. In the tribal areas along the Afghan frontier, armed support is strong for groups hostile to the US presence in Afghanistan.

Pakistan also continues to support armed Islamist militants in Indian- controlled Kashmir. Promises last year by General Pervez Musharraf, the country`s military dictator, have led to a reduction of this support but by no means ended it. Washington`s refusal to take a stronger stand against this apparently contributed to the resignation last week of Robert Blackwill, the US ambassador to India.

But if Pakistan is an unsatisfactory US ally in the war against terrorism, it remains a vital one. Its population is more than two-thirds that of the entire Arab world put together; it has a strong tradition of Islamist militancy; its worldwide diaspora has immense potential for spreading militancy and terrorism; and its possession of nuclear weapons both risks nuclear war with India and makes the collapse of the Pakistani state too dangerous to contemplate. Indeed, all these dangers can be contained only by a sufficiently strong Pakistani state. US officials often complain that Pakistan is essentially buying off US pressure by handing over one senior al-Qaeda figure every three months or so. But one senior figure every three months is better than one junior one every six months, let alone none at all.

Of all the issues in US-Pakistani relations, none is more urgent or important than Kashmir. This conflict runs the risk of starting another Indo-Pakistan war, thereby adding still further to the arguments of Islamist extremists that the Muslim world is under siege. The jihad of such extremists against India has gained them the partial support of the Pakistani state, and helped them to spread their influence throughout Pakistani society. In the longer term, Pakistan`s cripplingly expensive arms race with India may push it into economic failure.

Mr Blackwill was right to highlight the importance of this issue. But he was wrong to suggest the solution lies essentially in unconditional US support for India. Even if this brought an end to Pakistani support for the militants in Kashmir, the price to the US in terms of the radicalisation of Pakistani society and the diminished authority of the Pakistani government could be far too high.

The task the US should undertake is to find a solution that establishes internationally recognised Indian sovereignty over the parts of Kashmir now held by India, while doing the maximum possible save Pakistan`s face politically and - together with Europe - help it economically.

The latest speech by Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Indian prime minister, offering a ``hand of friendship`` to Pakistan, is a hopeful sign. Washington should strongly urge General Musharraf to respond in kind. However, it is unlikely that talks between India and Pakistan will get far without close involvement by the US and a clear US plan for a solution to the conflict. Mr Vajpayee has modified only slightly the proviso of all Indian governments that violence should come to a halt before a settlement.

This gives the possibility to hardliners on both sides to wreck the peace process. That would be a tragedy for India, Pakistan and, of course, the Kashmiris themselves. Given the potential terrorist threats emanating from Pakistan, it might in the long run prove a tragedy for the US as well.

The writer is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

asfand ( #243 ) :

`` War between India and Pakistan is like a fight between two beggers. Without an outcome. What both will gain is nothing and what both will loose is the only underwear they have left to wear. ``

hahahaha....... I couldn`t have said it any better man. The criminals on both sides are insisting on showing ``who the man`` is. The Mullah who wrote this article exposes his criminal thinking ( as one poster already said ). Add 7th century thick headed thinking to that... and you got a perfect Apocalypse theorist. The looser had built up this macho macho self-aggrandizing image of himself.

The bickering loosers are still in the early stages of human evolution. What they don`t realize is - living in sewer filled sh!!!t is the worst form of persecution that people can commit on themselves. They haven`t yet realized that they are commiting the worst form self punishment. There is clear lack of will to develop, to prosper, TO LIVE LIFE. If you try to put any sense in to the turds, all you get to hear is - how the evil conspiracy theories of great capitalist satans of world are putting the brown man down and other such apologist stuff. They don`t realize that inorder to be a winner you got to invent stuff, make it and trade it.

Huh, alas ..... one could only hope that evolution happens before they can put their Apocalypse theories to practice.

