Karak Social Forum

The Case for Pakhthunkhwa...Rahimullah Yusafzai

2010-03-30T04:50:00.001-07:00

The debate on renaming the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) is serious business because it concerns the identity of its people and their place in the federation of Pakistan. However, the direction it has taken is sometimes comical, and at best uninformed and politicised. Coining a new name for the province has become a favourite pastime for many people and, surprisingly, even those not belonging to it appear keen to select, if not impose, a name of their own choices.

Names such as Neelab, Nuristan and Darul Islam have been proposed for NWFP. People with fertile imaginations and unconcerned that the issue was to provide identity to its majority Pakhtun population came up with still more bizarre names that don't even deserve to be discussed. Abaseen and Khyber were pushed into the limelight after receiving backing from the PML-N and PML-Q. Abaseen is a name used for River Indus that runs not just through the NWFP but also Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab and Sindh, while Khyber is the name of a mountain pass that links Afghanistan with Pakistan.

Khyber Pass is the most famous of them, but we also have the Gomal, Tochi, Khojak, Nawa and other passes that connect the two countries. Naming educational institutions, banks and other institutions after Khyber has been a popular option because it is non-controversial and possibly also for want of more suitable names. But neither Abaseen nor Khyber could confer the identity that most people in NWFP seek in demanding the renaming of their province.

Lately, compound names have been proposed for NWFP as a compromise to overcome the deadlock between the two major parties to the dispute, the Awami National Party (ANP) and the PML-N. Hyphenation to "Pakhtunkhwa" of names including "Abaseen," "Khyber," "Hazara" and "Afghania" have been suggested as a way out of the stalemate. But not only will this make the new name long, but there will be no end to demands by other parts of NWFP, including Dera Ismail Khan and Chitral, seeking the addition of the names of the own regions. Certain politicians from Dera Ismail Khan even suggested "Pakhtunkhwa-Dera-Hazara." One didn't hear Gandhara, the old Buddhist-era name of the Frontier, as a possible new name, or part of a compound name. Gandhara is certainly better in the historical context than, say, Khyber and Abaseen.

It is understandable if politicians with an eye to their respective vote banks adopt unreasonable attitudes on the issue. But it is disappointing if respected people such as Air Marshal (r) M Asghar Khan and retired civil servant Kunwar Idris don't check their facts before commenting on the question. Writing in a newspaper on March 28, Asghar Khan commented that "in a province in which the Pakhtuns are a little over half its population, insisting on renaming it Pakhtunkhwa could prove a divisive one." He also proposed Sarhad, which means "border" and is already used in reference to the province in Urdu, as the new name. In the same paper, Dawn, the same day, Kunwar Idris wrote that "most Punjabi- and Hindko-speaking inhabitants of the province (who, perhaps, outnumber the Pashto speakers)..." He also said that Pakhtunkhwa would carry a ring of Pakhtunistan for the devout Muslim Leaguers opposed to the ANP, which is spearheading the campaign for the name Pakhtunkhwa.

For the information of Asghar Khan, Kunwar Idris and others, the 1998 census showed that 73.9 per cent of NWFP's population spoke Pashto, 3.86 per cent, largely in Dera Ismail Khan, spoke Saraiki, 0.97 per cent Punjabi, 0.78 per cent Urdu, 0.04 per cent Sindhi and 0.01 per cent Balochi. A significant 20.43 per cent people listed in the "Others" column obviously included speakers of Hindko (believed to around 18 per cent), Chitrali, Gojri and other languages. The next population census must have separate columns for Hindko and the other languages to avoid future controversies.

73.9 per cent Pakhtuns in the census mentioned Pashto as their mother tongue, though there are many others in Dera Ismail Khan, including the Jadoons, Tarins, Mashwanis and Swatis in Hazara region and Miankhels, Gandapurs and Kundis, who are Pakhtuns but have forgotten Pashto. Challenge them that they aren't Pakhtun, and there is a chance they might come to blows with you.

The census figures for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), which are geographically and politically part of NWFP, are even more revealing in terms of the Pakhtun identity of the population. In 1998 an overwhelming 99.1 per cent of the 3.176 million population of Fata, to which the change of name will also apply, declared Pashto as their mother tongue. Even though the tribal areas have a largely separate administrative setup, it is headed by the governor of NWFP. If the Fata figures are added to those of the settled areas or districts falling under NWFP, the percentage of Pakhtuns and Pashto-speakers will rise even further.

