An Urgent Appeal to all Pakistanis

Hey Wajahat,

Thanks for bringing this to our notice!!

I sent a mail to Cowasjee when he had written something on Hindus and Muslims. He was kind enough to reply. I thought he was some obscure journalist spending his last days championing social causes. From the Chowk interacts, I get the impression that he is a powerful man! Whatever the case, threats are common in our countries where it is normal for gundas to threaten and bully law abiding citizens. In India, most of these strong-arms get elected to parliament. The irony is that they pass bills for strengthening law and order in the country :-)

I`ll send a mail to Cowasjee expressing my solidarity.

BTW, you could start a petition on some site and float it around to get support of expat Pakis. I know this happens on Sulekha.

Regards,
Rahul

ana #35

Thank you for your post and you were not intruding at all. One of the things we do here is to attain a certain view of a chowki we have been interacting with or reading from for a while. Every now or then however we will find that this person will break the mould and dissappoint, surprise us. I find this disconcerting naturally, but I totally respect it, as our individuality seperates us. We can question, rhetorically challenge it, but we must give them the room to express themselves and most importantly listen.

By the way your ilog regarding Aziz Narejo`s Article was excellent!

Another gem from Ustad Daaman on fouji-politician nexus of evil:


Qauom de ghadaaro! te pukaro te kukaro hun
gayay hoay farnagiaN nu, muRR ke hun bulaai jao

QauoMaaN diyaN quomaaN tussi, tottay tottay kitiayaaN
bandaa bandaa, tottay tottay honda te karai jao

khaai jao khaai jao, bhaid kinneh kholne?
vichoN vich khai jao, uttooN rola pai jao

chacha deway bhateeje nu, bhateeja deway chache nu
aapo vich vandi jao, te aape vich khai jao

Urstruly:
``I think ImamDin Gujrati was a sage.``

If people who use language like ``kise wichon maan yawai ae`` are considered sages, the concept of sage has changed quite a bit in Pakitan.

Omar,
First off, please don’t compare me to Veeresh. His whole line of argument is to show Pakistan in poor light in whatever way he can. So please leave that nut out of this discussion.
I thought you would know right away which papers are owned by the army and I was talking about the PPL group that was taken over by the army and for a long time was administered by the army generals. I have not looked at their status now, but I think those papers are still owned by the semi govt. trust and still don’t write a whole lot against the army. You also would know that for long time Pakistan Times was the only English newspaper in Punjab and other newspapers were not allowed any declaration until the Nawiawaqt group, another pro Army group then, was allowed to start the Nation.
It is whole lot easier to write about Pakistan’s foreign policy. It is a different story when newspapers take a shot at the army for denying people their civil rights including the screwing up with the constitution at will.
How many editorials by Dawn can you quote that have denounced the army for illegal coups and messing with the constitution?
Now about the cushy jobs- I should not have generalized as I know most of the working journalist just get by and if they are lucky they would own a Motor bike. I was referring to the so called elite in the newspapers who get to travel with every President, PM and then some more foreign trips that are arranged for them regularly. Let us also not forget that some of them have pretty good access to information ministry`s Largesse. Some of them are actually very well off.
You seem to quote Ayaz Amir a lot. Isn’t this the same guy who wrote against every single civilian govt. in Pakistan and wasn’t he the one who was among the first ones to welcome the army coup in 1999?
Isn’t he the one who after writing so much against Nawaz Sharif, actually traveled to Saudi Arabia to get PML(N) ticket?
Thanks for accepting that CowasJee supports the army. In my view, and it may be a little extreme for you- once you go in the army corner and support the screwing up of the civilian structure in the country, you are an army stooge and don’t deserve the kind of latitude that a poor working journalist, who is busting his ass to write the real stories deserves. Like the working journalists that I mentioned in my post and you skipped over them in writing praise for Ayaz Amir and I. A. Rehman. The pseudo liberals, who would run under the army cover the minute boots show up on their doorsteps.

I just hope you meet some old timer working journalists and learn stories about some “liberal” journalists and their love for the army.

