Pakistan – Page 10 – My Bit for Change

Islam and Rule of the People – I

Is there anything wrong with the idea that people should have the right to rule? Many people argue that there actually is something unacceptable and Islam does not permit such a thing; a blasphemy, maybe. To say that the people have the right to rule, they argue, is to give away a right reserved for God alone as sovereignty belongs to God, no one should be allowed to be partner in it.

Seemingly, this does tend to make sense. More so, in times as ours when people have come to detest democracy in general after witnessing decades of jiyala politics in Pakistan, and hence express their frustration in various forms, including religious ones.

I, for one, cannot comprehend the absolutist condemnation of democracy. One may debate that politics in our country has degenerated to a very humiliating level (to which one can point out many other reasons besides ‘democracy’). But an outright condemnation to the point that one uses religion to oppose it brings many complications as the image of a religion – that is democratic to the core – is put at stake.

I believe that the argument above is based on certain confusions and mishandlings of conceptions in the Islamic tradition.

First of all, it is beyond doubt that God alone is sovereign. This concept emanates from the creed of Tawhid-the oneness of Allah. This is undeniable and incontestable on all levels. But when we are talking about this world we have to be more explicit and clear in what we imply.

While we may recognize God’s supremacy in this world and the next, we never mean that humans don’t have worldly authority. To say that they don’t would be to deny both free will, everything we see all day and common sense, for the sake of it. It is people who already rule themselves; whether in the form of a singular individual, an institution, class, race, parliament and so on. If human rule is to be denied in its worldly sense then the only plausible form of government would be an anarchic one. Sadly maybe, neither God nor His angels come down on earth and take control of governments. It’s a human decision to make; with or without taking God into consideration.

The question that arises then is, in what form does an Islamic state manifest itself?

Islam has provided a socio-political framework and universal principles that guide us in this regard as well. While Islam recognizes the Divine authority, it fails to recognize a divinely class, and hence closes the doors of theocracy. In this sense, the Islamic ideal is not a religious state. Nobody represents God’s will on earth. Instead, God provides the legitimacy to people to rule on his behalf under the framework of His divine guidelines. He did this by making universal man (all humankind) His vicegerent on earth.

The Islamic principle of governance establishes itself on the basis of shoora (consultation) and Khalifat. Derived from these two principles, we can safely say that while western democracy champions popular sovereignty, Islam recognizes popular vicegerency. While there seems to be common ground on the functional level, conceptually both are worlds apart. It’s somewhat like praying in front of a rock; if your idea of the rock is that it is an idol worth worship then the same action – that would otherwise be completely appropriate – becomes a sin.

The Islamic ideal requires that the Muslim community be taken into confidence not only in the selection of the rulers but also in the decisions of the rulers. The welcoming attitude towards criticism by the Khulfa e Rashideen (the Pious Caliphs) is well established. The attitude of Hazrat Ali (RA) and Hazrat Usman (RA), for example, towards the rebels is without any precedent in history. At a moment, Hazrat Ali (RA) even refused to take action against a rebel who openly declared that he will murder the respected caliph. In both these cases, the caliphs in question had to bear many troubles to uphold such cherished ideals.

On an occasion, Hazrat Umer (RA) spoke unambiguously about the selection of the Muslim ruler. While explaining to people that the selection of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) was not to be taken as a precedent because it was only adopted out of circumstantial necessity, he went on to say that “If someone gives pledge (bay’et) of allegiance to another (to become a Caliph) without consulting the Muslim community, then the one he has selected should not be granted allegiance, lest both of them should be killed.” * Obviously, the strict connotation at the end refers to carrying out a crime against both the state and the community. The same treatment would today be reserved for someone who breaks the constitution to usurp power.

Click here for Part II and Part III

Reference“ *Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 82, Number 817”

Where are all these gates leading to

Our nation is obsessed with ‘gates’, be it Watergate or Bill Gates; (though the latter is considered a plural by many). Thus, it has become customary to associate the word gate with every scandal, whether it is Memo-gate, Mehran-gate, Veena-gate or the latest Bahria-gate; the word ‘gate’ is there as a symbolic representation.

Do these gates open a gateway to somewhere? What is the impact of all these scandals on a commoner’s life in the country? Take Memogate, for instance. A lot of hype was created about it but with the passage of time, the dust settled down. In the end, it was considered as a political gimmick to divert the attention from critical issues. Many talk shows were conducted and costly airtime was used for discussions on every aspect of the memo. Even if memogate was critical and a matter of life and death for the country, what was the outcome of the whole hue n cry? Similar questions can be raised about other scandals in which nothing tangible is infront of the nation which can be called a ‘result’.

Now, consider the recent hype about Bahria Gate. Malik Riaz did a press conference while holding Quran in his hand. He raised some serious questions regarding judiciary and the Chief Justice. It became a breaking news immediately and all channels started running marathon transmissions discussing the pros n cons of every uttered word and gesture of Malik Riaz’s presser. Social Media didn’t stay behind. #BahriaGate started trending on twitter. Everyone with or without an opinion participated. In fact, even I personally tweeted a lot. It was immediately the talk of the town. Malik Riaz tried to prove that he had interaction with the Chief Justice. It turned out that during lawyers movement the interaction was there and Malik Riaz tried to bargain on behalf of the rulers and CJ never agreed on NRO and meeting Zardari and hence no deal was reached.

Apparently, this scandal is perfectly timed to divert the attention of people from the corruption of current government and issues like poverty, inflation, energy crisis, lawlessness and target killings. Media has created a hype and serious issues of daily life have gone on the back burner.

