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Nuggets from the Urdu press

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Nasibo Lal in trouble

According to Khabrain, folk singer Nasibo Lal, while singing at Gujranwala Arts Council, allowed fuhush (obscene) dancers like Alisha, Khushboo and Lashana, to perform lasciviously in front of a local audience. People responded with great enthusiasm although the event was against the rules of decency. They repeatedly performed bhangra while ignoring ideology of Pakistan.

Milosevic and Osama

Historian of Afghan jehad Raja Anwar, writing in Khabrain, said that if Milosevic could be brought under trial in an international court why couldn`t Pakistan or any other state ensure that Osama bin Laden is brought before an impartial court? He could be punished only if found guilty. Raja Anwar wrote that Afghanistan had given nothing to Pakistan but kalashnikov culture and was not willing to make any concession, not even on the Durand Line.

Mufti Shamzai`s fatwa

According to Nawa-e-Waqt, Mufti Shamzai of Karachi`s Banuri Mosque issued the fatwa that when the Americans land in Pakistan his followers should immediately take over the country`s airports. Fifty thousand followers did bayat-e-jehad (pledge of war) on his hand. He said anyone fighting on the side of Christians against Islam would go to hell.

Sharif brothers part ways

According to daily Din, Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif fell apart in their hideaway in Saudi Arabia and that Shehbaz Sharif had bought a residence of his own separately from the family still led by Abbaji. The paper opined that since Shehbaz had decided to part ways with the family he may lose Saudi financial help.

Pakistan`s paradox

Renowned columnist Nazeer Naji wrote in Jang that Pakistan had a strange history of upheavals. Bhutto, a liberal, chose a fundamentalist officer General Zia for promotion to army chief, who overthrew him and converted Pakistan into a fundamentalist state. Bhutto was a secularist but spent more time banning alcohol in Pakistan and apostatising the Ahmedis to please the mullahs. The initial paradox was that Jinnah was a secular leader who was opposed by the mullahs, but later Pakistan was to be moulded in the vision of not Jinnah but mullahs. Then General Zia chose Nawaz Sharif as his heir but in 1997 he was elected for his economic policies; instead he chose to enforce shariat after coming to power. But for a man devoted to shariat he chose General Musharraf, a non-Islamist, to head the army. General Musharraf who toured the cantonments to defend Nawaz Sharif for sacking an earlier chief, was later to remove Nawaz Sharif. And an Islamist army was now ready to get rid of the jehadi mullahs and rid the state of fundamentalism. Nawaz Sharif was opposing his anti-Taliban policy from Saudi Arabia although his brother chief minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif had clearly said during his tenure that the Taliban were training the terrorists targeting Pakistani leaders.

What will Pakistan give?

Famous columnist Irshad Haqqani wrote in Jang that Pakistan and the US had discussed the matter of Pakistan`s offering landing facilities during the invasion of Afghanistan but there was no discussion on territorial rights. But General Hameed Gul, through a letter, said that he had trimmed his anti-Musharraf position when assured by him that neither land nor landing facilities would be granted to the American troops.

US to take intelligence help

Famous columnist Hussain Haqqani wrote in Jang that during the Afghan war the Americans used Pakistani intelligence to fight the Soviet Union but this cooperation was not really beneficial; but this time, he hoped, it would be more fruitful. This was a crucial point of time in the Pak-US relations.

Osama wanted me killed!

Leader of the PPP Ms Benazir Bhutto said in daily Din that Osama bin Laden paid Nawaz Sharif of the PML ten million dollars to topple her from government through the device of a no confidence vote. She said that Osama also planned to get her killed, but his plans failed twice.

Present land holding against Islam

According to daily Din, Council of Islamic Ideology came to the conclusion that the present land holdings in Pakistan were against Islam and must be undone because the child born in the house of a feudal lived in luxury while the one born in the house of a poor man was deprived. In the past, land reforms were undone by the Federal Shariat Court on the question of annexation of land without payment of market price.

Beaten up for singing `mahiya`

According to daily Pakistan a police officer ASI Shameem Gondal of Malka Hans had the habit of following a lady school teacher singing the mahiya songs of Mansoor Malangi loudly to seduce her into thinking of love. But the school teacher suddenly took off her burqa and started beating him up with her shoe. Other school girls accompanying her joined in and also beat him up with their shoes. After the beating it was discovered that one tooth of the thanedar ASI was broken but he was allowed to go only after he swore on a copy of the Quran and made the school teacher his sister.

It is not aunt`s home!

According to Nawa-e-Waqt, ex-ISI chief General Hameed Gul said that after the Taliban shot down two unmanned spy planes of the United States, the Americans were bound to run away from the battle field. He said all would soon be well because defeating the Taliban was not khala ji ka ghar (easy as being in one`s aunt`s home).