In opposing the renaming of the province to Pakhtunkhwa, the two Muslim League factions led by Mian Nawaz Sharif and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain are driven by the fear of losing votes in certain non-Pashto-speaking areas. These are the only two significant political parties represented in parliament that object to the name Pakhtunkhwa. The Jamaat-e-Islami and Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf -- lacking representation in the parliament after unwisely boycotting the 2008 general elections and now keen to contest every by-election to get back into the assemblies -- also have reservations about Pakhtunkhwa and would likely support a provincial referendum on the issue. Almost all other political parties support Pakhtunkhwa, or in case of a stalemate, the alternative names Pakhtunistan and Afghania.

If democratic norms are to be followed, then the wishes of the majority need to be respected in the renaming. The NWFP Assembly, reflecting the will of the people, a passed resolution in favour of Pakhtunkhwa by majority vote in November 1997, with only the Saifullah brothers, Salim and Humayun, opposing it, and lawmakers from the PML-N, which was then a coalition partner of the ANP in NWFP, abstaining from the vote.

Abstention isn't opposition and the decision not to oppose the resolution was taken to save the coalition government from collapsing. Politics rather than principles was behind this decision by the then PML-affiliated chief minister Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan, Pir Sabir Shah and other Hazara politicians now in the forefront of opposition to Pakhtunkhwa. It is intriguing that the PML-N, according to Pir Sabir Shah, was willing to accept Afghania as the new name for NWFP. Though the ANP leadership too appears ready to agree to Afghania, it is difficult to understand how this name would protect the identity of non-Pakhtuns in Hazara or elsewhere who believe Pakhtunkhwa would wipe out their identity. Abaseen, Khyber and other names too cannot give an identity to the non-Pakhtun populations, but they would certainly deprive the majority Pakhtuns of their identity.

The argument against Pakhtunkhwa that it is ethnic-based is neutralised by the fact that all other provinces in Pakistan carry names that identify the majority ethnic groups living there. Even if Punjab is named after its five rivers or Sindh after the River Indus, the majority populations in the two provinces have come to be known as Punjabis and Sindhis. Balochistan is obviously named after the Baloch, the majority ethnic group in the province along with their Brahvi cousins.

Controversies would erupt if Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan were to be renamed today. The number of Saraiki-speakers in Punjab are 17.36 per cent of its population, compared to 75.23 Punjabis; in Sindh only 59.73 per cent of the population speaks Sindhi, while 21.05 per cent speaks Urdu; 6.99 per cent speak Punjabi and 4.19 per cent Pashto; in Balochistan, not more than 54.76 per cent of the population name Balochi as their mother tongue, compared to 29.64 per cent naming Pashto, 5.58 per cent Sindhi, 2.52 per cent Punjabi, and 2.42 per cent Saraiki. In fact, Pashto-speakers in NWFP and Fata form the largest group of a single ethnicity in any province in Pakistan.

Ignoring the aspirations of the Pakhtun people (15.42 per cent), who form the second-largest ethnic group in Pakistan after Punjabis (44.15 per cent) and refusing to provide them an identity in the renaming of their province, would be both undemocratic and unjust.

The Case for Pakhthunkhwa...Rahimullah Yusafzai

2010-03-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

what a great Questions /Answers Session...

