Eviction Notice to Gen. (r) Musharraf

This is the parody of the actual notice geven to the dhief justice of Pakistan to vacte his official residence.

Guess the country

Source: Dawn

Have a look at the pics n guess the country in comments section....


                            Pic 1





                            Pic 2

Blogged with Flock

Is he nutts ???

Source: Nawa-i-Waqt



he says the deposition of judges was justified n he will redo the same if need arises (he si not ashamed at all... bohut dheet hai yaar)... he wont let the new govt. discontinue the current policies :)... he's acting like a spoiled child

read details

Blogged with Flock

Bush a man of his words.....???

Bush said he'll throw pakistan to the stone age if it did not support US against the war on (US defined) terrorism... mush got threatened and complied to the US terms... despite the fact tht pakistan fought america's war, pakistan is being pushed to the stone age (through a different procedure) ... the '‘lantern era' is returning... see a few pictures here

plz have a look at this as well.

A Case Before the Nation

By Dr. Haider Mehdi

People of Pakistan!

Let us, for the sake of deliberation and in good faith, give the benefit of the doubt to Gen.(retired) Pervez Musharraf and accept all of his claims: Yes, Benazir killed herself by hitting the car’s sunroof lever. Yes, she was warned not to hold a political rally. Yes, no state agency was involved in her gruesome murder. Yes, the Sharif brothers went into exile at their own request. Yes, the former Chief Justice of Pakistan was rightfully sacked. Yes, several civil society activists and lawyers deserve to be put in jail. Yes, Gen. (retd.) Pervez Musharraf is the best thing that has ever happened to Pakistan in its 60-year history. Yes, the General (retd.) has given unprecedented economic prosperity and political stability as well as true democracy to this country. Yes, the majority of Pakistanis are extremists and terrorists. Yes, Pakistan’s survival as a nation is dependent on American goodwill and fighting its war on terror. Yes, without the General (retd.), Pakistan has no future. Yes, the General (retd.) is the promised “messiah” and so on and so on.

Having admitted all that is claimed by the incumbent leader, the nation still needs some kind of criteria to evaluate the performance of its political leadership. After all, that is a common process in a democratically-run nation – and the General (retd.) asserts that present-day Pakistan is a true democracy shaped and gifted by him and supported by American benevolence.

Leadership performance evaluations are generally conducted within specifically defined frameworks. General characteristics attributed to political leadership are: vision, willing followers, influence, situational adaptability and communication excellence. These five concepts, though not giving a complete picture, present an underpinning of an effective political leadership. Can Musharraf’s performance be evaluated by the application of these five concepts? Perhaps these notions are too broad and the discussion could be a complex and lengthy process.

It would seem more appropriate to look at Musharraf’s performance within a more specific framework. One such perspective is the notion of charismatic political leadership. Is Musharraf a charismatic leader? Charisma, originally a Greek word, means divine gift, and scholars have attributed such a leader with “having considerable power over followers, especially in times of crisis.” A charismatic leadership is gifted with “(a) formulation of a strategic vision, (b) inspiration and empowerment of followers, and (c) superior articulation and impressive management skills.” Charisma is directly related to a leader’s behavior; it is an ability to tie the self-concepts of the followers in with the nation’s vision, goals, identity and purpose.

The questions are: Has the General (retd.) been able to invoke followers’ loyalty at a massive national level? Has he succeeded in inspiring and empowering the masses? Has Pervez Musharraf been successful in giving strategic goal-oriented visionary leadership to the nation? Has he proven effective in present-day national crisis management by acknowledging the self-concepts of the masses with their national vision, goals, identity and purpose? Has the General (retd.) demonstrated superior management skills at resolving the economic and political problematics faced by the nation? Does he enjoy considerable power over the masses by virtue of his personal behavior and attributes? Has he been able to positively influence the masses at large and provide the civil society in particular with a legendary and imaginative leap in political doctrine or ideology?

