Coming Full Circle
By Cyril Almeida From www.dawn.com, Published February 12, 2010 http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/columnists/13+cyril-almeida-coming-full-circle-220-za-02 Our boys in uniform have a spring in their step again. Domestically, they have taken on two enemies and appear to be winning: the civilian government has been reduced to parroting the army’s line on security issues, while the TTP is a significantly degraded force. Regionally, they can barely suppress their grins. In a few short weeks, the Americans have gone from threatening a ‘Pakistan first’ option in the war against Al Qaeda and associated movements to desperately seeking someone in Islamabad, or more accurately Pindi, who can put them in touch with the Taliban’s so-called ‘reconcilable’ elements. It’s not quite a wave of triumphalism that is sweeping over the army but there definitely is a widely shared sense of validation. And that should worry … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Army, Democracy, Egalitarian Pakistan, FATA, India, Islamabad, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, People's Pakistan, Taliban, USA, war, Yusuf Raza Gillani, Zardari
End of the military-jihadi nexus
By Dr Manzur Ejaz Daily Times 06 Jan 2010 The military has no choice but to eliminate all types of non-state armed groups in Pakistan to save the state and its own privileges. The military may want to pick and choose among these groups, but circumstances will force it to take them out one by one. Asia Peace, a discussion forum, opened the New Year with making predictions about the possible scenarios in Pakistan. Ultimately, the debate centred on the prospects for the military-jihadi nexus. An overwhelming majority believes that the military will keep its jihadi option intact by differentiating between good and bad Taliban and other extremist groups. A very tiny minority, including myself, optimistically believes that the military has no choice but to take out all kinds of jihadis. The … Read entire article »
Filed under: Army, Democracy, Islamism, Pakistan, state, Terrorism, Zardari
Pakistan; Looking forward and beyond 2010
By Adnan Syed As the year 2010 approaches, Pakistan finds itself yet once again in the grip of an indecisive slumber. The nation is paralyzed by security concerns, its immediate neighbours from East to West accuse the country of harbouring terrorists, the economy barely nudges above the levels that signify growth, and lags far below the levels where poverty starts meaningfully decreasing. It is far easier to pinpoint the shortcomings of an individual person, place the appropriate blame where it is due, and once the mistakes are identified, corrective measures can be taken. Yet, for a nation of 160MM individuals, where everyone blames everyone else for the nation’s woes, the nation gets paralyzed in the midst of finger pointing matches, the collective mistakes are seldom acknowledged, and even when the mistakes are … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, Islamabad, Pak Tea House, Pakistan, Zardari
Going the Wrong Way about Doing the Right Thing
By B. Civilian The full bench of the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan unanimously declared the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) null and void, ab initio. In view of the unpopularity of the Ordinance, the PPP government had virtually disowned it over the last few weeks. The Federation decided not to defend it in the court, again, regardless of one of its lawyers insinuating that there was a threat to ‘rule of law’ from “CIA and the GHQ” (statements which the lawyer later withdrew as his own rather than his client’s view). Pakistan is in the process of transitioning from being a military dictatorship to becoming a democracy. It’s a difficult transition for any country, let alone for one which has attempted such a transition at least twice before, without much success. But … Read entire article »
Filed under: Benazir Bhutto, Democracy, Justice, Law, lawyers movement, Pakistan, Parliament, Politics, state, Zardari
After the NRO
By Ayesha Siddiqa Dawn 18 Dec, 2009 Now that the NRO problem has apparently been resolved people are jumping with joy. There are some commentators who believe that this represents the strengthening of the system and democracy, that the Supreme Court verdict is a warning for presumptuous, overly ambitious and corrupt politicians. The decision certainly is a milestone, but what does it mean for the overall learning process of the various stakeholders in the country’s power politics? And will it influence the future of Pakistan’s politics? These are two basic points to ponder. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Army, Democracy, Justice, Law, Pakistan, state, Zardari
NRO- The monster finally caged!
The monstrous crimes committed, to fabricate illogical laws and illegal ordinances, created by these criminals to protect their own self and others who participated in those practises to ruin Pakistan has now finally taken place with Supreme Court’s verdict on 16th December. The looters, plunderers will have to face the consequences of their actions and face those trials which they avoided through any means available to them- through NRO, through political needs of survival in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Army, Citizens, Civil Service, Democracy, Economy, Education, human rights, Islamabad, Jinnah, journalism, Justice, lawyers movement, Media, movements, Multinational Corporations, Pakistan, Parliament, Politics, poverty, Zardari
A military coup in Pakistan?
