Pakistan: An American Occupied Territory?

For sometime I have wondered that General Kayani is the Queen (piece) of Chess. While Gilani may have the power of a King after the 18th amendment, but certainly on the chessboard of Pakistani side politics and maneuvering it is the General Kayani – or by and large the army – that takes a lead in making the wider and crucial steps in deciding the fate of the country.

Around half year back, there was a interesting news on the media. Veteran Chief of General Staff (CGS) Lt-Gen Shahid Aziz revealed in a talk show on one of the private TV channels that the former President Gen. (retd.) Musharraf obliged US without informing corps commanders. He further revealed that he, along with other senior Army officers, opposed to give Pakistan’s Jacobabad airbase to the US.

According to the news report:

Lt-Gen Shahid Aziz said the Pakistani troops were moved from Quetta to Jacobabad for taking control of the local airbase, but, according to him: “we were surprised when our troops informed us that the US Army had not allowed them to enter the Jacobabad airbase.” He said that after sometime, he came to know privately from a PAF officer that the US had also taken over the Pasni airbase and as the CGS, he was not aware of all these developments.

What was done was done. Musharraf was still given a nice and lofty farewell despite of his unwarranted actions like the contracting of Pakistani airbases under the pretext of de facto national interest. Once the national assets – the sensitive ones – were dispensed to the United States, Pakistan became worst than a protectorate state – the manifestation of which has been witnessed by Pakistanis perennially.

Today, somewhat similar news popped in on the media which startled me yet again. The excerpts of the news say that “Health relief operations in Jacobabad are not possible because the airbase in the area is controlled by the US.”

This statement which is yet surprising to an utmost extent has been made by the Health Secretary Khushnood Lashari today during an appearance at the Senate Standing Committee on Health.

According to one of the Senator Semeen Yusuf Siddiqui of PML-Q, it is very unfortunate that Americans can launch a drone attack from Shahbaz airbase but the government is helpless even in using the country’s base for relief operations.” She further said that the health ministry should have requested the army to ask the US to allow relief operation from the base.

Understanding the sensitivity of the situation where the flood has submerged 1/3rd of the Pakistan and still wreaking havoc in the country, I assume that – if the news is true – it makes one of the most egregious news concerning the United States of America. At first place, Pakistan shouldn’t be passing around its airbases or such sensitive assets to any country, yet not on contractual basis under any such sensitive situation. Under the present state of affairs, it appears that the whole Pakistan is under the full order of United States. Therefore, talking about one base [allegedly occupied] virtually looks ridiculous but that is how it is: a Pakistani airbase is apparently incapable of providing relief to the Pakistani flood victims. Here, the reason is ridiculous rather!

United We Rant

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui

Today’s headlines as I’m expecting it’d be: President sympathizes for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and pledged to pursue the case in US High Courts. PM slams the decision and promised to talk to US Government. Nawaz Sharif denounced the court decision. Altaf Hussain, on his telephonic address, expresses his strong concern against the court decision on Dr. Aafia. Siddiqui. Pakistani people are infuriated on the court’s decision. United we rant!

I’ve been following the case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui quite meticulously since the case was put on hearing in the court on 19th January, 2010. I’ve been seeing the action and reaction of the Ghairat Brigade since the time the newses of ‘Prisoner 650’ was published in Pakistani newspaper and jolted the Ghairat Brigade from its roots. Well, not all were jolted; some a la mode liberals, yes the liberals, didn’t feel like paying heed to the issue as for them it was just about an individual, which is inconspicuous when it comes to the nation of 170 million people already stuck in other problems — the big problems more important than Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, as they say. Some were found justifying her abduction by our beloved dear me dear intelligence agencies and army. A horde of them — who’re the supporter of enlightened moderation introduced by the zilch-venerated former president General Pervez Musharraf — are agilely found justifying such villainous foolish action.