Unfortunately, the answers to all of these questions are not in the affirmative. The fact of the matter is that the nation, as a whole, is completely alienated from Musharraf’s political doctrines. Civil society is in turmoil like never before. State violence has reached unprecedented levels. Political chaos has reached unmanageable scales. The nation has been going through one crisis followed by another ever since the General (retd.) came to power some eight years ago. The era of confusion, national disarray and multiple political exigencies is a testament to the fact that the General (retd.) does not possess the credentials of a charismatic leader, nor has he the qualities that inspire people, empower followers or offer a vision, goal, identity or purpose to the nation.

Another conceptual framework in which a leader’s performance can be evaluated is to look at his/her management style. Management is a process of getting work done through others. It involves planning, organizing, leading and controlling, which are critical steps in getting the national agenda accomplished. A vital element in a political leader’s management style is that he/she uses influence rather than relying on authority or positional power to accomplish the desired end results. Concurrently, outstanding national leaders focus on political variation and accommodation of diverse points-of-view, inspire change and deal with national turbulence with imaginative innovation rather than relying on the status quo and constancy – the art of creating national harmony comes out of the craftsmanship to seek concord, congruity, peace and unison out of chaotic conditions -- rather than the other way around.

Once again, unfortunately as it is, the General’s (retd.) leadership has offered none of the dynamism of a successful, innovative management style. The national agenda remains obscure under his leadership. The masses face unprecedented price hikes, inflation is sky-rocketing, the poverty level is increasing and the socio-economic gap in the society is widening. The law and order situation in the country has never been so bad. The national consciousness has been decimated by psychological pressures of oppressive cultural and political trends espoused by the incumbent regime. The nation has lost its bearings over its national identity and purpose by overwhelming capitalistic and foreign-dominated political policies and economic planning. The General (retd.) completely relies on his authority and positional power to alter national institutions, the constitution and the day-to-day running of state affairs. The common people are suffering and in agony like never before in the chronicles of this nation. We have come to live in most dangerous times under the present political dispensation engineered by the General’s (retd.) leadership. It is quite evident that the General (retd.) has not demonstrated the prowess of an outstanding leader in national management. It is a sad and unflattering commentary on Musharraf’s leadership.

The General (retd.) claims that his intentions have been thoroughly noble and conceived in the goodness of his heart and mind – “Pakistan First” has been his symbolic patriotic slogan.

A phrase attributed to an anonymous writer warns: “Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hardboiled egg.”

Albert Camus, the world renowned Algerian-French writer, extensively wrote on the French oppression of the Algerian populous. “The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.”

On one hand, Vladimir Lenin combined ideological intentions with full-scale political actions by granting independence to Finland in appreciation of their national sentiments at the time of Bolshevik Revolution, without a bullet fired or a Finish citizen killed.

Americans, on the other hand, nearly obliterated by force an entire civilization and population of native American Indians – in pursuit of American national objectives. Ironically, the similar ideology of “the clash of civilizations” is at play in the contemporary political situation focusing on the premise: “accept Westernization or perish.”

There are lessons for the General (retd.) to learn in all of these historical events. Indeed, history is made of actions and not intentions – the General’s political actions have caused permanent and irreparable damage to the national edifice to an extent that it seems most appropriate for him to take an exit from the politics of the country. That would be an honorable course of action now.

I rest my case. The entire nation has to be the jury – in the end, it is the people of Pakistan who will be the judge.

Hold your breath – you may be in for surprises either way…!

The Nation, January 15, 2008

Pro-judiciary blogs ‘blocked’ but the govt. knows nothing :)

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: Access to the blogspot.com domain - a blog hosting website which contains hundreds of blogs created by Pakistani students struggling for the restoration of the judiciary - was blocked across the country on Monday.

These blogs were providing up-to-date information on protests of students, civil society and human right activists against the government. These blogs also contained information on the struggle for the restoration of judiciary and the free media and political problems facing Pakistan.
...
Some of the most popular blogs created by Pakistani students are Rise Of Pakistan. blogspot.com (by LUMS students), PakistanMartialLaw.blogspot.com (by LUMS students), FastRising. blogspot.com (by FAST students), PURevolution. blogspot.com (by PU students), EmergencyPK. blogspot.com, AcademicsForFreedom.blogspot.com and WatanDost.blogspot.com.
...
Another blogger said many research projects were going on various blogs. “A project, the Name and Shame Campaign, was in progress on a blog, riseofpakistan. The blog was collecting information on all prominent politicians of the country,” the blogger added.

