The World Is BUT are We Ready for a New Pakistan? hmmm...it`s not about being ``butt-ready`` under the ``U.S. orders.`` there`s more to it. conceived and formed as a reaction nation state in 1947 by breaking off the bigger india namely for the muslims, the deep rooted sense of insecurity`s always been there. too bad for pakistan that indians were already friends with russia and thus they couldnt trust the russians and headed to the u.s.

this image of being an ``at your services sir`` generally is a perceived reality which is slightly different from the reality itself.

and hey, i am also a butt...so be careful here :)

The World Is BUT are We Ready for a New Pakistan? yes. these figures are correct thou the government still says it`s below 40% - 37% is what they claim it to be. now, the way poverty is defined is - to put it at the least - hilarious: a family of five making two dollars (Rs. 114) a day is not poor. below that is poor. my god, just imagine if a family can live in 3,420 rupees per month.

itnay kay to bachon kay pampers aa jaatay hein!

now, committing to economic growth is different from the trickle down effect to the masses. there we would need to develop a mechanism to ensure it happens; something for the government to do which ironically and tragically doesnt seem much interested to develop.

our political history is littered with the false promises and then backing out. do we still remember the tall claims by the then finance minsiter, SARTAJ AZIZ in Nawaz-II, that ``economy is about to take the turn and will take off soon.`` later this man was made the foreign minister and now is the vice chancellor of the Beaconhouse National University. these contradictions will continue till the fear of accountability is not there, which is not!!!

The World Is BUT are We Ready for a New Pakistan? # 5 Arjun_m

you quoted abdur rasheed ghazi saying that osama is our hero and that poll would reveal that bush is our enemy. frankly, you cant label one`s comments as the psyche of the whole nation. we all have extremists in all societies of the world - no matter how strong systems there could be. the great gandhi once said that ``mullah and pandit think the same and so does sufi and sadhu; one divides but the other joins.`` AND you quoted a MULLAH here...try searching for sufis too :)

# 6 Rozaiba

USAID is pouring in 100 million USD for the education sector reforms only via Education Sector Reforms Assistance (ESRA) and Ministry of Education (MoE). yet another 40 million USD are administered via Natinal Democratic Institute and Internation Republican Institute for the political reforms and training. some 10 million USD are for the time are reserved for direct help to the small scale educational enterprises. now touching the econimic commitments, US recently increased the taxtile quota from Pakistan by 3.7% which is expected to bring a boost in our economy by around 65 million USD and frankly, what else could we export other than garments etc. EU`s increase in, yet again, taxtiles is expected to bring around 49 million Euros rise. Europeans are also actively donating in the educational sector too. one scandanavian mission is extremely actively involved in madrassah uplift.

# 8 pmishra2

the issue is not the individuals here; the issue is the state and it`s policies and the people running the show. ``freedom fighting`` is not the only way of achieving the ``goals.`` search and you`ll find many. the support that these ``freedom fighters`` were getting in 2000 was around 89 million USD from the people behind the curtain, if i may quote a journanlist here! children are dying hungry and women becoming prostitues because of poverty and we are waging jihad in other lands.

# 9 Inquirer

i agree with you in principle but the historic phenomena are impossible to reverse and what jamali said at ndc had a background of state`s failing to provide ANYTHING to its inhabitants (note: i am not using the word citizens here). the feeling is that people who live in the state of pakistan are the subjects; not the citizens.

# 10 arjun_m

i cannot brush aside this story in daily times; there could be some substance to that but it would be interesting if this becomes the starting point of banning hizbul too as an act of CBM towards india. in that case, i am the biggest advocate of that...and hey partner - trust me - that a majority of people in pakistan never endorsed the kashmir policy from the very beginning.

# 11 jay

yes. pakistanis are NOT ready for the new pakistan. also true that what musharraf`s been doing, it`s mainly because of the international pressure otherwise this very same great general said on kohala bridge on february 5, 2000 that a certain kashmiri song (kario band-e-jiggar) brings ``tears to my eyes`` and aslo waved his fist as a gesture of solidarity with kashmiri people. but what`s the starting point here? allow me to subtly disagree with you here to start ``ridiculing`` the pakistan`s ideology - frankly, i`ve never believed that religion could play a part in forming a seperate state etc - but such a frontal strategy will bring back a frontal lash. rather a covert and indirect approach of educating the people`s mindset could bring them to such a point where they could start thinking of jihad in SOCIAL terms rather than the bombs and guns. the synthesis of the indian (not pakistani) independence movement painfully reveals how gandhi was ignored both by congress and the mulsim league. at one point gandhi agreed to have either of the prime minister of president from a minority community i.e. muslims. mirraculously jinnah agreed too but nehru didnt. the personal chemistry of jinnah and nehru was based on hatred for eachother. jinnah was more blunt and non diplomatic saying that ``we shall have india divided or we shall have india destroyed.`` in both cases, it was destruction. gandhi said that ``india will only be divided over my dead body`` and THEY killed him soon after. nehru was more subtle and polite - the way he was - in telling gandhi that he wont accept jinnah either as the pm or the president. but now comrad, done is done and historic process cant be reversed. pakistan will have to understand today or tomorrow that an air of hatred will only breed hatred from all sides. getting rid of it is better today than tomorrow.

Open Letter To Dina Wadia no doubt that an unelected ruler is the worst ``thing`` one nation could have but then again, the ``demoCRAZILY`` elected people like NS couldnt be allowed to roam free. frankly, i see army as the root cause of the weak democratic institutions in pakistan but frankly again, the people of this country have played an equal role to not let democracy flourish by supporting the ``undemocratic`` steps by the ``democratic rulers`` and silly faujis. the political process in pakistan is like running in a circle...uselessly.

i personally dont see any chances of betterment until the education level goes up. a soceity where people could think, speak and act freely per politics.

see when it happens here...may be in year 3520...!

Know Your Enemy Dear XeroxKhan:

I dont like Shireen Mazari either but partner, we should not become what she is while contradicting or criticizing her. While doing so, we may lose our point: even condemnation should not fall below the level of sophistication.

Hope I am not sounding offensive here but believing in the beauty of words and miracles they can show, I was pushed to request you style even while condemning.

Best,

The Immoral Family Shiraz:

good work partner. to be honest, for quite sometime, i`ve not read a good critique of the family system that eventually effects - or disturbs if i may say - the very social fiber of countries like pakistan. the family compulsions are exactly the reasons due to which one tends to get corrupt and i myself have been in this very delicate balance. my confusion was resolved when i 1) carefully analyzed the whole family chemistry in our society 2) spoke to an illiterate - yes completely illiterate - woman on this issue. i was feeling the guilt for taking decision which your artical encourages and was deeply depressed. she said that if ``parents have got some rights, they`ve got some duties too!`` bang and clouds over my confused mind were gone!

i`d strongly encourage you to keep touching upon these issues and you have my best wishes.

Mubashir

The Vagina Monologues the VM is a nice effort in terms of expressing female liberty but then arguing with Khadija`s standpoint if we had reached that societal evolution or not - it looks a lil bit of a confined effort for a select group and then again for a circle who already had gotten enough exposure. secondly as far expressing words which are - generally - not spoken in public is concerned...with all due respect, it doesnt make an intellectual effort as a historic one.

to be honest with you all, i watched it the way i would watch `Shartia Mithay` in punjabi or seeing omar sharif doing his gigs in urdu. nothing was special in terms of `celebrating womanhood and liberty` and if it comes by uttering words - well, let`s see and wait!

but then again - it was a nice sitting with good airconditioning for a while!