When the prosecution started, it was testified that there were no fingerprints of Dr. Aafia on the M4 rifle, as accused by the government of US that she attempted to murder and FBI official while she was captivated in Afghanistan; there were no M-4 bullets, no bullet debris from the M-4 rifle and no bullet holes from the rifle in the room. She was the one who was shot by FBI officer thrice in the abdomen. And due to the urgent medic availability, she survived. She had 3 kids, all were just too young. Only one is recovered. The rest two are still not recovered from the FBI yet after 7 longs years. God knows where they kept her both kids, God knows if they’re even alive or they’ve killed them. Isn’t it cruel? If you belong to a race of man, it’s my understanding that you’ll be condemning such acts of atrocities and injustice by the US courts.

Even the lawyer of Dr. Aafia put forward ahead of the judge during the closing arguments that believing on the accusations of government and FBI agent would simply mean that you’re also denying the simple laws of science.

This constitutes that a poltergeist removed the fingerprints of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui from M4 rifle (which was held by FBI guy as per him), a poltergeist renovated the walls of the room where she was kept, and that poltergeist also removed the debris of the bullet. This is so amazing, no?

This is just not enough. During the hearing, at one occasion Dr. Aafia started to get hyper and wept. Judge Berman removed her from the court room. At another occasion, Judge Berman called a US serviceman to give a testimony. The serviceman started giving the testimony: “Three of my men were killed, along with one Afghan”. The soldier began crying, and judge Berman reached over and handed him a tissue. Where exactly can you smell the discrimination? The trial wasn’t fair as the events went. Judge had sympathies with the US serviceman, but not with the Pakistani national. Do you still receive the situation of injustice willingly or you have an urge to deny it?

Had she been acquitted today, I’m ready to wager that all the leaders of ethnic and national political parties of our country would have been congratulating her, simultaneously asserting that their efforts to retrieve Dr. Aafia have become successful. From the other point of view, we all know that how much our political parties have employed efforts to retrieve her. Every major political party has been busy in power ploys — holding out massive rallies on youm-e-tasees, lawyers movement, playing Sindh card to protect their government; briefly, ranting with a big-league along with awaam — ranting unitedly. But none of the political party ever tried to bring its loyalists on road for a demonstration against the illegal detention and prosecution of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui in US courts. She should have been prosecuted in Pakistani court in accordance with the constitution of Pakistan. But who cares. United we rant — at all the events and instances that favors us to bring us to power. I’m sick of all such opportunist political parties.

Pakistani Government should immediately reject the verdict squarely which is given by US kangaroo courts. Pakistani government should immediately demand Dr. Aafia back from US. She’s a Pakistani citizen and should be prosecuted in Pakistani courts — if she’s guilty. We, Pakistanis, don’t accept the verdict by US courts; besides, it’s against our constitution that pledges to provide security to Pakistan citizen.

This is such a disgraceful event for our nation. I’ve void of words to write more on this unjust. Somehow or other, I’ve managed to understand that we’re, at the most, hellishly proud united Pakistanis — united when we all rant at such events but do nothing fundamentally!

The Salient-Hidden Rulers

Institutional Ranking In Pakistan

Only fools are glad when governments change. No, this isn’t my personal sentiment I’m expressing. It’s an old Romanian maxim that really-truly implies that it’s solely not the change of government that matters, but the change of system.

Since the time Iskander Mirza, the first president of Pakistan, imposed the Martial Law and appointed General Ayub Khan a Martial Law administrator, the history of Pakistan has always been at declasse. That was the first time army ever intervened in the politics of Pakistan. Things went by and Ayub Khan abdicated the serving General Yahya Khan. Those were the days when the commencement of ‘establishment’ started to happen. This is the same establishment we talk a lot about in regards with the mainstream politics of Pakistan. Since then, establishment — the army, intelligence and to some extent foreign powers — kept on deciding the fate of Pakistan. The influence of establishment in the politics of Pakistan grew more and more and year after year. And to date there have been 4 Martial Laws in Pakistan, to be precise the figure is 5. Besides, not to forget the role of our intelligence agencies — the imperative and decisive part of establishment — in the political culture of Pakistan.