#144 by nb on April 26, 2003 7:34am PT
”I find it incredible that some Pakistanis actually believe they`re racially superior to Indians;since so many on chowk think so, it must also inform Pakistani foreign policy. Pakistanis need to stop boasting about their`forefathers` having ruled India:most are converts,only those who can trace their ancestry back to Humayun`s army can boast(I expect a detailed geneological chart!).”

Pakis may read “Beyond Belief” by VS Naipaul to probe into their ‘convert’ mentality.
A convert has to ‘reject’ and ‘disown’ everything that was previously ‘his’ and try to belong totally to the new one.
A converted muslim justifies his conversion by saying “O..there was nothing good in my previous religion anyway. I hate it. By embracing Islam, the only true religion, I have got peace. Islam is superior. Muslims are superior than Hindus”. And the ‘convert’ repeats all this to himself again and again till he and his off-springs and their off-springs believe it.
If he doesn`t hate his pervious relgion(hinduism), how can he love his new one? So, this superiority complex is to hide the conflict in his mind.

#166 by hrrehman on April 26, 2003 5:33pm PT
”I don`t know why all Pakis think they are superior than Indians just because they look better than the Indians, also you guys are not as dark like us, so what. So what if we are dark, ugly and weak, so what if our women are so dark that we can`t find them in the dark. We are still proud to be Indians.”

Rehman, hehe hoho…yeah yeah.. Pakis look better than us Indians.. Does Benazir Bhutto look better than Hema Malini or Shilpa Shetty or Bipasa basu(raaz) or Priyanka Gandhi? Not to talk about all the handsome men
The henna-dyed, very fair, paan chewing, jhumke-waali..lesser-intellect paki women are lovely looking….one doesn’t have to struggle to find them in the dark ….u r right rehman.


#168 by veeresh on April 26, 2003 8:54pm PT
”Believe me, I know enough Hindu religious types, fundoo and non-fundoo, M.tech/USA and illiterate types . . .and rhetoric apart, none of them believe that monkey army will in this day and age fix matters. “

Hindus don’t believe that some ‘vaanar-sena’(monkey-army) will save them but most mullahs do believe that ‘jihad’ will take them to heaven and will reward them with 72(not sure how many) virgins, don’t they? . And ‘stoning’ a ‘satan’ will drive away ‘shaitan’ out of their lives.

Iraqi`s celebrating Saddam`s 65th birthday in Tikrit

http://akhbar.urdupoint.com/03/04/29/

I think CNN (Certainly Not News) is trying to hide something from us and US.

Pakistan should learn some lesson from the interacts here. All Pakistan needs is familiarity with HTML commands and, lo and behohd, they can highlight the Kashmir issue in international forums and world community.

I propose an India-Pakistan war to solve all problems using HTML only - no mechanical, electronic signals gadgets allowed.

Pakistan fires first in green color.......India responses in saffron color

``PART II – THE FACETS OF DEFENSE
No war, in the history of mankind, is ever fought with the best of intentions; rather every war is fought with the worst ones. So when nations formulate their strategic defense plans, they do so with the worst-case scenarios in mind. Pakistan, or any other third world country, cannot afford war in this day and age. So Pakistan can ensure its safety only if it convinces others that an aggression against Pakistan will be unaffordable for them too. But first, we have to convince ourselves that such deterrence is possible to create, then we can figure out the ways to achieve it with in the constraints that we have.``

Urstruly:

The above was a well thought out passage that I forgot to include in my earlier polite observations. One phrase in the above passage grabbed my attention more than a few times.

Can you please explain the following? Specially, the part on ``best of intentions.``

``No war, in the history of mankind, is ever fought with the best of intentions; rather every war is fought with the worst ones.

Thank you in advance.

hamidm2 #233
US occupation for Arab Muslims who ``left to their own silly devices ... will go back to their fratricidal ways and all this hullabaloo would have been for naught ................ `` and a plebscite for Kashmiri Muslims (afterall who the heck calls driving out hindoos fraticide?). With due respect, this is a double standard.