Restive generals represent the backers of the Taliban and al-Qaeda – bad news for the war next door By Tarek Fatah 09 Dec 2009 The Globe and Mail (Canada) A military coup is unfolding in Pakistan, but, this time, there is no rumbling of tanks on the streets of Islamabad. Instead, it seems the military is using a new strategy for regime change in Pakistan, one that will have adverse consequences for Western troops deployed in Afghanistan. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Army, Democracy, Pakistan, Taliban, USA, Zardari
For Every Decent Human Being
By Bilal Qureshi Isn’t it time? For every decent human being, it is sickening to see people being butchered the way human beings are slaughtered in Pakistan these days. Human life has no respect or value for barbaric animals responsible for these bombings and suicide attacks. And if the news of bombings and killing was not enough, I was horrified to learn that Lahore’s commissioner (incorrectly) blames India for these attacks while Punjab’s law minister (correctly) believes that the thugs being smoked out from Swat and Wazirstan are actually behind these attacks to force the government to back down. Isn’t it time for Pakistan to get united? Isn’t it time stop obsessing about India? Isn’t it time to be realistic? … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Army, baluchistan, Democracy, History, Identity, India, Islamabad, journalism, Pakistan, Parliament, Politics, Terrorism, violence, Yusuf Raza Gillani, Zardari
Afghanistan's Great Game And Superficial Analysis By US Foreign Policy Analysts
By Yasser Latif Hamdani The article below from Examiner epitomizes bad analysis that some in the US insist on carrying out which is damaging to the much flaunted “common objective”. God forbid if the author is right, it just means that the US is pursuing a perilous path by ignoring advice from Pakistan’s hardened policy hands. The author is absolutely wrong when she says the Pakistan Army “has never been excited” about US aid and intervention. The Pakistani military has always been very close to the Pentagon. What Obama needs is a sustainable strategy which brings on board every key player including Pakistan’s civilian federal government and the Pakistan Army. This means that the US will have to address Pakistan’s concerns vis a vis Indian involvement in Afghanistan. All of India’s so called interests in Afghanistan are Pakistan specific. Furthermore, the US needs … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Army, India, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, Politics, Terrorism, USA, violence, war, World, Yusuf Raza Gillani, Zardari
Prime Minister Gillani: Do not trivialise Benazir Bhutto's Murder
by Omar Khattab Prime Minister Gillani pulled an impossible, unthinkable surprise when yesterday in a joint press conference with Britain’s Gordon Brown in London he claimed that it was Baitullah Mehsud who was behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Anyone who has any respect for Benazir and the rule of law in Pakistan must be shocked by Gillani’s statement. The question is: who is Gillani is working for? Who is he trying to please? … Read entire article »
Filed under: Al Qaeda, Army, Benazir Bhutto, Justice, Pakistan, Politics, Taliban, violence, war, Yusuf Raza Gillani, Zardari
Pakistan's Zardari holds off his political foes — for now
President gives up some powers, faces pressure to relinquish more By Pamela Constable Washington Post Foreign Service Tuesday, December 1, 2009 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — President Asif Ali Zardari, fighting to keep his job amid pressure from opponents in the media, the courts, the Parliament and the military, appears to have reasserted his grip on the presidency for the time being, according to analysts here. But Zardari’s government remains caught between pressure to support Washington in the war against … Read entire article »
A Tale of two Stories
By Cyril Almeida Cross Post from www.dawn.com and www.cyrilalmeida.com MILITARY men have been up to some very bad things, we’ve learned this week. But the very different reactions to two seemingly unrelated stories in the media tell us at least one thing: things aren’t going to get better any time soon. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Army, Democracy, Islamabad, journalism, Law, Pakistan, Parliament, Zardari
Extracting Political Decisions from the Judiciary in Pakistan
By Ahmed Nadeem Gahla A study of transformation from military dictatorship to democracy around the world would reveal that there are two possible ways. Either it is achieved through a popular revolution or by negotiations between political forces and dictators. The former invariably demolishes the entire system and mostly involves bloodshed putting a new system in place while the later allows the change to happen within the prevailing system based upon certain negotiated terms. These terms might not necessarily meet the international laws and judicial norms as it is always a middle path. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Army, Democracy, Elections, Islamabad, journalism, Pakistan, Parliament, Zardari
Defending President Zardari
By SYED SHAHID HUSAIN (November 13 2009): Politicians are all corrupt, civilians are all bloody and useless and the mess the country is in has been created by both. This is the conventional wisdom assiduously instilled in the minds of the people of our proudly independent nuclear armed country. … Read entire article »
Recent Comments