An Urgent Appeal to all Pakistanis

Wajahat

I think we all are in a bit of quagmire here. The dilemma is that whether we should support a journalist who writes against corruption bravely but sides with a murderous illagitimate regime who has started killing its own people or should we support a journalist regardless of his political convictions since his right of free speech is being violated? I think we should seek answers from our conscience rather than our political convictions.

Since for me right to life supercedes the right to freedom of speech, and it is a moral value to me, therefore, my direction is clear.

Quite a few chowkies here are up in arms about Mr Cowasjee, but nobody is saying anything about the actions of an Active Provincial Minister who his using/abusing his position to undermine a leading newspaper and its senior journalist. If you want to have a debate than lets talk about that...

I don`t read Cowasjee on a regular basis but I`ve read a number of his articles over the years. For what he writes, I like him very much. He appears to be an enlightened man in the Land of Intolerance. Those who don`t agree with him, I ask whatever happened to defending the right of speech, whether one agrees with it or not? Or is that right goes only as far as you agree with it?

It`s not Cowasjee who should be defended, but the right of speech.

tintingem:

if you were including feroz in the list of expatriates, feroz very much lives in pakistan and inhales the polluted air there. and contrary to what some people think, he is very aware of the ``ground realities`` there.

way to go Mr. Cowasjee . . .

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

forget the indian hate brigade, this board is proof that many of the non-indians on chowk too are no smaller whackos -- of course bara and his legal counsel kkkandk are exempt from this -- and yes some people have said that someone else (amina jilani to be precise) writes his articles -- well he was asked and denied it -- so unless he was lying he doesnt use a ghost writer, contrary to what some of the self styled wise sages of chowk seem to think

---

and by the way im not defending him but whatever he does is certainly a million times better than the highly opinionated confused losers (mostly) who spend hours endless discussing pakistan`s problems (usually sitting thousands of miles away) -- other than his column he funds several philanthropic projects, like many others in pakistan (who because they wish remain anonymous one doesnt get to hear of them) -- however one can only go to lyari in karachi and see his funded school run by the citizens foundation -- but then you cannot do that sitting in new york or toronto or wherever -- but yes you sure as hell can pass judgment, which (considering that several interactors said they stopped reading him a while back) would be ill-informed at best

cowasjee was jailed because by then time the democratically elected leader was not behaving all that democratically -- pakistan`s national shipping corporation (PNSC) is a nationalized version of the shipping company owned by cowasjee`s family, which is probably why he tends to hate the family of that democratically elected person who jailed him, for 72 days I think -- yes he probably has very powerful friends (you cant get more powerful in fact, at least in pakistan), who at one time (quite recently) wanted him to become governor of sindh

#15 ferozk
You are so right about his influential friends ;)

But really, just because Cowasjee supports the lesser of the evils (army) doesn`t mean that he is a coward or that he fails to speak up on social/political matters.
What`s sad is that all of you people (expatriates) who talk about the `rape` of our constitution and country at the hands of the army don`t even have a clue of the ground realities. You come to Pakistan for three weeks and talk about democracy and all. Try to live here for a couple of years-go to mosques and imambargahs, tehn you would realize the gravity of the situation.
I`m not a supporter of the army or Mush, but what I do know is that this country is going through the most sensitive period of its existence and a leader like Mush is the need of the day.
It`s easy for all of us to sit in front of our computers and write what all these politicians and generals should do-but what we fail to realize is that all that has happened in Pakistan from Bhutto till Mush was the need of the day. Pakistan is like a chameleon, we change our policies and stance according to our environment.
And the constitution? It had been raped a long time back.
And we have Bhutto to thank for in destroying all forms of institutions and discipline in our country.

Urstruly

``I am disappointed in you. I thought you were quite enlightened politically. Why do you support a fauji establsihment`s stooge?``

A wrong remains a wrong, no matter what kind of history you have with it. If you have something against Mr Cowasjee and dont want to do anything, I respect that. But it will not stop me from trying to create awareness about an issue that I feel very strongly about since the killing of Hakeem Saeed. I obviously differ from your view of this particular situation. However on you view of the faujis, i agree completely, but this is not about the faujiz, it is about a Journalist who has been fighting elements of corruption in Pakistan for a very long time.

This is not about what religion Mr Cowasjee ascribes to, or what type of freinds he has, it is about an abuse of power by a Provincial Minister. If you want to debate about old grudges, continue to do so. This was an appeal to all those who could rise up from their personal dogmas and use their unassumed powers as Expatriate Pakistanis to voice concern. If you cant see that, I myself am pretty disappointed....

kkkandk

Thank you for your support on the board, I appreciate your balanced views on the issues discussed.

Regards

Syed Wajahat Ali

Ras

There is no question about Coawsji`s bravery though. Being a hustler aside - in a city or a country where human life is not worth that of a pye dog, he has taken on corrupt politicians and government officials throughout his life. This is an awesome feat in itself. I used to have a lot of respect for him for that reason but what he has done now when his pubes have turned gray figthing corruption, is inexcusable. He has sold his soul to the devil. Military is the epitomy of evil and corruption in Pakistan. The very reason that Pakistani beareaucracy and politicians and instruments of government are so corrupt is because of military. Since military rule according to modern standards is an illegitimate rule, therefore, it has to corrupt all those around them as well so that a kettle is not able to call a pot black. There are some people on this forum who represent the tiny minority in Paksitan who have never stood in a line outside a bank to deposit their utility bills in sweltering heat, their files never stop at a government office with objections, they do not have to pay police at checkpoints to get to home to their children in one piece after work, they are never told by a bank official to take a hike when they apply for a loan. For them Pakistan is America - the loveliest place on earth. They do not see corruption around them - because they don`t want to. They don`t see humanity rotting in front of hospitals begging for an aspirine. For them Pakistan has a bad name in the community of world not because of their corruption and ineptitude but because a fukking moulvi in a god forsaken mosque tells his parishnors where the source of evil is. Why in world would they want to change a system that has given them so much. Why wouldn`t they protect this sysetm - this system that is created by a corrupt and rogue military. Cowasjee has sold himself to this evil in his twilight years. He has sold us all. My opposition to Cowasji is not a political disagreement but it is only disgust and disappointment. Supporting evil is not a political option.

Dear Cowsjee,

I am regular reader of your articles, you are a brave and intellectual person, may Allah save you from all bad people.

I request President Musharaf to intervene and save this brave writer, who is just writing truth.

Best Regards,
Syed Tauqeer, Abu Dhabi, UAE

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

Cowasjee was jailed in the 1970s and while in Karachi jail, he started a rose garden, which I believe is still exists.

Why was he jailed by a democratically elected leader of Pakistan?

Cowasjee is old; in his 80s and is entering the dotting age and some times his memory slips and some times he writes articles, which makes us fume, laugh or simply confuses us. Cowasjee suffers from a disappointment. As a young man, he saw the birth of Pakistan in 1947 and since then, he has seen each political generation, despite the clothes of dictators, tear that dream apart. I do not read his articles, because I have a feeling that old Cowasjee uses a ghost writer but I do not question his wish for a better Pakistan. In that wish, he has spoken out against the many rapists of that particular wish, while the rest of us chose to remain silent. He supports the military because he does not think that mullahs are a better choice and between the devil and satan, he favors the devil. What ever his faults, Cowasjee speaks his mind and that makes him a nuance to the powers of Pakistan, who are still not that far removed from their old feudal ways.

There is no need to defend Cowasjee. He has powerful friends who will not let an errand minister of industries harm him.

Ciao

``Brave people like Mr Cowasjee deserve our respect and our support``

Brave?

Cowasjee?