DM

I know Pakistani Punjabis try to act bhaiyya often but what is wrong with you. What you think of as vulgarity, is actually the openness and uninhibitedness of Punjabi culture. Now you probably know several languages very well - like english, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Malyalam and probably French - but I challange you to write just one sentence as deep as `` eh itt bahron naeen aai``, in any language other than Punjabi and then top this zenith of eloquence ``kise wichon maan yawai ae``. That is the reason, Imam Din Gujrati, although, does not have a published deewan, yet his word has reached to millions, even to other cultures as well. Ever wonder why? Because of his uninhibitdness. He strums our most harmonious chords like no one else. He was the sage. He was the saint. And Rap was invented in Punjab first time ever in the whole wide world.

Currently I have divorced my Punjabiat and renounced my Punjabi citizenship in protest of Punjab`s shameless support of fauji dictators, their shamless support for aggression on other provinces; and for stealing the wealth of other provinces but I cannot separate myself from people like Imam Din and Ustad Daaman - as the Punjabi proverb goes - tidh diaN aandraN te naiN kisse nu dain hondiaN.

DM:
I do not dispute the richness and rawness of Panjabi, but I do not equate it with vulgarity, and certainly not with `pindi ni mithi boli`.

re: Omar R. Qureshi

(lol)

My sources? Pray, tell tell me what sources a ``school teacher`` might have, who is ignorant of the ground realities (unlike the Delphic sages on an editorial board?)

As to Somooro, since I am in your eyes ignorant and a school teacher too, was Somooro in fact even arrested?

Please ask Cowasjee if he uses a ghost writer and off course, he would have denied it if asked! :)

Ciao

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hp -- ok you`re right -- no one should be compared to that nut -- the PPL takeover was by ayub khan and the papers taken over died one by one mostly by the 80s , except the pakistan times which is now owned if im not wrong by the jang group -- so army papers are not around these days -- not since those days anyways -- the papers that are read -- the ones owned by the haroons, the jang group and the nawai waqt group are not army run papers by any stretch of the imagination --

hp: ``You also would know that for long time Pakistan Times was the only English newspaper in Punjab and other newspapers were not allowed any declaration until the Nawiawaqt group, another pro Army group then, was allowed to start the Nation.`` -- yes of course but i was talking more about the present, the past decade or so up till now to be precise --


hp: ``It is whole lot easier to write about Pakistan’s foreign policy. It is a different story when newspapers take a shot at the army for denying people their civil rights including the screwing up with the constitution at will. `` -- again read editorials by the TFT, DT, Nation and Dawn and u will find severe criticism of the current military govt -- also pretty scathing article by asma jehangir on the tharparkar byelection in todays dawn -- also recent editorial on presenting our softer face and another on okara farms directly criticizing the army govt -- also herald and newsline extremely critical too -- this is to set the record straight --

``I was referring to the so called elite in the newspapers who get to travel with every President, PM and then some more foreign trips that are arranged for them regularly.`` -- ok point taken but these are very few and much of the journalists community knows them and dislikes them -- in many cases they end up doing favours for their proprietors or themselves -- again, speaking from my own example, the editor routinely refuses requests by PID or the information ministry to send correspondents on overseas travel -- the rule is that if anyone has to be sent then it must be at the editor`s discretion -- of course im not saying that the freeloaders that u speak of arent there -- and most of them come on PTV or even the private TV channels more often than in the english print media (and perhaps more in the urdu press)

and now this hp: ``How many editorials by Dawn can you quote that have denounced the army for illegal coups and messing with the constitution? ``

this list would go into the hundred or thousands because (and this i say only since u asked) -- the newspaper`s consistent policy (at least since zia`s rule) has been to criticize military takeovers and to call for democratic rule -- and this policy is unambiguous and not passive by any means -- you can read the editorials yourselves and judge for yourself -- i am amazed by this remark -- i think a lot of people tend to criticize without first reading whats been written

since u specifically mention this, here is the editorial that came on august 14 -- u can judge for yourself how much praiseworthy or otherwise it is of the current govt hp sahib --

Need for national consensus

The nation today celebrates its fifty-seventh independence day in a mood that is far from cheerful and optimistic. There is a lack of direction and commitment, and a country founded by a constitution a list like Mohammad Ali Jinnah finds itself languishing under a quasi-democratic dispensation.