But in hindsight, when I reflect now I feel that this issue is indeed important. This single scandal shows the reality of our society and unveils the nature of our social fabric. Virtually everything and everyone was bought and confessed about. For me, ‘confessing a crime with pride’ is a bigger issue. Malik Riaz openly admitted that he bribed and offered favours. His intentions cannot be judged, but his actions surely tell that he wanted to influence the judicial system.

Bahria Gate should not be looked upon as ‘just another corruption scandal’. It shows that how a person earned fortunes and on his way up the ladder, he tried to purchase everything that came along. He had contacts with major political personalities, military junta, media tycoons and famous anchors. He had a say in crucial political affairs. He utilized all these deliberately established contacts for his purposes. In some cases, he gave a lot of charity to the poor and deprived people. Thus he used all means to establish his significance. This mentality is not rare. When I joined my first job, a senior told me to ‘oblige’ everyone by giving favours. He told me that’s how I could make my roots stronger in the organization. This culture of influencing others and then taking undue favours is ruining the very essence of our society. So very few were able to resist the fortunes offered by Malik Riaz and in the process Bahria town developed into an empire estate which had its own rules of the game.

Another important aspect of this scandal is the role of journalists. They are fighting each other and exposing themselves on this issue. Their fight has revealed a lot about the unscrupulous internal affairs of media. It also shows how people from media are manipulated. Malik Riaz is investing a lot in mainstream media by ads which clearly influences the opinion of media.

One significant thing is the deplorable trend of holding Quran during press conferences. Altaf Hussain and Zulfiqar Mirza did the same before and now Malik Riaz repeated it once again. Seriously, it shows ill mentality of our so called ‘leaders’. The sanctity of the Quran should be maintained and it should not be used in ‘political mimicry’.

This scandal should be taken to the logical and fair conclusion. All the holy cows should be unveiled and slaughtered once and for all. Only then it can bring long lasting peace in the lives of ordinary citizens. It can decide our future if we punish all the culprits and prove that our nation is not for sale. However, if the history of previous ‘gates’ repeats itself then our society will loose its belief on justice. It will bring more downfall for the morality in our society which is already touching its lows. This scam is a test for our nation and I believe that if we successfully cross this bridge, we will come out as a better nation inshaALLAH.

Is Islam non-democratic?

It is true that while Islam may not be a proponent of liberal western democracy as we know it, but in its very essence Islam is quite democratic.

“Consultation” is a fundamental concept in Islam. If anything, the Islamic ideal is nearest to a constitutionally restricted democracy whereas democratic principles are ordained under, within and from the principles of the Quran and Sunnah.

The basic flaw is made in understanding as to what democracy essentially means. Contrary to popular belief, democracy is a very fluid concept. For example, if you attempt to understand democracy in its original, and strictly, Greek sense, you’ll be surprised to note that such a concept cannot be applied to ‘modern democracies’. This is because in the Greek city-states, all the citizens would gather in one place to decide their affairs. This is true not only in time but also in space as democracies around the world differ from each other on fundamental grounds. So one must realize that claiming ‘Islam upholds democratic ideals’ doesn’t mean that it also upholds western democratic models; which are based on the premises of secularism and nationalism.

The idea that democracy is the rule of the people while Islam only recognizes the rule of God doesn’t necessarily imply a contradiction. In effect, however, neither God nor His Angels will come down to earth to rule nor has God made anyone His representative (hence closing the doors for theocracy). In fact, it is people who rule and, I argue, by divine decree; as Allah has made man (not a specific man, but meaning all-humanity) His vicegerent (Khalifah) on Earth. Allah says clearly.

“We have honoured the children of Adam” (17: 70); to which the revered Algerian scholar, Malik Bennabi, writes

“The verse was revealed as if to lay the foundations of a democratic model that is above every other model, where the divine element within man is taken into consideration and not just the human and social aspects…”

The following is an excerpt from an English translation of the celebrated ‘Tafheem-ul-Quran’ by Maulana Syed Abul Ala Maududi. It’s the scholar’s commentary on the verse ‘amru-hum shura baina-hum’ (they (believers) conduct their affairs by mutual consultation) (42:38). An understanding of the following will display that while restricting the negative effects of western democratic models, the Islamic model is yet still more democratic.

‘This quality (of consulting one another) has been counted here as the best quality of the believers and has been enjoined in Surah AI-‘Imran Ayat 159 as well.

‘So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].’

On this basis, consultation is an important pillar of the Islamic way of life. And to conduct the affairs of collective life without consultation is not only the way of ignorance but also an express violation of the law prescribed by Allah. When we consider why consultation has been given such importance in Islam, three things become obvious:

Firstly, that it is injustice that matters of the state be decided on the basis of personal opinions. No one has a right to do as he likes, in matters of common interest. Justice demands that all those whose interests are involved in a matter be consulted, and if it concerns a large number of the people, their reliable representatives should be made a party in consultation.

Secondly, a man wants to usurp the rights of others for selfish ends, or because he looks down upon others and regards himself as a superior person. Morally both These qualities are equally detestable, and a believer cannot have even a tinge of either of these in himself. A believer is neither selfish so that he should get undue benefits by usurping the rights of others, nor he is arrogant and self-conceited that he should regard himself as all-wise and all-knowing.