There are quite a number of reasons and irrational motives why establishment has kept on interfering in the politics of Pakistan for last 5 decades. I had a debate with a friend on it few days back about it and we compared the similar situation in a view of fact that why there has been no martial law in India ever since independence or why establishment isn’t so predominant the way it’s in Pakistan. She gave the strong points and I agreed to that. Adapted to the words of her: Their (Indian) leadership and bureaucracy has always been hellishly strong; they never had impotent leaders like we had and still have. None of the leader and bureaucrat in India ever paved a way for martial law because they, from the beginning, stood strong ahead of the establishment i.e. army and intelligence and the opportunist political parties.

And what we always had for last 5 decades was Ayub Khan, the lodestar. We could have reset our political position and could have made strong the political institutions and ourselves, the awaam, by not endorsing the acts and moves of establishment after the first martial law which was also the first ever interference of army in politics and which was the beginning of the formation of establishment. Now today, establishment has become too strong, and interference in politics of Pakistan has become a requirements for survival of establishment itself that it’d take a long time to revert the things.

This is a fact that in Pakistan, it’s not the premier or president supervising the country nor their parliament is set upped to handle all democratic decisions; God-knows-what democracy we talk about in the contemporary world. If anything, it’s the establishment that decides the future of Pakistan in a major manner. Toppling the governments or using and abetting the political parties for their cause is something not very new coming from establishment. Of late, some top leadership of PML-N has been found covertly meeting with the top brass servicemen in GHQ. This all happened at a time while everyone knows president Zardari isn’t kindly-disposed when it comes to the establishment. Reasons are many to make president Zardari believe why establishment isn’t congenial with him while simultaneously the same establishment seems to be benignant with premier Gilani.

While all this is happening and establishment again is standing under the klieg light, we all must also understand the fact that removing Zardari wouldn’t be a settlement to start with a new era of peace and prosperity as removing Musharraf wasn’t a logical solution neither it gave a reasonable outcome since Zardari is also guided by the examples of Musharraf — nothing has changed so far; and because we know that the next-best in line (most certainly Nawaz Sharif) is another fallen angel as Zardari and Musharraf are. So why so much fuss about Zardari?

I feel like reiterating the Romanian maxim again: Only fools are glad when governments change. Eventually, it should be understood by everyone after the careful examination of this problem that we need to leash the establishment from ever intervening in the political culture of Pakistan. For that, I can only say all the ethnic, regional and national political parties of Pakistan shouldn’t fall prey to the uncalled for interference of establishment in politics. Let these institutions not to impede in the politics of Pakistan because, forsooth, they’re not meant for it. Turmoil only lasts as long as the status quo is unchanged. So we ought to find a way to make sure the status quo changes in our favor — in awaam’s favor, so that we really become the ones deciding the future of Pakistan, not the establishment nor the dictators.

Political Systems and their Needs

Democracy, Dictatorship, Communism, Socialism, Monarchy, Anarchy etc. — all are names of different Political and Economic systems. All can be good and at the same time all can not be good. These all can be acceptable without any variance by the people of that particular state IF they feel their country is in progression with a good law and order and economy etc. within that particular system. So be it Democracy or Dictatorship – unless people are getting attention of government in a good way – they’ll stay as happy. Partially, it also happened in Musharraf’s era too. Initial years of Musharraf was better than the last few years. Absolute majority of people accepted his Martial Law in 1999. People were happy under his tyranny – and they were anticipating for a good future of Pakistan – albeit Musharraf was a dictator. But when the same Musharraf started showing his wispy colors – the same people started opposing him. And then we witnessed a strength of Musharraf who once was accepted warmly by nation en masse – was getting scorned by the same people. Why? Because he started committing serious blunders in his last few years of tyranny, and he kept on doing mistakes rather than rectifying himself. It all wasn’t acceptable.