The National Security Council, constituted through a bill enacted with the support of a section of the opposition, has subordinated the elected civilian leadership to the military`s whims, thus weakening the concept of the sovereignty of the people and negating the essence of democracy.

The underlying assumption behind the formation of the NSC - that the military knows what is best for the nation - is fallacious. Our politicians have not exactly lived up to the Quaid-i-Azam`s ideals; indeed when they have been in power they have often trampled democratic norms and weakened democratic institutions.

But there is nothing to suggest that military rulers have done any better either. As history shows, periods of chaos have followed military rule, because the generals left behind them systems that did not have the people`s consent.

Thus the constitutional schemes devised by Ayub Khan and the arbitrary amendments to the 1973 Constitution by Ziaul Haq could not last long because neither believed in participatory democracy.

The constitution made by Ayub Khan relied on indirect election to parliament and was abrogated when he lost power, while in the case of Ziaul Haq it was left to his protege, Mr Nawaz Sharif, to repeal Article 58-2(b) that empowered the president to dissolve an elected parliament and government.

Both Ziaul Haq and two of his predecessors - Mr Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Mr Farooq Leghari - made arbitrary use of this clause. Today, we are confronted with the same question: will the arbitrary changes made to the Constitution through the Legal Framework Order last when the present set of generals is gone?

One feature of military governments has been the persecution of parties and politicians not on their side. Ziaul Haq persecuted the PPP and the Bhutto family and patronized sycophants and time-servers; this government has kept both the PPP and the PML-N out in the cold and pampered those who are willing to collaborate with it.

This has sidelined the two mainstream parties, thus forcing the generals to rely on the religious parties, whose support to the military regime has been grudging and based on expediency.

The LFO itself owes its inclusion in the Constitution to the support of the religious parties in a deal that neither side now looks like honouring. More unfortunately, while accusing the politicians of being corrupt and unprincipled, the military itself has shown a lack of scruples.

Nothing illustrates this better than the way the accountability process has been conducted - favourites have been forgiven and inducted into the government, while those not falling in line have had their due share of trials and jail terms.

All this has served to weaken the regime`s moral standing and contributed to a lack of national consensus not just on the political system but on all major facets of national life.

Events since 9/11 have turned the world`s focus on Pakistan, our internal scene is monitored abroad the way no other country`s is. Yet chaos, uncertainty and a lack of consensus on all vital issues - from the need or otherwise of big dams to terrorism - characterize the domestic scenario.

The monster of terrorism stalks the land, and yet the government`s handling of this highly sensitive issue has been controversial. The Wana operation especially has drawn strong criticism, because the government has not tried to take all parties along.

The same situation informs matters like the implications of Pakistan`s membership of the World Trade Organization, the lack of substantial local and foreign investment, the failure to initiate a dialogue with Baloch groups, and the question of troops for Iraq.

All these issues need to be discussed and debated threadbare in the National Assembly. Uncertainty still surrounds the president`s decision to retain his uniform. On many other questions agitating the public mind, progressive legislation has been wanting.

No law has yet been framed to abolish karo-kari and honour killings, and no progress has been made with regard to amendments to the Hudood and blasphemy laws. A point has come when more important than harking back to what the founding fathers had said is to develop a national consensus on all issues of concern.

What we need from all those who matter - political parties, intellectuals, ulema, civil society groups and the military itself - is unambiguous dedication to democracy and the rule of law.