Thirdly, that it is a grave responsibility to give decisions in matters that involve the rights and interests of others. No one who fears God and knows what severe accountability for it he will be subjected to by his Lord, can dare take the heavy burden of it solely on himself. Such boldness is shown only by those who are fearless of God and heedless of the Hereafter. The one who fears God and has the feeling of the accountability of the Hereafter, will certainly try that in a matter of common interest he should consult all the concerned people or their authorized representatives so as to reach, as far as possible, an objective and right and equitable decision, and if there occurs a mistake one man alone should not be held responsible for it.

A deep consideration of these three things can enable one to fully understand that consultation is a necessary demand of the morality that Islam has taught to man, and departure from it is a grave immorality which Islam does not permit the Islamic way of life requires that the principle of consultation should be used in every collective affair, big or small. If it is a domestic affair, the husband and the wife should act by mutual consultation, and when the children have grown up, they also should be consulted. If it is a matter concerning the whole family, the opinion of every adult member should be solicited. If it concerns a tribe or a fraternity or the population of a city, and it is not possible to consult all the people, the decision should be taken by a local council or committee, which should comprise the trustworthy representatives of the concerned people according to an agreed method. If the matter concerns a whole nation, the head of government should be appointed by the common consent of the people, and he should conduct the national affairs in consultation with the leaders of opinion, whom the people regard as reliable, and he should remain at the helm of affair only as long as the people themselves want him to remain in that position. No honest man can try to assume the headship of a nation by force, or desire to continue in that position indefinitely, nor can think of corning into power by deception and then seek the people’s consent by coercion, nor can he devise schemes so that the people may elect representatives to act as his advisers not by their own free choice but according to his will. Such a thing can be desired only by the one who cherishes evil intentions, and such a fraud against the Islamic principle of consultation can be practiced only by him who does not feel any hesitation in deceiving both God and the people whereas the fact is that neither can God be deceived nor the people be so blind as to regard the robber, who is committing robbery in the bright day light openly, as their well-wisher and servant.

The principle of consultation as enshrined in ‘amru-hum shura baina-hum’ by itself demands five things:

(1) The people whose rights and interests relate to collective matters, should have full freedom to express their opinion and they should be kept duly informed of how their affairs are being conducted; they should also have the full right that if in the conduct of the affairs they see an error, a weakness or a deficiency, they can check it and voice a protest, and if they do not see any change for the better, they can change their rulers. To conduct the people’s affairs by keeping them silent and un-informed is sheer dishonesty which no one can regard as adherence to the principle of consultation in Islam.

(2) The person who is to be entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the collective affairs, should be appointed by the people’s consent, and this consent should be their free consent, which is not obtained through coercion, temptation, deception, and fraud, because in that case it would be no consent at all. A nation’s true head is not he who becomes its head by trying every possible method, but he whom the people make their head by their own free choice and approval.

(3) The people who are appointed as advisers to the head of the state should be such as enjoy the confidence of the nation, and obviously the people who win representative positions by suppression or by expending wealth, or by practicing falsehood and fraud, or by misleading the people cannot be regarded as enjoying the confidence in the real sense.

(4) The advisers should give opinion according to their knowledge and faith and conscience and they should have full freedom of such expression of opinion. Wherever this is not the case; wherever the advisers give advice against their own knowledge and conscience; under duress or temptation, or under party discipline; it will be treachery and dishonesty and not adherence to the Islamic principle of consultation.

(5) The advice that is given by a consensus of the advisers, or which has the support of the majority of the people, should be accepted, for if a person (or a group of persons) behaves independently and acts on his own whims, even after hearing the advice of others, consultation becomes meaningless. Allah does not say: “They are consulted in their affairs”, but says: “They conduct their affairs by mutual consultations”. This instruction is not implemented by mere consultation, but for its sake it is necessary that the affairs be conducted according to what is settled by consensus or by majority opinion in consultation. Along with this explanation of the Islamic principle of consultation, this basic thing also should be kept in view that this consultation is not independent and autocratic in conducting the affairs of the Muslims, but necessarily subject to the bounds that Allah Himself has set by His legislation, and is subject to the fundamental principle: “It is for Allah to give a decision in whatever you may differ,” and “if there arises any dispute among you about anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger. ” According to this general principle, the Muslims can hold consultations in Shari ‘ah matters with a view to determining the correct meaning of a text or verse and find out the ways of implementing it so as to fulfill its requirements rightly but they cannot hold consultations in order to give an independent judgment in a matter which has already been decided and settled by Allah and His Messenger.”

Budget Simplified

Budget 2012 was being presented in National Assembly and it reminded me about my lab attendant. His newly born daughter died last month during labour at home in a far flung village of KPK . He was not able to afford the delivery expenses in hospital and therefore he opted for labour at home. I came to know about it when he had already left home after hearing the sad news of demise. When he came back, he told me that he is earning about 10K and the charges of a hospital delivery were not bearable for him as the medical tests and medicines were quite expensive. I was thinking that whats in the budget for him.

Finance minister tried to convince people that they are living in a heaven while when we look around, its totally a different picture. There is indeed a darker side which does not match with the claims of present regime. Are you confused in the budetary figures? That is why the budget does contain all this fuss. It is an attempt to show the brighter picture when there is dark all around. To cover up the bad governance and corruption of the government, people are trapped in heavy figures to show that the country is in best condition.

So what are these calculations all about? Lets make it simple, consider the following example. If there are only two persons in a place, one has earned Rs 100 and other has not earned anything. Now calculate their GDP, its Rs 100. Their per capita income is Rs 50. GDP includes the earnings /spending of all, in which the rich elite becomes a significant factor, but poor people contribute little to it. Growth rate of GDP depends more upon how much ‘richer the rich have gotten’. So even if growth figures are high, they are significant only for the rich elite. The facilities are available, but not affordable for the common people.