But the govt. is innocent :)

When contacted, Information Technology Ministry (Telecom) Member Noorud Din Baqai said no instructions to ban certain websites had been issued by the Inter Ministerial Committee on national issues.

See i told u the govt. did nothing... it doesnt know anything

Btw there is a possibility tht the govt. does not know how it happened :) see below:

An IT expert, seeking anonymity, told The News that in September, 2007, for some unknown reasons, Google had suddenly reverted to its original IP address, which had been put on the block list in the country since March, 2006.

“This move resulted in blocking all Internet traffic to the blogspot.com domain. The domain might have been blocked because of the same problem,” he observed. The website was lying blocked till the filing of this report.

Source: The News...

Blogged with Flock

A visit to the victims of 'GPO Blast'

Xani Amin

We visited the Mayo Hospital today evening to ask after the blast victims. All along the way, I was thinking what to expect and how to express my feelings; condemnation for the blast and empathy for the victims. My thoughts dispersed and the words failed me when I met the victims and their families. Stricken by poverty and pain, they sat by the bed sides of their near and dear ones whose limbs were broken and bodies burnt. We sat with them, held hands and comforted them. They thanked us for being there to share their grief. It was a humbling experience and the one I will remember for a long time.We stayed for one hour, met about 26 victims and their families, passed on small gifts to them and left the hospital with eyes gleaming with tears but a heart full of promise to visit again. I would request all of you to go and see the victims. In these testing times they need all the support and comfort that your visit can give them.

Phone Numbers of Key Politicians.

Call/SMS people in the government and other big shots.

It is your duty to convey your political voice to these people who have played a major role in turning this country into what it is, and they can also make a difference to its future. I'd personally recommend you to be polite but firm and rational. Nonetheless, its upto you. Enjoy

Mubashir Luqman (Minister): 0300-8562364-
Salman Taseer (Minister): 0300-8442933
Abdul Hafeez Pirzada 0300-8213179
Akram Sheikh 0333-5135199
Aman Ullah Khan Jadoon 0303-7382920
Bahar Khan Ghauri 0300-5559090Col
Bashir 0300-5001331Daniyal 0333-5141400
Faisal Saleh Hayat 0300-8444798
Farhat Ullah Babar 0300-8552543
Khurshid M. Kasuri 0300-8507199
M.A Durrani 0300-8453883
Najam uddin Sheikh 0303-7240220
Raza Hayat Hiraj 0333-5211786
Saleh Hayat 0300-5793993
Shafqat Abbas PRO PM House0333-5181614
Sheikh Waqas Sec. Finance 0321-5175091
Wasi Zafar 0301-3001720
Syed Marwat Ali Shah I.G Islamabad 051-9212006 Res-051-9270635
Ejaz ul Haq 0300-5553777
M.A Durrani: 0300-8453883
Shaikh Rasheed: 0300-8554242
Aftab Sherpao: 0300-5008339
Farooq Sattar: 0300-5002520/ 0300-8297290/ 0300-8278497
Mushaid Hussain: 0300-5006056
Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao: 0300-5008339
Ch.Pervaiz Elahi: 042-5712666
Asfand Yar Wali: 0333-9101849
Raja Basharat: 0300-8554188
Hyder Abbas Rizvi MQM 0300-8219090
Farooq Sattar MNA, MQM Politician 0300-5002520 0300-8297290
Babar Ghouri Fed Minister, MQM Politician 0300-5559090