Do camels and bedouins indeed cohabit ? Even with harems and stuff?? They might as well let women drive and vote then.

zeemax # 241

What is there for Pakistan to protect in these automobile, IT industries ? India which has much larger economy has nothing to protect in these industries.

For the record India never had a serious semiconductor manufacturing industry. It requires too much capital to keep up. Semiconductor manufacturing is too capital intensive for poor states like India and Pakistan. Put your $$$ elsewhere.

Seriously do you expect Indian/Pakistani firm to make products to compete against the likes of Intel, Cisco, Texas Instruments, Boeing, Nokia, Siemens, Toyota etc. maybe down the road.

I keep hearing about Pakistanis talking about collabration with India in IT field. I do not see any benefit for Indian companies or Indian engineers. Maybe hiring the cream of the crop from Pakistan may help Indian companies. For the record there are tons of unemployed and under-employed engineers in Southern India. If a software manager in Chennai has a choice between a mediocre Tamillian or mediocre Lahorite it is a no brainer who gets hired.

ferozk #235 you write ``I refuse! I refuse, because I refuse to believe the words on the gate, which say: arbit macht frei, because that is the price you are asking and I refuse to pay it. The only way I can hope that you are right is if I foresake all my principles and prositute my intergrity and join the march of the Lemmings over the hill to a certain moral and intellectual death. The price is too high for me to agree with you and I refuse to agree with you! ``

I admire your impassioned writing style. Another time, another place, and you would have singlehandedly whipped up emotions with your fine speech to cause peasants to storm the castle gates, slaves to stage rebellions, workers to take to the streets, wives to deny sex to hubbies.

Please (if you have not already done so, and as I suggested earlier as well) do read ``Les Miserables`` or watch the movie. You remind me so much of monsieur le inspecteur in that movie, the guy who upheld the law come hell or high water. And as I said earlier (since we are going round and round on this issue now), also check out one of Mohammed Ali`s fine movies (``judge sahib, mujhe insaaf chahihay, kanoon nahiN).

Some Random Thoughts on PakIndia War.

War between India and Pakistan is like a fight between two beggers. Without an outcome. What both will gain is nothing and what both will loose is the only underwear they have left to wear.

All this talk of first tier to Nth tier will bring nothing but tears to both sides period.

My tank is better then yours is like saying my tooth pick can dig a deeper hole in the ground then yours. Both India and Pakistan should start research in making a better septic tank because that is needed by both the countries then a military tank.

Pakistan is self sufficient in making strategic weapons and perhaps Indians are thinking on the same lines. How about changing the subject and start thinking about being self sufficient in clean filtered water for masses, healthy food three times a day, clothes and sandals for all, medical care for all, justice for all, the list is long....

US allocated $74 Billion for war effort in Iraq. California Department of Transportation allocates $12 Billion for yearly maintenance of Claifornia Highways only. This is in contrast to $12 Billion Pakistan Foreign exchange reserve against India`s $70 Billion. The resemblance is uncanny.

How about having Cricket and Hocky matches and lets take our frustration out that way. That is something both the sides can afford.....

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AN EYE OPENER


Securing Pakistan`s Nuclear Weapons Complex
By David Albright


Institute for Science and International Security

re: hamidm

{this nonsense has gone on far too long …….. what we need is a fair and free plebiscite in all of Kashmir and let the kangri-wallas decide what they want }

....beeeeppppp....too late for that...you can`t drive out non-muslims from kashmir, send terrorists to terrorize the population, force india to send the army there, and expect a plebiscite that is fair rather than based on manipulation of the situation.....the only solution is to turn LoC into the border and call it a day....the wars after that can be sachin tendulkar`s bat beating shoaib akhtar`s behind blue on a cricket field...

re: layman

{In a few years Pak will burn itself out anyway... }

...who will feed, clothe and civilize them when they start pouring in from across the border ready to do jihad and reach the houris in heaven?....