What is the real purpose of a budget then? Ideally speaking, the budget is an estimate of how much we are going to earn and how much we should spend. It allocates money for different projects. Its a document which reveals that how much of the previous targets were achieved and what are the new targets; that’s it. But the government tries to cover its ugly face by using heavy terminologies. A lot of time these figures are falsified, their impact is blown out of proportion, just to cover the mess the government has created.

Current budget is again a same budget with false promises. A huge part is being spent on defense, government expenditures etc. 70 billion rupees being spent on Benazir Income support program is a wastage of money. This huge amount could have been used for the better projects related to education, health, infrastructure and energy sector.These figures didn’t mean anything to the poor labourer who is trying hard to make both ends meet. It doesn’t mean anything for the person who is sick and spending all he could to get a proper treatment. Joblessness is becoming a huge problem in the country. Industry is closing down and millions are loosing jobs. Current Budget is in heavy deficit. It simply means that earnings are less and expenditures are more, government will not reduce its expenditures but will borrow more money. Rich industrialists are not paying taxes and common people have to pay tax on everything.

Now lets talk about increase in salaries. When salaries are increased by same percentage for all, it means peanuts for poor (low grade employees) and huge increments for high grade officers. It widens the already huge gap of rich and poor in the country. A grade 22 officer earning in six figures, with all the benefits and previliages cannot think about the problems faced by a poor. While price hike and inflation is same for all, increase in income is not similar. It makes the poor ‘poorer’ & the rich ‘richer’

So this budget is a budget for elite class. They will get benefited. Poor will not get any benefits unless we change the system. Only one budget so far has ever been termed as a budget for poor people, and that was presented by Liaqat Ali Khan in 1946. Other than that, whichever party was in govt, circumstances were same for ordinary class. The capitalistic economy needs to be uprooted and Islamic system of finance needs to implemented, which ensures flow of wealth from rich to poor; only that is the way out.

Revamping education in Pakistan

I don’t think anyone would deny the fact that we live in a cut throat world where time is money and skill is paramount. The practical life knows just one thing and that is how to live the ‘dog-eat-dog-way’, all the while trying to make one-self indispensable. We all know that it comes down to selling yourself, your personality, your traits and of course your skill. The dilemma is that schools, colleges and universities are not equipping students to face the competitive arena where the dynamics of the job market is constantly evolving and raising the bar for new entrants. Truth of the matter is bookish knowledge and emphasis on grades is not only useless but also pointless considering the current time.

What we should be focusing now is on changing the way we perceive education. The typical classroom environment is no longer viable if a meaningful education is what we are aiming for, primarily because it has become obsolete. This is the age of information technology where individuals are being bombarded with varying perspectives from a myriad of media and communication outlets. Come to think of it, the privileged lot in our country holds the entire world in their smart phone. They don’t need to cram information from books and lectures that can easily be found over the internet. Instead they need practical hands on knowledge that will prepare them for work life. I am not suggesting that theoretical knowledge should be neglected altogether, but practical education should be given precedence. One way of doing that is by getting students to attend seminars, arranging field visits, incorporating internships as part of the course and encouraging group activities.

Most educational institutes in Pakistan focus on theoretical rather than practical knowledge and in my opinion this just kills creativity. Memorizing mundane books which have little relevance to the real world are an integral part of the curriculum. Schools function like factories that produce batches and batches of the same product that just do not sell. There is not an inkling of zeal in the Pakistani schooling system. However before we can even talk about changing the curriculum nationwide, we need to realize that no good is going to come if the government continues to spend less than 2% on such a fundamental sector. Perhaps the only good that can come from this dismal situation is that when our dear government does decide to prioritize education they can revamp the entire system and implement it across the country. Simply put, starting from scratch and adopting a model that has worked for other developing countries, Malaysia being a case in point. Truth be told, we don’t need private schools that offer Ordinary and Advanced (O and A ) levels if our own standard of education is up to mark like that of our nemesis India. Another point I would like to emphasize is the relevance and significance of grades, standardized testing systems and overall academic performance. I believe that a piece of paper depicting class performance proves nothing about an individual’s true potential. Instead having hands on experience, an ability to envision novel ideas and a noteworthy intellect is what education should be honing.

Now more than ever Pakistan must focus on vocational training institutes and help people polish their indigenous skills. We have a huge workforce that has the potential to uplift the country’s economy if it is TRAINED. Our abundant population can become a blessing if every able body is trained and given basic level education.

Not every person is cut out to be a doctor or an engineer some are not even bright enough to finish school but that does not mean that they are worthless and can contribute absolutely nothing to society. Every profession from plumbing to engineering is important and we can’t expect people to acquire these skills on their own. Hence, I believe specialized schools or training centers are a must. Getting women on this bandwagon is also fundamental because believe it or not they can offer so much more than child bearing. Hence the important question to ask is this: we have a workforce so why don’t we make it work?

Studying in East Asia

OK! so you wish to study abroad, and do not have the fortunes to pursue your dreams? Well, it’s not the end of the world for you. When there is a will, there is a way and the way is to get scholarships.

Universities around the world are waiting for scholars to do research but they are not getting enough suitable candidates, reason being the suitable candidates do not have the information how to get there.
The focus of this article is on getting scholarships in East Asian countries, i.e. Japan, Korea, China, Thailand and Singapore. Countries like Japan and Korea are developing fast and investing a lot in the education sector. Their industries are fully supporting the academia, and it’s very easy to get a scholarship, only if you are persistent.