In short, there’s nothing like “A good dictatorship” or “A poor democracy” or vice versa. What all citizens want is a good system – a good law and order – a good sovereignty of country where government is liable to protect the rights of its citizens.

For instance, Cuba’s ex-president Fidel Castro ruled over Cuba for nearly half century. He came in to power after the Cuban revolution that brought down one American Dictator. Although Castro was a ‘dictator’ too, but he brought revolution and Cubans were happy with him. Hu Jintao, who’s General Secretary of China’s communist party and head of world’s largest army — he’s also a dictator. Chinese are very much okay under his tyranny. China is prospering.

In another instance, Sweden is one of those countries which enjoys a good democracy within the country. Swedish people are happy under a democracy. As long as the “System” of governance is okay and people are getting their due rights and getting justice — people don’t tend to think much about change. Same goes with the Fiedel’s Castro’s governance where he – a dictator – ruled for five decades and Cubans were happy, but they (Cubans) weren’t happy under an American dictator.

In another instance, Hugo Chavez promoted Direct Democracy in Venezuela. People enjoy this direct democracy since their country is stable under this democracy. They don’t want dictatorship.

So that, it’s all about manners of governance than democracy/dictatorship/monarchy etc. itself.

It’s all about Pakistan’s Politics

My beautiful country, Pakistan. I always thought it to be more beautiful than ever, but it always became more worst than ever. I always wanted to see peace, it struck down at war internally; I wanted to see economic growth, instead I saw recession; I wanted to see character education, instead I saw immorality; I wanted to see political stability, the instability exacerbated to more; I wanted to see reduction in poverty level in all these years, but nothing.

The political situation in Pakistan is directly proportional to all the issues concerning Pakistan, may it be pertinent to economic, security, law and order, education, poverty, religion, social, and technological issues.

Each day I hear declarations coming from our political leaders repeating one thing over again, but sagaciously, and simultaneously deviously in different ways. Are we primitive enough not to conceive what our political leaders are up to – or may be we’re so much used to of being a part of this famous pac-man game in which pac-man nourishes itself by eating pac-dots. Pac-man is often stonewalled by ghosts in his mission. We can equate pac-man with Pakistan’s political leaders and those ghosts who stonewall pac-man can be equated with the amiable paragons of Pakistan. If you see from the eyes of pac-man – you’ll find ghosts as ghost; from an opposite view, it’ll be contrary. Pac-dots can be equated with the people of Pakistan — Pakistanis.

I often think, why we keep betting on the same betted horse who gives nothing but bringing dishonor again and again to the country. Every time we bet on the betted horse, we demonstrate ourselves as a matchless nation – a nation that makes itself fall behind by duping itself.

One of the salient feature of Pakistanis is they’re excellent in complying contrary to one of the famous phrase — “Two wrongs do not constitute a right.” Pakistanis always endeavor to find all necessary and possible means that could pave a way to satisfy their egos.

For instance, if I argue with any Musharraf’s supporter about missing person or Bajaur air-strike resulted in the loss of 100’s of innocents – most probably I’ll receive a reply that missing people is just a myth and Bajaur air-strike is nothing – a lot much worst is done by current government — yet again a contrariety to the phrase delineated above. Possibly, I’ll get some response that it was in the larger interest of country. Oh well, when a Pakistani is out of arguments and is not willing to accept the fundamental truth behind the argument, he/she always comes up with this statement. This phrase has grown over too much now. It’s not our fault that we can’t be flexible enough to accept right as right and wrong as wrong, it’s but miraculous that we can’t understand.

In another example, if I ask any MQM supporter what is your main reason of supporting MQM, give me just one supporting point? I, most probably will get this reply that MQM has done a lot for Karachi. That’s what I call Lakeer key Faqeer — the protagonist keeps the beaten path. If I ask a second question that goes like: what’s your stance about MQM carrying arms? And I know I’ll hear back that other political parties do also keep arms so as MQM — once again demonstrating contrary to the phrase “Two wrongs do not make a right.” Hence, these explanations are vernacular amongst Pakistanis.