Zia wanted Afghanistan

Quoting a journalist once close to General Zia, Maqbul Sharif, daily Pakistan wrote that General Zia did not want the Russians to leave Pakistan at the end of the Afghan war. He wanted the question of a new government in Kabul resolved before their exit. In fact he wanted to send Pakistani troops to Kabul in the same manner that India had sent its troops to East Pakistan.

Jehadi organisations are fake

Quoted in Jang, ex-ISI chief General Javed Ashraf Qazi said that 90 percent of the organisations engaged in jehad in Kashmir were fake. Hew said leaders like Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Maulana Samiul Haq were interested only in amassing funds and advancing their political ends. If they were sent to Afghanistan to fight they would jump out of the bus and run away. He said in the past the Taliban were warned many times that because of them Pakistan was being labelled a terrorist state but they did not listen.

Israel did it!

Talking to daily Pakistan, Sipah Sahaba chief Maulana Azam Tariq said that those who attacked New York and Washington should be sought in Israel and India because Osama bin Laden was blameless. He said if Afghanistan was attacked he would issue fatwa for the murder of Americans and Israelis. He said America wanted to attack Pakistan`s nuclear installations while pretending to attack Afghanistan. He added that there would be civil war in Pakistan if Islamabad continued to support the Americans.

Hekmatyar will join Taliban!

Editor Ausaf Hamid Mir wrote that if Pakistan were to sever relations with the Taliban in the wake of similar action by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, it will force two offended Afghan leaders, Hekmatyar and Sayyaf, to join the Taliban and make an anti-Pakistan alliance. This new alliance will stop the advance of the Northern Alliance but Pakistan would be forever deprived of the friendship of its precious Afghan brethren.

Allah will answer Mulla Umar`s call!

According to Khabrain Mulla Umar of Afghanistan had prayed to Allah for special intervention against the American attack, as a result of which Allah had sent down a storm off the coast of Karachi as a sign. Before this, Salahuddin Ayubi had also prayed like Mulla Umar and his prayer was heard and a Christians army was caused to be gharq (sunk) by Allah.

A Lahori heir to Afghan throne speaks out!

According to daily Din, Ashraf Durrani of Lahore was discovered to be in the line of descent of Ahmad Shah Abdali Durrani who established the first Afghan empire. Ashraf Durrani formally laid claim to the throne of Afghanistan and stated that the Afghan people were not satisfied with the government of the Taliban. He also laid claim to the diamonds presently owned by the Queen of England and said that the diamond had belonged to his ancestor Shah Shuja.

Allama Iqbal`s joy

Famous historian Dr Safdar Mehmood wrote in Nawa-e-Waqt that Allama Iqbal would have been overjoyed to see that the civilisation of the West was no longer obsessed by women but by a bearded man called Osama bin Laden.

Ms Mazari is anti-America

According to Ausaf, former chairman of the state-run Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad, Mr Niaz A. Naik, wrote to the Foreign Office saying that the present chairman of the institute, Dr Shireen Mazari, was anti-American and was harming the interests of Pakistan by writing against the United States. The paper said that upon an inquiry made by the Foreign Office, ex-foreign minister Agha Shahi stated that she had criticised the United States while defending the interests of Pakistan.

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mb_kumar #63 You should have stopped while you were ahead with your post #62 (people would never have found out the waste of chemicals between your two ears - trillions of brain cells, and this is all you can come up with!!).

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I fully agree with you and understand the plight of Afghan people. Being a Muslim country what Pakistan has done to Afghanistan is really disgusting. This is the same going on with Kashmiris, Mohazirs but I don`t understand why people, in general, don`t understand the attitude of this pakistani generals. This is wholly because of Punjabi generals and their attitude towards people of the region. I think they are only good for their own people how far I am not sure. Besides that I sincerely doubt, they are good for any one. Get rid of Pakistani punjab and whole probem will vanish like smoke in the air. I urge people of pakistan and of this region to understand the ambition behind these zeal before falling into their trap.

This is a test

PS:
Just a small paradox. If I am not mistaken, in the last Presidential election, the larger portion of the Muslim American vote went in favor of the Republican party(which encompasses the US right) ?

saminashah #48

I too find that families who have been in the US for a while have this divisive tendency. Others I have met who are more recent immigrants from India are determined to uphold the nonsectarian flavor in their activities. Thats one reason why I am totally opposed to NRIs funding sectarian activities and helping propagate their own skewed perspectives back in India. GoI needs to be shaken awake really fast to take action in this regard.

Re Arafat, I think he came to get support for `Zionism as racism` at the Durban conference. I think it was followed by an urgent visit from an Israeli emmissary. I havenot been following this but IMHO Indian govt. is walking a rhetorical tightrope on the Israel-Palestine issue after being traditionally opposed to Israeli interests for many years, and is likely to goof up and end up offending both sides so I wish that issue would get settled soon.