So let’s go directly to the tricks of the trade.

First step is to search the universities in your desired country on the internet. Once you go to the website of any university, go to the faculty and see who are the professors and observe what they are doing. Drop an individual email to the professors of your interest. No, they don’t mind you sending them an email directly. The email should contain your strengths and your desired area in few lines. The rates of response will be slow, one in ten probably, but if you get a response, that’s it! You are nearly there. Every professor has got industrial and governmental projects in his lab, for which he needs researchers to work upon. If he is interested in you, he will support your studies, will get the university to waive-off your tuition and will ensure that you are provided a living stipend so that you can simply relax and study!

It’s simple, isn’t it? Now if you want me to type an email for you, sorry I won’t do that for you. If you can read this, then your English is good enough, far better than a lot of Koreans and Japanese. English language is a great barrier especially in research for East Asian countries and they consider Pakistani students as a blessing. They need you to do research for them in English. Some universities like AJOU and KNU will give you direct access to the professors while for others you have to search the university website. Drop emails to the professors and wait for the response. I repeat, consistency and persistence is all that you need.

In each university, professors run labs based on industrial projects, so the funding is not an issue. If professor is interested in you, he will accept you and rest are formalities. For instance, in my lab, my professor accepted a medical student, who was a graduate in ophthalmology, to do PhD in Biomedical Engineering, a totally different field. I have seen people with the background of computer engineering having PhDs in chemical engineering. So it’s all about you, identify your area and locate the professors in those areas. Prefer the professors with more experience and more projects. Labs do have their websites, and it contains emails addresses of the PhD students, drop them an email as well. I know a lot of students who got scholarships by this method. Most importantly, you can find scholarships with living stipend for Masters degree without many prerequisites.
In the process, you might identify certain university scholarships, governmental scholarships, and some industrial scholarships. It was strange for me to see people with all those different scholarships, and their only ability was that they searched for it or someone told them about it. Korean and Japanese governments also give scholarship opportunities to the students of developing world, which need to be searched upon. For some students, even the tickets were paid by the professors. My professor paid my house rent for two consecutive years as I didn’t want to live in a dorm room.

The standard of education in the universities of East Asia, typically in Japan and Korea is getting much better. You can find quite a few of them in top 200 of international rankings. Tokyo University, National University of Singapore, KAIST, SNU and Yonsei are considered top class universities with tangible contribution towards research. One important factor which directly contributes towards the international ranking of a university is the number of enrolled foreign students; thats why the universities of East Asia are interested in attracting foreigners. Therefore, these universities are offering alot of opportunities to the foreign students, especially to those who are from developing world. So if you don’t have the fortunes to study in USA and UK etc, you can certainly utilize the opportunities which are being offered in East Asia.

Having said all this, life is not a piece of cake out there. You have to be strong enough to survive the test of times. If it doesn’t kill you, it will make u stronger. So if u can live alone, and live abroad in a different culture; then you can get the opportunity of studying there. Most importantly, once you are out and in the open, you learn a lot. The benefit of getting scholarship in East Asia would be that you can quit and move on at any time as there’s very little you have invested in monetary terms. There is no bond and you have free will to carry on or quit. In short, all you need is passion and the doors will open for you InshaALLAH.

And the legacy goes on..

And the legacy goes on.. Part I

Jeay Bhutto! That was the slogan being heard everywhere in Ghotki on 12^th May 2012, when a million people gathered for a PPP rally in which not even a national level leader was present. And mind you, they were no T-shirt/jeans clad Pakistanis on whom everyday problems of load shedding, high fuel prices and unaffordable food don’t make an effect. They were ordinary people most of them from villages who are supposedly hardest hit by the policies of this corrupt and inefficient PPP government. If our biased mainstream media is to be believed, then these very down trodden people are so fed up of this government that they are ready to kick their leaders out into orbit as soon as they get a chance. However, ground realities paint a totally different picture: Just the figure of 1 million far exceeds the ‘Tsunami’ Khan’s all jalsa attendances put together – OK maybe not quite. Add to this most by-elections won by the ‘People’s Party’ in the last 4 years and it will make our media people look like they are reporting from another planet.

We know for sure that the government is corrupt and inept, that everyday items are getting out of reach of the common man, there is no electricity, no gas, no fuel available; so the million dollar question arises that why do people still flock to the Party? Is it still Bhuttoism 33 years after his death that attracts them? We take a critical look.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the founder of PPP was a very able intellectual.He was a born leader and a shrewd politician. Ok, he came into recognition riding on a dictator’s shoulders but that doesn’t matter because everyone does that in the Land of Pure. After all, dictators have ruled the country – directly or indirectly – for the better part of our country’s existence. But ZAB knew how to get people behind him, he knew the raw nerves of the nation and he knew how to exploit situations to his advantage. As we see here, he was an opportunist.

After remaining in Ayub’s cabinet in important ministries for years, he broke ranks with him when he sensed that the dictator was on a decline and formed his own party. In the 1970 elections, barely 3 years after the creation of the party, he won 81 seats out of 138 on offer in West Pakistan (no mean achievement), while Mujibur Rehman’s Awami League clean swept whole of Eastern Wing by grabbing 160 out of the 162 seats.

There is no doubt that the seeds of hatred with the Bengalis were sown by the military dictator, but Bhutto had the opportunity to save the country had he accepted Awami League’s landslide victory and not refused to attend the inaugural session of the National Assembly in Dhaka scheduled to be held on March 3, 1971. Instead, when military action was ordered against East Pakistan by Gen Yahya Khan, Bhutto supported it and is on record to have said, “Thank God, Pakistan has been saved”. Here is he publicly abusing our Bengali brothers and calling them swine.

