The Silent Majority Speaks Re: # 35

Response of the day!

lets try to learn how to respect each other...

I found this a very sensible post after the initial one by Folio.

Good article by Imran. I feel that most of the writings are lost to the responses that go off the mark and become full of hate.

regards,

Search for the Missing in Action I wish you luck, Dr.!!!

I really do hope that you find some of the missing people during this visit.

This definitely is a humanitarian issue & my best wishes are for all families on both sides of the border to be able to find their dear ones.

Regards,

Female Image in the NWFP Hi Zeena,

Now you have started the discussion that I tried to avoid in my first post :)

First something from the previous post:
1. I`m in full agreement that cultural values cannot & MUST not be imposed.
2. However, these values do change over time and magnitude of this change is dependent on the socio-economic factors. So, my argument is that even if we accept that the problems discussed in the article are very important, the more appropriate way to deal with these is to improve our education system along with an overhaul & strengthening of institutions (other than the Army & Priesthood).

Now I come to this victory of political right in NWFP. I recently saw a figure of 10-15% as a possible margin for rigging in elections. However, my feeling is that under the conditions our election commission works (read: sleeps), it could be much higher in target areas (marked by the rulers). While I`d stick to the argument of respecting voter`s decision, we should see these results combined this with following for the sake of analysis & discussion:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2337675.stm
http://www.ecp.gov.pk/content/docs/STATS.pdf

The first time I was amazed at the election results was back in 1988. While our constituency (the adjoining ones) elected one party for national assembly, the results showed another party to win in provincial assembly, presumably from same voters. Given the impact of any manifesto (i.e. if a party bothers to print it at all), issues, plans etc in our elections , I couldn`t understand this result. And since then, it`s easier to interpret the results if you also consider the desires of any establishment/setup under which those elections are held.

Regards,

Female Image in the NWFP Re: # 4

Hi Zeena,

I think the writer did bring one point where I must agree. The emphasis of more or less all the religious parties/organizations/groups in Pakistan has always been on issue that either do not have a direct or significant bearing on the civil society and it`s development. Why don`t they talk about drugs, corruption, social injustice etc? Why ``musawaat`` is not important as much as ``pardah``?

IMHO, this is the reason why most of such groups have failed in national elections (except MMA`s success that we can discuss separately as it shall involve our President-in-UniformSkin). They prefer not to bring the real, on ground, day to day issues in discussion.

I`ll speak about rural areas of Punjab and may be the same is true to some extent in other areas as well. ``Maulvi`` was just one of the instruments of power for landed elite and it`s been only a change of ownership till now. Still, religion is used to suppress, subjugate & mold opinions; nothing more. It still doesn`t really care if people die of hunger, if there is large scale corruption, if the people in power are abusing their powers and the list goes on & on.

I think at this point we are entering into a different argument of whether these issues do fall into the realm of religion. I`ll not divulge into that discussion right now.

I see it as a way for any possibility of change. As the cultural values are not a static phenomenon. Many of the external factors could bring in changes in a slow & subtle manner. So, if people want to stick to their cultural values, they must have the right to do so. And we should respect their values & their right to choose. However, any attempt to force the marriage of culture with religion for the benefit of a minority section of society must be analyzed, discussed & even criticized if required.

Regards,

Thirty Six Murders in Search of a Resignation Re: # 38

Hi Zeena,

The clip is simply horrible.

However, I do not ``expect`` any apology from either of the two main characters. (Not that I wouldn`t like them to apologize in public & then never seek a position of any kind).

Our politicians are not made answerable to public. The constitution, norms, ethics are simply disregarded by these people. A politician would fear from public response if he/she knows that he/she`ll have to turn to the people after five years. Luckily, they never had to till now!

I believe that such behaviour as recorded on this tape could not go unnoticed in today`s Pakistan. It`s only that our people need to get a chance to hold the ruling elite accountable for their blunders; moral, financial, economic & strategic.


Regards,
Jawwad.

Thirty Six Murders in Search of a Resignation Re: # 31

``That is why my dear friend - Pakistanis dont DESERVE democracy.``

My friend,

So many words to reach a conclusion that is not your sole prerogative!!!

If Americans still support Bush even after realizing to some extent what has been happening in Iraq (Bush`s approval ratings were 28% last week), this does not imply what your message is trying.