Half of Pakistanis suspect officials’ hand in Benazir’s death: poll

From The News, Sunday, Jan 13

ISLAMABAD: Almost half of all the Pakistanis believed that the government-allied agencies or politicians were responsible for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, according to a survey released on Saturday.Meanwhile, more than half backed Bilawal as the right person to succeed Benazir as the new party chief, the poll by Gallup Pakistan said.The survey said 23 per cent of the people suspected the government intelligence or security agencies of being responsible for Benazir’s killing, and a further 25 per cent believed the government-allied politicians were to blame.Only 17 per cent of the Pakistanis believed the official account of the government that Al-Qaeda militants were to blame.Benazir herself accused several senior government and intelligence officials of plotting to kill her following a double suicide attack on a parade to welcome her home from exile in October last year.Twelve per cent suspected the United States, and four per cent blamed India.On Benazir’s succession, 53 per cent of those questioned said the PPP had made the right decision to choose Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as its new chairman.A further 28 per cent said it was wrong and 19 per cent said they did not know.Gallup Pakistan said it interviewed 1,300 men and women in towns and cities across Pakistan and the poll carried a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=12267

In the aftermath of the bomb blast in Lahore, where do we stand in our own country? - Misha Rehman

In the aftermath of the bomb blast in Lahore, where do we stand in our own country?

For some like Marx, history is a linear progression-from feudalism to capitalism and so on. For the colonizers and now imperialists, man evolved from savages to barbarians to the civilized. Darwin spoke of mankind as ‘survival of the fittest’. Man, the superior of all beings in the universe, adapted and transformed the climate to suit their needs. With the advent of industrialization and the likes, we had technology to mold and change the world. From belief in a supreme being and divine law, the world moved to secularism and modern values. Thus, man has always progressed, to grow to something better, to something bigger than before-so history demonstrates, and so great thinkers tell us.

Have we really progressed, or with the passing of each day are we truly digressing to a world where law of the jungle prevails? Using new tactics and new technologies, which apparently seem to be the constructs of a modern world, our men are destroying our own social fabric, and crippling our own polity. This is the state of Pakistan. This is the day of morbidity where evil has risen. The men are standing translucent; we can see the ironies of life, of politics and statehood in a third world country, which is being dragged by the whims and fancies of everyone in the national and/or international arena, everyone but the people of Pakistan. These evil mongers rise to fill their pockets and cling on to their power. They rise to commit atrocities. They rise to curtail freedom. They rise to end Pakistan.

Let us trace back Pakistan’s steps to August 2006, just a year and five months ago. From the hue and cry regarding cases of the missing people, to the American imposed Islamic fundamentalism and Musharaf’s inception of enlightened moderation; from the killing of the prominent Balochi leader Bugti by the security forces, to the unaccounted raid that killed up to 80 people in Bajaur; from the radical Lal Masjid breathing right under the nose of the government, to the numerous bombings in cities like Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar and Rawalpindi; from Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudry’s unconstitutional suspension by the Dictator-President, to the killings of many Pakistani’s by foreign militants in Waziristan; from the treacherous killings in Karachi during rival protests against CJP’s dismissal, to the shameful deportation of Nawaz Sharif under the orders of the President against the decision of the Supreme Court; from the audacity of the President in wanting to stand in elections as an army chief after eight years of military rule, to the curtailment of media amid growing challenge to this very rule; from the belligerent breach of constitutional provisions by the imposition of a state of emergency, to the unlawful arrests and FIR reports against prominent lawyers, judges, civil servants, and politicians; from the assassination of PPP Chairperson and ex-Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, to the very obvious and shameful cover-up by the army, time and again we have been targeted as a nation. Now we are once again left bruised and battered on the 10 of January 2008: "Twenty people have been killed and 60 wounded. Most of the victims are policemen. It was a suicide attack,'' said senior city government official Mian Ejaz after a bomb blast outside the Lahore High Court.

We can not let this go unnoticed like the parrot that shuts its eyes when he sees a cat, hoping that the cat won’t see him. For if now we can not decide what has to be done, then only darkness prevails. We can not sit idle and wait for the monster to grow. We can not wait for it engulf us all, for the cat to gulp the parrot down, for the powder keg to explode, for the citizens of a nation to forfeit it all. Not money, not land, no, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about fundamental human rights, I’m talking about freedom, I’m talking about existence in its very basic sense, and I’m talking about life…

“Pakistan”, a term coined by Chawdhry Rehmat Ali, “the land of the pure”.


-Misha Rehman