The pro-PPP writers and social media people accuse the Army of eating up all the budget of the poor awaam while remaining silent on their own leader’s offspring living in luxurious palaces built by money looted from the same awaam. They say that the nuclear bombs are a waste of money while it was their founder leader who said that “Pakistanis would eat grass but build an atom bomb”.
And grass is what the poor man is eating today.

And the legacy goes on.. Part II

Bhutto’s ouster from power through a military coup in 1977 marked the start of arguably the darkest period of our history. We are still reaping the results of the seeds of blunders sown during those 11 years of Zia-ul-Haq’s rule. But it was ZAB’s politically motivated hanging in 1979 that immortalised his name. This gave birth to the term ‘siasi shaheed’ – a term which we are still getting to terms with! It is a term which PPP has cashed time and again and still doesn’t hesitate to do whenever the need arises.

ZAB’s heir apparent – yes that’s what happens in our democracy – Benazir Bhutto was again a very intelligent lady. Harvard and Oxford educated, yet not able to speak the national language properly, she after the death of her father went through very tough times languishing in jails all over the country. But ultimately, as all political bigwigs in Pakistan do, she went on her first exile to UK leaving her faithful party workers – the jiyalas – behind to face the wrath of the Monster in Uniform. With opportunism reminiscent of her father, she returned home to a historic reception in Lahore in 1986 when the dictator was on his last legs. The key point here is historic reception by the same very people she had deserted, the same very people who her father had falsely promised with roti, kapra & makaan and the same people who for years to come would still be chanting tirelessly the name of Bhuttos.

The Bhuttos were always feudals and their hold on power hinged on keeping the masses illiterate. More you educate a person, more the chance of him to recognise your true face; that was – and still is – the philosophy of Bhuttoism. Benazir, having studied and lived abroad for a large part of her life had no real connection with the common people. Yet for reasons mentioned above, people still came to her rallies in hordes to listen to her speeches which in reality neither had any substance nor sense. Like her father, she would shout at the top of her voice the same hollow slogans of roti, kapra and makaan and reminded the people of the great sacrifices her father gave for them.

Her two short reigns in power were largely unstable and her Cabinet stank of corruption, particularly her husband Asif Ali Zardari whom she had given a free hand to loot the same awaam that still chanted ‘Jeay Bhutto’. After her second exile lasting 8 years, she returned home through the infamous NRO thus cleansing her and her husband of all the sins they had committed so far. Her death in a bomb blast in Rawalpindi created yet another ‘siaisi shaheed’ to keep the PPP bandwagon rolling. But what about the name ‘Bhutto’ that she was carrying to the grave with her? With her two brothers already dead and her sister Sanam not in politics, Benazir was the last in the clan to bear the infamous name. What would happen to the PPP when the Bhutto dynasty is finished?

But out came a ‘will’ and as we all know where there is a will there is a way! Benazir’s husband, according to the will would become the new chairman of the biggest democratic party in Pakistan – yes, you heard it right: Through a will, not through an election! He quickly adds Bhutto to his son’s name making him Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, makes him the co-chairman of the party and thus the legend lives on. Zardari becomes the President of the Islamic Republic riding on Bhutto’s name and keeps his presidency and government alive with the same old words of roti, kapra & makaan and the sacrifices of the family.

But you’ve got to admit that there is something about these Bhuttos, that X factor that keeps the people mad and flocking to their calls. Bilawal, studying in Oxford and living the better part of his life abroad is just as bad as his mother speaking the language of the land, the language of the people he dreams of leading tomorrow. He is as disconnected from his people as his mother was, yet when you see the following clip, you’ll notice an air of Bhuttoism in him. You’ll notice the same rhetoric repeated again and again like a déjà vu.

Only if our people were educated enough to see the reality through this myth called Bhuttoism!

A million dollars a day, keep all the worries away

Recently, a news item caught my attention that by opening NATO supply routes, Pakistan will earn $365 million annually. By the time you will be reading these lines, re-opening of supply routes might have been finalized. The issue was a bone of contention in Pak-US relationship since the Salala check post incident on 26th November 2011. The present democratic regime may take the credit for bringing the US administration on table talks which was not the case in Musharraf’s regime, but the decision to re-open the supply routes is an unpopular one and will attract criticism from opposition, religious parties and public alike.

Since 2001, Pakistan has been serving as a front line ally of the US in its War on Terror (read error). In terms of cost-benefit analysis, Pakistan has lost more than it has gained. In monetary terms, we have incurred losses amounting Rs. 68 billion whereas if we talk about human losses it translates to roughly 40,000 precious lives. In this case, the math is simple; earning $365 million per annum at the cost of 24 soldiers. Would this be named as “blood money”?

Talking of blood money reminds me of the famous Lockerbie bombing case, a precedent set by the US itself. If we take into account the money paid by Libya for the loss of life of one US citizen on the hijacked plane then the same value should have been assigned to the human loss that we have incurred in the form of drone strikes and bombings. The US claims that drone strikes are inevitable. Not surprisingly, in order to support their ailing economy, Pentagon has ordered General Atomic to increase their production that makes $4 million on every drone produced.