Re Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine, I agree with you. Re India and Pakistan being friendlier, that may certainly make a solution to Afghanistan easier, but I personally donot believe it will happen in this generation unless there is some decisive event like the present crisis :(.

sadna #72 you write ``I think most religions teachings in their essence aim for the same things.``

I think we can agree on that. One wonders then, why those who claim to be the most ardent devotees of these various religions do not observe their respective faiths in peace and tranquility. And why instead they aim to create mischief everywhere with their guns, stones, and insults. Perhaps they really are not as ardent devotees as they claim to be!!

Just wanted to say, that US must provide solid proof for Osama,and if found guilty,then should face a trial.

US should`nt uze forcez against him.

Becauze, DEAD OSAMA, IZ MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE LIVING ONE...

US must not commit this mistake.. Or, will have to face its after effects

Arrested Development

Hey! Not guilty this time.

But the time zone where I live shows that I was just delayed by two days. Can`t help. Their were certain emergencies, so I didn`t have the luxury of surfing through chowk and couldn`t read your oh so arresting reply earlier than I did.

Mona

urstruly #71 since you too seem somewhat challenged, I will try to explain to you what people of average intelligence would understand from my earlier response below. That is, I had said that the quotes from the Quran you provide reinforce what I have said, and do not negate them as you seem to think. I have explained this further below by taking the terms you have been able to come up with through painstaking research (I have numbered them to link them to my explanation on each):

``

1. As a witness (to testify about Allah)

2. The bearer of good news

3. As a warner

4. An inviter to God

5. And a guiding beacon.

6. He(pbuh) was sent out of mercy from Him towards the whole world.

7. He (pbuh) was blessed with a great gift, the gift of great moral character.``

Now ask yourself:

1. Witness: Is a witness responsible for how his/her testimony is interpreted?

2. Bearer of Good News: A bearer of news of any kind is a messenger.

3. Warner: I already mentioned this.

4. Inviter: Is an inviter expected to drag people in anyway if the invitation is not accepted?

5. Beacon: Does a beacon drag people to itself, or simply let them decide how they want to deal with the light.

6. Sent as mercy: this is simply irrelevant.

7. Moral character: Having a good moral character does not make a man responsible for other people`s moral character as well.

You really are an idiot!! You cant even read simple words and get them through your head! Better stick to posting insults to hindu chowkies (some of them will be perfectly happy to respond in kind, I am sure, while most will simply give you the attention you deserve).

Sadna,

Thanks for the article. I read it and it was interesting (the one by Mr. Naqvi, right?)...I find myself having discussions with people who are so ambivalent about the role of the U.S. media.

It is true that the US has thus far, shown unprecedented restraint(I am used to the knock`em-sock`em administrations) and indeed this has proven to be wise and have positive reverberations in countries such as Bangladesh. Lets hope it continues.

regards

Samina:

you would be a moderate Republican or a conservative Democrat...if you want I could send you some of the platforms some progressive South Asian American groups organize on. While the Dems and Reps are virtually indistinguishable lately, there are some shining individuals who seem to instinctively gravitate towards a greater decency, and I don`t want to overlook them. What is your opinion?

Well. as far as mainstream politics are concerned, I like to think of myself as a fiscal conservative and a social liberal(with limits). However, I am not familiar at all with South Asian politics in the US at all, except in the form of lobbying/pressure groups for India/Pakistan, which in anycase are divisive.

Unlike Asian, Latino and African American political groups, I really don`t see any future for South Asian groups because, at least to the uninitiated like me, they seem to care more about India/Pak rather than political needs here in the US. I am, however, talking about lobbying groups above.

Your platforms seem to be more in tune with our needs here and now. I`d definitely be interested in something like that, at least to learn what they stand for.

Regards

Stuka

Sadna:

Whose misfortune was it to beget me? Clearly my parents ofcourse..Who did you think? ;)

``In some ways, the Afghan Communist rulers were the only halfway decent government the Afghan people have had for a very long time.

Although Hafizullah Amin and Noor Mohammed Taraki (I knew I would remember his name eventually) were not particularly nice people (the murder of Daoud Shah and his entire family, as well as the ruthless use of the secret police against suspected opponents was much worse than anything done by Daoud Shah, himself no angel), they at least had the aim to move Afghanistan out of barbarism.

Under them, the average Afghan woman had for the first time some hope of living a real life.``(Fuzair)

Accurate assessment, Fuzair.

Pretty much sums up what Afghanistan was before all this -- and what it could have become -- before it ended up in the clutches of a monster cyclop mulla omar.

It`s interesting how history repeats itself in Afghanistan.

Whatever happened to progressive reform minded king Amanullah Khan -- happenned to the communists as well.

There is something in the Afghani bread that can turn even the progressives and communists into fanatic zealots.