In another example, if I ask any PML(N) supporter about his stance on killing of so many people of Karachi – call themselves Muhajirs. I certainly will get a reply that MQMers are terrorists and funded by India so they deserve it. That’s another top-drawer nonsensical reply I’ll get. So here we’re merely obsessed politically, forgetting the brutal killing of 100’s of innocents died in the past due to political grievances. In an opposite way, if I ask from MQM why they don’t like PML(N), I’ll get another vernacular response that Nawaz Sharif is a killer of so many Muhajirs and a corrupt person. But how come Altaf Hussain is a saint – this question will tickle my mind obviously. I won’t ask this question as I know it’d be futile to debate with the obsessed protagonists. But yeah, I sure would expose the hypocrisy while asking a crisscross question that why MQM is in alliance with PPP who’s also said to be the killers of so many Urdu speaking Muhajirs – claimed by MQM. To blot out the hypocrisy of MQM, I’ll get a reply that BB is dead so we’re now having anew relation with PPP, and particularly Zardari. Or may be I’ll get a reply which is often reiterated by our politicians as well that goes like: “Qoum key wasee tar mafad mein”– translated as: “In the larger interest of country.” Our (Pakistani) mind-set works this way, whether to admit or not.

While I see the whole political structure of Pakistan, I find that our political system isn’t steadfast. Our leaders say something and does the other thing. For instance, everyone political party talks about internal peace in the nation, yet all of them are arms-laden — not even following Pakistan Arms Ordinance of 1965. It doesn’t yet make a wee bit of sense that peace is actually possible when civilians — mostly uneducated — are arms-laden.

In another instance, we see MQM always talking a lot in against of feudal, but the same MQM demonstrated as a hands-on political party electing Zardari in the presidential elections. Oh, I forget to add it’s in the larger interest of nation.

Nawaz Sharif is a twice elected Prime Minister of Pakistan. In his both the term, we’ve witnessed an hostile opposition against the political parties who didn’t support him. Nawaz Sharif’s role in Kargil war is also controversial. The number of corruption charges against Nawaz Sharif is also well-known to many. Therefore, I believe he’s not a competent person to hold the office of Prime Minister, not even a member of Parliament.

Pakistan’s politics isn’t the politics of principle. Political leaders are merely running after the power, and we as a nation keep on trusting them. We always trust them that’s why we elect them over again and they again show their competency and excellency of looting the nation. What these leaders have given to us? Seriously, if we see our nation today, we’ll see a division of borders and thoughts amongst Pakistanis. The seeds of racism and hatred is sowed by our political leaders in Past and the current political leaders have watered the seeds of it – helping the plant of hatred, racism and division of thoughts to grow more. MQM majorly represents Urdu Speaking call themselves Muhajirs, PML(N) majorly represents Punjab province, ANP majorly represents NWFP province. MQM doesn’t like PML(N) and vice versa so automatically it creates a good enough hatred and sometimes racism amongst two provinces Sindh and Punjab. ANP doesn’t like MQM, although keeps on trying to patch up unlike PML(N). But while the political rivalry amongst MQM and ANP takes place which we often witness – then we see a good enough hatred from both sides – and often it leads to racism and discrimination within the nation. And moreover, the rate of education in our country paves a way for our political leaders to make use of uneducated people, utilizing the same ethnic, racial, and linguistic card. Is this all good what we see today? We’ve to understand this fact that these political leaders have given us nothing, instead created a fraction amongst.

Understanding Pakistan’s politics is very easy. Just don’t be self-centred about one’s city or locality; think from larger perspective — from an eye of P-a-k-i-s-t-a-n-i. Also don’t need to act contrary to the famous phrase delineated above as well “Two wrongs do not make a right”. Call wrong as wrong, and accept right as right. If you’re being given with the option to select a lesser evil from the lot of evils, reject all; Evil is always an evil — lesser or higher evil are merely the attributes of evilness. And last, but certainly not the least, use your own mind to discern the things – not the same mind that political leaders use.