The ‘war on terror‘ and ‘promoting democracy‘ are the 21st century equivalents of the 19th century British gobbledygook. American Neo-colonialism purveys them as moral justification and uses as political cover for intervening and, where necessary, invading resource-rich and strategic countries to overthrow nationalist leaders, install puppet regimes and ravage the countries’ wealth. And of course, the US is by far the most powerful terrorist force. But the American War in Afghanistan has turned out to be an amazing circus of military ineptitude. NATO’s problem in Afghanistan is how to get out without losing too much face. In this scenario, US needed a scapegoat and who else could be a better one than Pakistan.

Oil lies at the center of the War on (T)error. Failure to recognize this and its full implications has distracted and muddled our thinking and debates into “smoke screen” issues. The real objective of the US is to achieve complete military domination over oil resources and routes. The latest estimate of the US spending on “oil wars” is around $2-2.5 trillion. One has to be completely blind to believe that the US is spending this amount just to fight terrorism or bring democracy in Iraq & Afghanistan. In its pursuit of achieving military primacy, the US has devastated Iraq & Afghanistan. Now, Pakistan is in danger of becoming a “collateral damage” of the US pursuit of global energy control and military domination if Pakistan Army continues to fight its so-called “war on (t)error”. This war has brought Pakistan to the greatest crisis since 1971, a crisis that can result in the disintegration or Balkanization of Pakistan.

The people of Pakistan will not tolerate foreign hegemony under any circumstances. On the basis of the self-same logic, they would never agree to an internal hegemony by any institution of the state. The two hegemonies compliment each other. If our people meekly submit to internal hegemony, they will have to submit to external hegemony. This is so because the strength and power of external hegemony is far greater than that of internal one. If the people are too terrified to resist the weaker force, it is not possible for them to resist the stronger force. Thus the acceptance of internal hegemony means surrender to external hegemony. Fear is no policy, surrender is not an option.

William Francis Butler once said,

“The nation that will insist upon drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking by cowards.”

The saying above aptly describes the situation in Pakistan post NATO killings. I think that the major cause of instability in Pakistan is the American led War on (T) error. Our government should revisit its foreign policy and rely more on regional strategic partners like China and Iran. I think that the US should leave the treachery of aiding us on the face and stabbing us at our backs. It’s time to let them know that we will not tolerate any foreign interventions, in any form whatsoever at all. If a country like Iran could flout sanctions, why couldn’t we? Boycotting the Chicago Summit could have been our first step in tactfully wiggling out of this alliance by clearly shifting our stance from “Do more” to “No more”.

Why Don’t They Leave Then?

As if multitude of problems facing us; war, poverty, terrorism, unemployment, power cuts etc; was not enough, our buffoon leaders grasp every opportunity to embarrass the whole nation in front of the whole world. The nation which has produced best doctors, engineers, physicists and world record holders IT professionals, has to face further humiliation of becoming a laughing stock because of cowardly decisions and goofy viewpoints of the ruling elite. I wonder why we are condemned to be ruled by worst of the lot which leaves us humiliated time and again.

Mr. Prime Minister (my heart sinks while addressing you by this title), your latest interview to CNN was one of the many examples of the above. The body language, selection of words, and irrelevant and weightless answers would annoy anyone, let alone the interviewer. And when a Prime Minister of a country is spoken to, by an interviewer as to ‘Look me in the eye and answer me’, there is surely something seriously wrong in stance and policies of the state that he is representing. The lady should understand that this part of the world does not know what resigning on moral grounds mean. That is only why you had to rely on generalised patent answers. Every time this issue of resigning on moral grounds arises, it reminds me of David Blunkett the British Home secretary, who resigned by taking full responsibility of defaming his government due to his action of only fast tracking a visa application. But here, Mr Prime Minister you are actually standing firm as a scapegoat of an already defamed corrupt government like a stubborn child protecting an evil ‘friend’.

Your answer ‘Either choose democracy or dictatorship’, is a patent, prewritten formula for these interviews and talk shows. If one even thinks that this government is dysfunctional and corrupt, they are blasphemers, backed by the army, wanting big boots to intervene in the civilian territory. Oh no, Mr Prime Minister, not every question befits this answer. Not everything and anything is a ‘conspiracy’ against democracy. If the leading lot is corrupt, if the President has heavy accounts and properties outside the country the legitimacy of which needs to be looked into, it doesn’t mean we want dictatorship. Trust me, we hate it. That only simply means this is NOT democracy where people do not have the right to object and demand trials on corruption. You remind us of the will of people when you are told that according to a Gallup survey, 80% of the nation is frustrated and fed up with the dysfunctional parliament and civil institutions? Nothing can be more naïve than that. And you ask, why don’t the one third of the nation who wish to leave the country, leave then?

Let me answer you why. Remember the flood victim Mohammad Akram? A 30 year old man sick of his life who torched himself in front of your residence as he was frustrated to death because of unemployment? Remember, Kamran Ijaz Gul a child who topped his Class-VII examination and committed suicide because his poor parents could not buy him new school uniform.

Remember, only a few days ago in Multan, a one year old child died due to extreme heat in a bus stuck in a traffic jam caused by people protesting against loadshedding.

These people whose ‘will’ you talk about would leave the country if they had money and opportunity. But they haven’t seen a few thousands of rupees together, let alone millions of dollars that the leaders of this country have and deal with every day. Of course, your question, ‘who’s stopping them depicts your ignorance and apathy towards the nation you claim to lead. And of course, you wouldn’t know how painful it is to stand under the scorching sun at a bus stop with a hungry child in lap as you have millions of pounds to spend on your lavish and luxurious ‘Limousine’ tours. You wouldn’t know how a parent feels to see their child commit suicide. You wouldn’t know what it feels like to see your children prepare for an exam with no fan, no bulb and still shine. You wouldn’t know what it feels like to receive a bad news about a loved one, dying in a clash created for political/personal interests. And you wouldn’t know how it feels to see your loved one having a cardiac arrest in an ambulance when the traffic comes to a halt because of PM’s or President’s motorcade of Mercedes passing by. But trust me, Mr. Prime Minister you and your company are answerable for the herd of donkeys that you are leading. (16 crore, yeh gadhay jink a naam hai Awaam).