We have to sit together and decide what we wish to be - a parliamentary democratic state or a quasi-democracy. We have to agree on how far we want religious forces to shape our domestic and foreign policies. We have already wasted five decades in dithering over our sense of direction; further delay will have even graver repercussions.



hp again: ``You seem to quote Ayaz Amir a lot. Isn’t this the same guy who wrote against every single civilian govt. in Pakistan and wasn’t he the one who was among the first ones to welcome the army coup in 1999? ``

err yes he did initially -- he has written against all govts, civilian and military -- have u read him now -- specifically over the past three years -- have u read any of aqil shah`s articles on the army -- or any by i a rehman (tho he hasnt written in dawn that much) or by m. ziauddin (ocassionally) -- and in the news have u read masood hasan, kamran shafi, or khaled ahmed in the TFT or DT? or pervez hoodbhoy in Dawn or akbar zaidi`s article last week on teaching of india in pakistan? the list goes on and on


hpL :Thanks for accepting that CowasJee supports the army` -- its not for me or u to accept - thats the sense i get when i read him -- that isnt the point raised in the article is it -- it is about a provincial minister threatening a columnist

hp again: ``Like the working journalists that I mentioned in my post and you skipped over them in writing praise for Ayaz Amir and I. A. Rehman. The pseudo liberals, who would run under the army cover the minute boots show up on their doorsteps. I just hope you meet some old timer working journalists and learn stories about some “liberal” journalists and their love for the army. ``

hp sahib -- editorials in dawn are written by in house fulltime staff members -- though i am under 35 most of my colleagues, the editor included, are well above 60 -- the editor of the editorial page has been around since before 1971 so he`s been through it all -- the editor started his career in 1964 working with the civil and military gazette -- the editor before him, ahmed ali khan, an institution in himself, was editor from 1973 till 2004 (with a hiatus of three years in between) and he has worked under ayub even -- trust me there is no dearth of stories -- strange u should mention i a rehman , he is extremely critical and till his job as director of HRCP was a full time journalist much of his life -- and by the way it doesnt matter whether u r a liberal or conservative - i wonder what u would do if the midnight knock were to happen at your door or if strangers come to your house door in your absence and warn your children (as happened with the TFT`s ejaz haider) -- you say u dont want to generalize but u end up doing just that hp sahib -- and oh by the way, when i was with dawn in lahore (1998-2000) our news editor there had been sentenced to 50 lashes by zia -- i supposed that counts in your estimation hp sahib , or no?

im actually confused because im not sure what u want these liberal army critics to do -- i mean their job is to objectively assess and comment and criticize whenever necessary -- so a lot of them do that and some of them dont -- its not, as you think, the other way round --


#56 by ferozk on August 20, 2004 8:38pm PT
re: Omar R. Qureshi

(lol)

My sources? Pray, tell tell me what sources a ``school teacher`` might have, who is ignorant of the ground realities (unlike the Delphic sages on an editorial board?)

As to Somooro, since I am in your eyes ignorant and a school teacher too, was Somooro in fact even arrested?

Please ask Cowasjee if he uses a ghost writer and off course, he would have denied it if asked! :)

Ciao


feroz sahib -- like i said earlier i cant really ask mr ilahi bux soomro on your behalf, perhaps you can yourself -- as for the ghost writer bit i knew this is what you would probably say so i qualified what i wrote by saying (please read closer) that unless he was lying he doesnt use a ghost writer -- and also his editor of the past 18 years -- dawn`s editorial page editor and my senior colleague also believes that he doesnt ghost write his columns -- i suppose his assessment is probably going to be more accurate than either your`s or mine`s

as for your sarcasm about my reference to your job -- i believe you are a teacher or some sorts arent u and your ilogs say it -- if u arent i apologize for the factual error -- but if u r then my reference to your profession should be fine since in the not too distant past i distinctly remember you commenting or referring to my profession

Omar_R/HP#: Some of the Pakistani editorials and feature writers are actually quite good. Amongst these, I have been reading Ayaz Amir, Cowasjee, Sethi, Nasim Zehra, Mazdak, Khaled Ahmad, Ejaz Haider, Kamran Shafi, Shahid Javed Burki, Biran Cloughley etc. for a long long time. I don`t think I have missed a single one of their articles in many years.

My favorites are Ayaz, Cowasjee, Sethi and Zehra and Burki. The ones I don`t like are Kamran Shafi, and Khaled Ahmad. The one I find somewhat ordinary are Ejaz Haider and Mazdak.