2010-03-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

Examination and cheating in Karak

2010-03-22T00:56:00.001-07:00

Every year when matriculation examination set in District Karak, reports on students cheating and expulsion from the exam halls are learnt through various sources and reports. One of my Facebook friend, Irfan Khattak from Karak sms me and told me that Exam of Matric has been started and cheating is on the rise in different schools located in Chokara and other places. This compelled me to write down this piece of writing here. Unfair means becomes even worsening each year in most of the centres. Now it has reached all-time heights. A casual attitude towards student cheating can result in lawsuits, and even change society. Therefore, all those responsible citizens who want brighter future of their sons and daughters who will shape their future society need to ponder over this malady and bring up lasting remedies. We know that bunch of invigilators will be there to frisk and check candidates to avoid malpractices. If anyone is found engaging in cheating, he or she will be expelled, punished, warned or forgiven by the invigilators or authority. And as commonly practiced and which I feel is just a short-lived solution, more invigilators or strictures will be deputed in more sensitive Exam Centres. And to curb such malpractices in the examination, rules and regulations of the candidates are given behind the Admit Cards by the authority. The punishment should not only be for the students and also extended to the invigilators too. The authorities will be very strict from now on to check such malpractices inside the examination hall. I am of the opinion that education is the institution where strict discipline is very necessary and unfair means should be strictly punished. No sympathy should be shown to the student caught cheating inside the examination hall. If our society is to progress, we must maintain high educational standards, and this is only possible if malpractices in examinations are curbed with an iron hand. However, contrarily I feel such laws or punishment are just temporary remedies. Any experienced teacher will know better when kids cheat, why kids cheat and how kids cheat in the exam. As I have never been a teacher in my lifetime and have no better solution, I only wish this piece of writing be a wake-up call for teachers and students. Instead of letting those set rules and regulations eliminate the common disease, why can’t we look from different dimension which is more lasting and holistic? Schools have the ability to drastically reduce cheating among their students. As most of such behaviours and techniques are learnt from the class room, it can be therefore stopped in the class room itself. It should be curbed before it’s instilled into the mind of the children and become a habit. And it needs little research on child behaviours through local prism. And the best ways would be to follow the tips from the experts through workshops and other programmes. All they need to do is follow the relatively simple and inexpensive solutions. Any teacher will know how to motivate kids so that they are much less likely to cheat. The only problem is that what we know about reducing cheating often isn’t put into practice in schools. Cheating is less likely to occur when the goal for students is “personal mastery” of the material – in other words, learning and understanding what is being taught.

Examination and cheating in Karak

2010-03-22T00:56:00.000-07:00

We are Peaceful and Condemns brutality.

2010-02-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility on Sunday for a suicide attack on a police station in Karak that killed 4 people including two policemen.

In addition to the dead, more than two dozen people were wounded, most of them police officers, when an attacker detonated a pick-up van on Saturday at the gate of the main police station in Karak.

“We have done this,” Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

“Both the police and army are equal for us. Both are our enemies. They are responsible for the cruelties on us. We will carry out more such attacks against police.”

To all of us, the real peace lovers ,this attack on our peaceful minds is unacceptable.You can not change our bravery and confidence .We can face it with courage, such steps from infidels like can not frightened us.You all , who are engage in such acts are Kafirs, because .no Muslims can even think about such acts.

Protest for freedom of Expression and Democracy

2010-01-05T17:29:00.003-08:00

Protests For Democracy

Over the last two weeks in Iran, a resurgent Green movement has been staging a number of large demonstrations, showing that the reformist challenge to the Iranian regime remains as strong as it was in the days and weeks after Iran's controversial June 12 presidential elections. On Dec. 19, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Al-Montazeri, Iran's leading clerical dissident and the Green movement's most vocal religious supporter, passed away at age 87. Demonstrations erupted at his funeral in the holy city of Qom two days later, "with several mourners clashing with groups of [pro-government] vigilantes, according to reports from witnesses and opposition Web sites." Police then "used tear gas and batons to disperse people." The demonstrations increased in size and intensity throughout the Muharram observances that week, during which Shia Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The Iranian government responded to with increasing violence -- even on the holy day of Ashura, the culmination of the Muharram observances. Just as was done during the 1979 revolution in Iran, demonstrators used the occasion of the remembrance of Hussein's murder by an unjust ruler as a form of protest against the current regime, challenging its claim on being an "Islamic" government.

THE STATE OF THE REGIME: Even though they have been repeatedly warned by Iranian authorities, two presidential candidates associated with the Green movement, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, have continued to criticize the regime since June, exposing fissures in Iran's ruling revolutionary elite. But the latest protests represent a growing challenge not only to the conservative faction of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who many in Iran believe was re-elected fraudulently, but also to some extent to the very system that underpins the Iranian Republic -- velayet- faqih, or "rule of the jurisprudent," in which one supreme Ayatollah wields veto power over all aspects of Iranian government. The founder of this system and the Islamic Republic's first leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was Iran's most authoritative cleric. His successor, Ali Khamenei, has far weaker scholarly credentials and has faced increasing criticism from a number of reformist clerics (of whom Montazeri was the most notable) for what they see as his unjust stewardship of the republic, signified by Iran's authoritarian brutality. Combined with the challenges to the legitimacy of Iran's elections, this represents the most significant and sustained challenge to the Iranian government since the 1979 revolution.