When we criticize our people for electing the same politicians over and over again, we ignore the fact that democracy is an evolutionary process. Let the poeple of Pakistan give a chance to see their elected government to the end of it`s constitutional term. People would see and filtering would take effect. However, thanks to all this meddling by the ruling elite of Pakistan, that chance never came. Look back and see how many ``normal & constitutional`` transfer of power events are there in our 60 or so years.

What you are saying is exactly the excuse given by each dictator (in Pakistan & in other places as well!)

So,

Let the people decide what they want. Let the system evolve for good!

Take Care.

p.s. A really good writing Mr. Jamalvi.

An Appeal to Honourable Supreme Court Justices Re: # 17

Hi zeemax,

I appreciate your point regarding the power vacuum. However, IMHO, this Lal Masjid drama is being staged for the same purpose. To make people (& the forces external to Pakistan) afraid of the Mullah and thus to make them stand for Musharaf as their only hope. This has happened before and we shouldn`t be deceived this time. I have spent some good time in Islamabad. It is difficult to believe that Fed. Govt. was helpless in this case. They could do a lot if they really wanted to quell the issue. Yet, it served as a distraction against the news from judiciary (not so effective as someone might have hoped). If lawyer`s procession in Lahore could be baton charged, I wonder what has kept Govt. to move against baton wielding people who are openly challenging the writ of govt.

Anyway, I have one more thing to add that is not for zeemax but for those who drag every discussion to bashing one of their favourite subjects (could be anything, sometime not even remotely linked to the actual writing). How about using some other part of chowk (say, iLog?) to spew such hatred and get lighter!


Regards,

An Appeal to Honourable Supreme Court Justices Re: # 5

Hi Zeemax,

While I agree to the point that Judiciary may not be thinking the way this article asks it to, yet I find it difficult to accept your point regarding PCO. Assuming that all judges refuse to take oath on PCO, a dictator may have the power to fire all of them. The question is, would he like to do so in the face of internal & particularly external pressure.

I`d like to relate it to the freedom of media claims. Do you believe that media is free in this government`s rule because the rulers are so ``enlightened``? It is so because today, they couldn`t control it in the same manner as it was done in 1977 even if they wanted to. The recent details on President`s meeting with Queue league support this view.

It is very much a question of personal ambitions, aspirations and ethics when a judge accepts to take a new oath under PCO or writes down a decision that affects the whole nation. Saying that it is an attempt to save the ``system`` in plainly absurd. Had any of those savior decisions been able to restrain the dictators, NO! So, such decisions actually saved the people`s jobs who penned them down. (and even those jobs didn`t last long in some cases) In fact, this is the point in this article. Rise above saving your job, save the nation!

The argument that had there been all new judges, we might not have this opportunity today is also strange. All the current men are PCO judges and we cannot say that the new ones would not have reacted in such a situation in the same manner.

Your response is more of an excuse for all the decisions that the nation has suffered till this day.

Mr. Akbar: Wonderful piece of writing. I sincerely hope that it reaches its intended audience!

Take Care.

Media under siege in Pakistan Any person or institution that disregards the constitution of Pakistan MUST NEVER be considered loyal to this country. This is exactly the mistake that has been done time again again by many of us, our judiciary & some other institutions.

It`s about time we abolished the doctrine of necessity.

Back then in 1999, it was one man`s job at stake vs national institution(s) (no matter how they performed) & we know which one was saved and at a huge cost to us and our generations to come!

Pakistan Shinning I - Propoganda or Reality do we have `good` dictators?

lets start talking about a system that relies on the people for whom it is meant to be! not something that some `good` dictator thinks is good for the masses. This is exactly what is happening already, and not the first time. Every dictator can find some people to support him and who would tell us that he is, unlike others, a `good` dictator.

How Many Votes a Party Needs to Win Pak Elections? a very interesting question indeed...

it seems to be part of the plan that has been there in place to convince Pakistani masses that all this election, ``jamhooriyat`` and such stuff is not a solution for them. They may cast their votes if they are so idealistic, or have nothing better to do, the results would still be what the ruling elite have already decided.

Regal Chowk ‘Dhai Bhale’ in Abu Dhabi Zeerik,

I like the way you wrote about that shop. I have never thought about it that way because the place was one of the first things that people mentioned to me when I arrived here in Abu Dhabi 2 years back. And since then, it`s a great feeling to taste all that we crave. Who could not go for Nirala or the barfi from lal khoo!
The best time to visit the place is wednesday evening after Maghrib.