My views about Pakistan fall, about in line, with Ayaz and Cowasjee`s (on politics) and Burki`s (on economics). I actually have exchanged emails with Ayaz Amir. None of these guys specifically like nor dislike the Army or civilians. They comment on what is going on, and whether it is good or bad. That is what they are supposed to do. If Musharraf does something good, they say it is good, if he does something bad, they say so also. Ayaz supported Musharraf for three years, and now opposes Army rule (ever since the election), and is neutral towards Musharraf. Cowasjee supports Musharraf throughout Cowasjee, probably because of what Musharraf has done for the minorities. Burki was critical of Shaukut Aziz`s economic policies in the begining, but is now fully behind them.

The last thing a writer should do is to, ``like`` or, ``hate`` something and then just start giving one-sided opinions. I would put Kamran Shafi and Khaled Ahmad in this category. Kamran Shafi was in the Army, and then became a senior member of the PPP. He dislikes the Army and loves BB and PPP. And all his articles generally fall in this category. Khaled Ahmad dislikes mullahs. Hence nearly everything he writes is about Islam, using mullahs as the criteria for goodness and badness. In addition, he seems to portray himself as an intellectual (I am not sure on what basis).

Ayaz Amir and Cowasjee know Pakistan much better than the rest of us. Ayaz was in the Army, then in foreign service (?), then in journalism and then in politics. He is the only writer I have read who actually understands the Army. His critiques are thus objective and accurate. In addition, he is not gora-influenced. His comments are specifically Pakistan-centric. He has critiqued Musharraf and supported him. He is critiqued mullahs and supported them. And he has critiqued the politicians and supported them. In addition, he was an MPA from the PML, under Nawaz. And then resigned, because he got fed up with NS and his govt. Perhaps the only MPA ever to do that in ten years. However, when everyone dumped NS, he still remained with PML(N) and fought elections, under their banner. And unlike the rest of us, he still lives in his hometown of Chakwal.

Cowasjee is a Parsi, and ex-big businessman, and someone who knows everyone from Jinnah to Musharraf. His knowledge of Pakistan and its internals is bound to be great.

All of the above, actually like Musharraf. At least, moreso than than liked any other leader. They have openly stated it. Sethi was saved from NS`s tortures by Musharraf, who refused to prosecute Sethi, when Sethi was kidnapped from his bedroom, by NS and Mushahid Hussain. Sethi, in an editorial, ranked the current govt. better than all previous ones, though still needing a lot of improvement.

All of them above are, however, against the Army`s involvement in politics, at this point. They do seem to want Musharraf as a civilian President. They don`t like BB nor NS. The only excepiton being Kamran Shafi, who belongs to PPP. Interestingly, Sethi is the editor of a newspaper, Daily Times, which is owned by a PPP stalwart. However, he is generally supportive of a civilain Musharraf.

No editor or writer can ever be credible and objective, if they start from a personal premise of hating or opposing something. One sees this on Chowk, a lot. Those who dislike mullahs cannot see anything good in anything they do. Those who hate Indians, cannot see anything good in anything India does. Ditto for Army, secularism etc.

One should always write based on what is going on. For example, I opposed Zia`s govt., even though I was in the military then. I supported Musharraf`s and will continue to do so (assuming he retires in December), even though I am a civilian now. I think mullahs are a disaster, but I will support them over BB and her feudals. And I support TI type honest non-feudal/on-military/non-mullah govts over military, feudal and mullah govts.

It has nothing to do with my likes or dislikes. It has everything to do with what I think they will do for Pakistan, in comparison to other options, within the environment of Pakistan. As long as this is the critiria and the comments are based on facts, one cannot criiticize any writer for supporting or opposing the Army, or the maulvis or peace with India or war with India, or religion or secularism etc.......And I think the list of writers I presented (other than Khaled and Kamran) do use this as a criteria............

a lot of pakistanis in pakistan proper are, if i may borrow from wajahat and add a word, ``are frustrated by the limitations of what we can or cannot do in knowledge of events in our OWN homeland, as well.