The country has already suffered from the worst brain drain and your indifference is making it worse. The lady asked you, ‘Who is running the country in your absence?’ We really want to know, who runs the country even in your presence? The nation is struggling to survive on its own with nobody to look up to for help and hope in your team. My question to you Mr. Prime Minister and company: you have money, properties, palaces, and friends outside Pakistan and you have the opportunity more than anyone else in the country. If we are going to Stone Age even after your ‘country friendly’ policies and getting nothing from you, why don’t you and your team leave the country alone? And your question, ‘who’s stopping them (to leave)’ further disconnects the tie, so let’s do it. No one would stop you, I promise!

PM conviction – the battle will go on!

Though the much awaited detailed verdict handed down by the seven-member bench in the contempt of court case against PM Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani fell short of the expectations of many, but the verdict has at least cleared the mist of confusion on the political horizon, putting the Prime Minister in the irreversible process of disqualification.

However, the PPP would be getting their planned design of lingering the legal course till final conclusion of the on-going legal battle is successfully executed, courtesy the lengthy and tedious legal process. But the detailed judgment in the contempt of court case had sealed the fate of the Prime Minister who would hardly avoid disqualification as member Parliament.But the Prime Minister’s “sacrifice” surely would buy some more breathing space for the ruling coalition to sail through the troubled waters by successfully presenting the fifth and final budget, which would be the only constitutional obligation to be met by the ruling coalition.

The decision of going in appeal against the judgment was already made by the PPP leadership, even much before the handing down of the short order of the court on April 26. Some senior party leader, who did not want to disclose their identity, said that the conviction of Prime Minister in the case was obvious and that was the reason they had already decided that they would exhaust all legal and constitutional remedies in the on-going battle with the superior judiciary.

Some insiders in the party said that the legal brains of the party would file appeal against the verdict in the case for which right now the court has not requisite strength to constitute a larger bench to take up the appeal. At present out of the nine available judges apart from the seven members who had convicted the Prime Minister in contempt of court case, three had expressed their inability to sit in the larger bench leaving the court with just six judges. So in given circumstances the court would be requiring at least two more ad hoc or additional judges to constitute a larger bench to take up the appeal of the Prime Minister.

The determination of the Prime Minister to go into appeal could be judged well from the fact that he did not even wait for landing of his plane in London and gave statement on-board his special plane that he would file appeal against the court judgment for which instructions had already been given to his counsel Barrister Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan.

Under the law, the Prime Minister could file an appeal against his conviction, which could ultimately lead to his disqualification as member of the Parliament, till May 26 as the 30-days time would be counted from the day of handing down of the short order by the court. In the meanwhile, the Supreme Court would initiate the legal process of getting the court order implemented by sending the copy of detailed judgment simultaneously to Speaker National Assembly and Chief Election Commissioner.

Speaker National Assembly, under the rules of business and procedure, is bound to forward the reference against Prime Minister to Chief Election Commissioner within 30 days period for action while the Chief Election Commissioner would have 90 days at maximum to de-notify him as member of the Parliament which would automatically remove him for the slot of Prime Minister.Pakistan People’s Party wants to have breathing space for another couple of months to successfully present the fifth and final budget and then the Prime Minister could even resign portraying that the PPP has great respect for the judiciary and try to mould the public opinion in their favour.

Anyone from the party would step in his shoes as Prime Minister to again defy the court’s direction in the NRO implementation case and could drag the matter till the holding of next elections and establishment of the caretaker set up. By the time they would successfully exhaust the premature campaigns being launched by some of the political parties with Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) as the forerunners. Political and legal analysts watching the situation were of the view that Mian Nawaz Sharif had made some hasty decision after the handing down of the short order of the apex court convicting the PM and should have waited till the detailed judgement. Similarly Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf and Jamaat-I-Islami have to follow PML-N and as they were not prepared for it their shows in support of the superior judiciary were off-colour or they could not leave some marked impact, which would definitely have some sort of impact on the judiciary as well.

These analysts were of the view that contrary to the political players the judiciary was playing safe and were not in haste in getting their orders implemented and that was the reason the judges of the superior courts were adopting judicial restraint in their decision and handling of various cases. Even in the detailed judgment in the contempt of court case against Prime Minister the seven-member bench could have given some clear-cut direction to Chief Election Commissioner for disqualification of the Premier but the court had once again showed judicial restraint, leaving the matter of Prime Minister’s disqualification to be executed through the laid down legal and constitutional process.

The legal and constitutional experts are of the view that despite the provocative statements and sarcastic remarks coming from PPP leadership the Supreme Court of Pakistan has not taken any hostile posture against the rulers while dealing with cases of sensitive nature and adopted judicial restraint to avoid clash-like situation to save the institutions as well as the on-going political process.

With all this battle and political tug of war going on the masses remain an irrelevant entity, busy in sorting out load shedding, protesting in the streets, committing suicides, selling their children while the convicted Prime Minister is on a lavish and luxurious ‘official’ trip to UK with a big team on Tax Payers’ money representing a poor and war stricken nation.