WHAT SHOULD OBAMA DO?: Some have criticized President Obama for not more overtly taking sides in the Iranian dispute. Although he has spoken out in favor of human rights and fair elections in Iran, Obama has continually stressed that the current disagreement is for Iranians to resolve. In a statement on Dec. 28, the President said that what was "taking place in Iran is not about the United States or any other country. It's about the Iranian people and their aspirations for justice, and a better life for themselves," but he was "confident that history will be on the side of those who seek justice." As to how this might affect the administration's ongoing attempts to engage Iran over its nuclear program, Ray Takeyh, a former Obama administration adviser on Iran, said, "You can have negotiations with Iran, as the United States has had negotiations with many adversarial countries while also at the same time disapproving on the internal practices of those regimes." Though talks with Iran have thus far failed to achieve an agreement, in a recent article examining Obama's maneuvers over the last months, Iran expert Gary Sick wrote that Obama has effectively "taken what appeared to be a losing hand and, with a few well-placed leaks...converted a lose-lose proposition of crippling sanctions vs appeasement into an Iranian nuclear collapse."

TIME FOR SMART SANCTIONS: Though Iranians are uniformly against the kind of "crippling" sanctions that would hurt the Iranian population -- as well as against military strikes, which would snuff out the Green movement immediately -- some Iranian dissidents have voiced support for sanctions targeted at regime actors, such as the Revolutionary Guards, who have increasingly consolidated control over large segments of Iran's economy. Although Russia and China are, according to Iran analyst Karim Sadjadpour, "instinctively opposed to sanctions," Sadjadpour told Middle East Progress that "Iranian intransigence has put them in a bind." While some in Congress are anxious to employ precisely the sort of blunt sanctions that Iranian dissidents have said they don't want, the administration has been working on a set of sanctions that would target specific regime actors, rather than the Iranian people. Describing these measures, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Haaretz, "We have begun discussions with our partners and like-minded nations about pressure and sanctions," but that the goal was "to pressure the Iranian government, particularly the Revolutionary Guard elements without contributing to the suffering of ordinary [Iranians] who deserve better than what they are currently receiving." As an anonymous Green protester told the Washington Independent's Spencer Ackerman, what the Greens want from the world is to "help us make our democracy."

LABOR -- BUSINESS LOBBYISTS YEARN FOR THE DAYS WHEN BUSH APPOINTEE ELAINE CHAO RAN THE LABOR DEPARTMENT: The Associated Press reports that the first year of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis' tenure has brought "aggressive moves to boost enforcement and crack down on businesses that violate workplace safety rules have sent employers scrambling to make sure they are following the rules." In many ways, Solis has reversed the course of the Labor Department that was set by her Bush-era predecessor, Elaine Chao. Solis' crackdown has business lobbyists yearning for the days when Chao ran the show. "Our members are concerned that the department is shifting its focus from compliance assistance back to more of the 'gotcha' or aggressive enforcement first approach," Karen Harned, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business' small business legal center, told BusinessWeek. Keith Smith, a spokesman for the National Association of Manufacturers, explained that his organizations wants "to build upon [Chao's] progress and recognize what's working." The business lobbyists' reaction to Solis' tenure is unsurprising, given the fact that her predecessor's Labor Department spent eight years "walking away from its regulatory function across a range of issues, including wage and hour law and workplace safety." The Government Accountability Office found that under Chao, the agency "did an inadequate job of investigating complaints by low-wage workers who alleged that their employers were stiffing them for overtime, or failing to pay the minimum wage." In one survey, 68 percent of low-income workers reported a pay violation in the previous week alone. Solis, meanwhile, has "slapped the largest fine in [Department] history on oil giant BP PLC for failing to fix safety problems after a 2005 explosion at its Texas City refinery." She is hiring 250 additional wage-theft inspectors, and "started a new program that scrutinizes business records to make sure worker injury and illness reports are accurate."

Former U.S. government officials said yesterday that the "suicide bomber who killed seven CIA operatives in Afghanistan last week was a Jordanian informant who lured intelligence officers into a trap by promising new information about al-Qaeda's top leadership." The bomber had been recruited to infiltrate the terrorist organization's leadership circles and was trusted by his CIA and Jordanian handlers.

"The Obama administration has transferred dozens of names from a broad terrorism database" to the no-fly list or to the Secondary Security Screening Selection list. White House spokesman Bill Burton said counterterrorism officials examined "thousands upon thousands" of names before deciding which to transfer.