cowasjee is read by expats, and homebounds, and this appeal should have been to of us pakistanis, not just the expats. i know the title reflects this, but the appeal doesn`t necessarily do as such. khair, i think we all got the message.

also let it be understood, that our feelings for cowasjee aside, for a minister, or anyone who claims to have so-called power, to bully someone is not acceptable. men and women in pakistan are incredibly clueless as to what power is, when they abuse it as they are in cowasjee`s case, and when they`ve abused it time, and time, and time again. cowasjee, bless him, still has his voice. and he has many vocal supporters and friends. will this appeal for him also be for the many whose voices and lives are threatened and taken away from them? those who don`t have the friends (and expat support) that cowasjee does?

i think it`s overly optimistic to think that our voices will have any effect on the federal government. . . a federal government some of us feel has no legitimacy to begin with. . . but that isn`t any reason not to voice our concerns. the government in pakistan, much less the embassies have not represented ALL of us for quite some time now. phir bhi. . .``tum apni kar guzro, jo hoga dekkha jayega`` as faiz said.


omar #48.

it takes more of an effort for me to read your posts than not to read them, and since i don`t anymore, except for the unavoidable glance at #48, i would suggest that you refrain from addressing posts to me. it`s a waste of your editorial and educator genius. thank you!

wajahat #50

thank you for putting me in my place. and i mean that most humbly and sincerely. :) i read (read: listened) to what you said here in the spirit that it was offered. and i agree.

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Urstruly:
great posts--re: Ustaad Daaman.

To ``corrupt`` a shair by Iftikhar Arif, and apply it in Panjabis context.

``Urdu`` kee muhhabbat meiN hUm aashuftaa sroaN neiN
voh qarz utaaray haiN , jo vaajib bhee naheeN thhay.

Faiz ruefully expressed his `impotence` about writing in Panjabi. When prodded by Major Ishaque he said how possibly he could write like Ustaad Daman who was so firmly rooted in the heart of the language.

He gave an example;`` How in any other language can one express thus``-

`Miri luGGdee kisay naa vaikhee
tai tuTTdee nooN juG jaOndaa.`

---

My favourites: ``Udeekna`` ``pabbiaaN p`aar``. .
In my well considered opinion the Panjaabi of Pakistani-Panjaabi is more expressive and poetic , Shiv Batalvi notwithstanding. In fact it is his ``Ghazal`` ethos rather than ``geet`` which has given him ``stature``.

re: Omar R. Qureshi

I am glad that you noted the sarcasm. I was afraid that you might miss it. To be honest, it is very hard to be sarcastic on Chowk without sounding rude.

As to Somooro, I believe that he was jailed in 1975 over a difference with Bhutto and after a patch up between the two, was nominatated to represent Pakistan in London. He is a delightful gentleman of the old school (who also used to keep a fridge full of Swiss chocolates which I used to indulge in liberally).

Ciao

echoboom, urstruly:
Ustaad Daman was really a great poet of the masses. His simple language and vivid imagery connected him immediately to the common man. But philosophically he was far removed from both of you. He was a muslim nationalist whose house in Lahoe was destroyed by muslim leaguees during the partition. Soon after, he read this poem at a Delhi Kavi Darbar:
Jaagan valiaan raj ke lutya ae
Soye tusi vi au, soye asi vi aan
Laali akhiyaan di payi das-di ae
roye tusi vi au, roye asi vi aan [what a beauty!]
In fact Nehru wanted him to stay on in Delhi but he could not think of leaving Lahore, and said,``main ravaanga Lahore vich bhaanvein jail vich ravaan``.

But I dont think that he wrote ``meri tut-di kise naan vekhi``. This is one of the two popular punjabi songs I remember from the partition days, the other being ``aithon ud jaa bholya pachchiya, ve tu apni jaan bacha``.
And I dont think that Shiv Batalvi is famous for ghazals. He is more famous for his souleful poems like ``Bhatti vaaliye`` and ``aj din chadya tere rang varga``.

Anyway echoboom, for a product of Ganga-Jamni tehzeeb, your knowledge of Punjabi is really admirable:-).