The Obama administration's decision to require citizens traveling from 14 countries to receive extra searches at airports has drawn angry criticism from foreign officials. "It is unfair to discriminate against over 150 million people because of the behavior of one person," Nigerian information minister Dora Akunyili told the press.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was censured by the Lexington County Republican Party in South Carolina yesterday. Criticizing Graham for his vote in favor of the 2008 financial bailout and his outspoken support of immigration reform, the Lexington GOP became the second county party organization to pass a censure resolution.

$2.3 trillion: Amount the U.S. spent on health care in 2008, averaging $7,681 per person, and up 4.4 percent from 2007. The rate of growth was the lowest in 48 years because of the recession, although health spending "reached 16.2 percent of the gross domestic product in 2008, up from 15.9 percent in 2007." The White House called the new federal report "a striking reminder of what defenders of the status quo are defending."

"Senate Republicans are determined to prevent the creation of an independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency because they consider it as threatening as their current arch-nemesis regulator: the Environmental Protection Agency." "From the Republican point of view, the idea of a separate agency is still anathema," Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT) told the Huffington Post. "Can you say EPA?"

"The number of Americans filing for personal bankruptcy rose by nearly a third in 2009, a surge largely driven by foreclosures and job losses," the Wall Street Journal reports. Personal bankruptcy filings hit 1.41 million last year, up 32 percent from 2008. Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, "which liquidates assets to pay off some debts and absolves the filers of others," also rose 42 percent last year.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said yesterday that the Obama administration remains open to talks with Iran over its nuclear program, despite Tehran's unaccommodating stance. President Obama said he will move toward tougher sanctions if Iran does not respond positively to his overtures by the beginning of 2010.

Rajendra Pachauri, the chair of the Nobel Prize-winning U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that climate change skeptics and entrenched industries threaten to harm the world's poorest people. "Powerful vested interests are perhaps likely to get overactive in the coming months, and would perhaps do everything in their power to impede progress towards a binding agreement that is hoped for by the end of 2010 in Mexico City,"

Protest for freedom of Expression and Democracy

2010-01-05T17:29:00.001-08:00

Protest for freedom of Expression and Democracy

2010-01-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

Naya Saal

2009-12-31T18:34:00.000-08:00

A Hope For New Year

2009-12-31T18:07:00.000-08:00

NRO,s Original Jurisdiction of Supreme Court

2009-12-17T04:02:00.001-08:00

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN
(Original Jurisdiction)
Present
Mr. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, CJ.
Mr. Justice Javed Iqbal
Mr. Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan
Mr. Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday
Mr. Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan
Mr. Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani
Mr. Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk
Mr. Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed
Mr. Justice Ch. Ijaz Ahmed
Mr. Justice Muhammad Sair Ali
Mr. Justice Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui
Mr. Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja
Mr. Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali
Mr. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain
Mr. Justice Rahmat Hussain Jafferi
Mr. Justice Tariq Parvez
Mr. Justice Ghulam Rabbani
CONSTITUTION PETITION NOS. 76 TO 80 OF 2007 & 59/2009,
AND
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 1094 OF 2009
(On appeal from the order dated 15.1.2009 passed
by High Court of Sindh at Karachi in
Const.P.No.355 of 2008)
AND
HRC NOS.14328-P TO 14331-P & 15082-P OF 2009
Dr. Mobashir Hassan (Const.P.76/07)
Roedad Khan (Const. P.77/07)
Qazi Hussain Ahmad (Const.P.78/07)
Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif (Const.P.79/07)
Muhammad Tariq Asad (Const.P.80/07)
Syed Feroz Shah Gillani (Const.P.59/09)
Fazal Ahmad Jat (C.A.1094/09)
Shaukat Ali (H.R.C.14328-P/09)
Doraiz (H.R.C.14329-P/09)
Zulqar nain Shahzad (H.R.C.14330-P/09)
Abid Hussain (H.R.C.14331-P/09)
Manzoor Ahmad (H.R.C.15082-P/09)
… … … Petitioners.
Versus
Federation of Pakistan, etc.
… … … Respondents.

Dates of hearing : 07th -10th & 14th - 16th December, 2009.
O R D E R
IFTIKHAR MUHAMMAD CHAUDHRY, CJ. – The above titled
Constitution Petitions have been filed under Article 184(3) of the
Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan [hereinafter referred to as ‘the
Constitution’] challenging the constitutionality of the National
Reconciliation Ordinance (No.LX) 2007 [hereinafter referred to as ‘the
NRO’], while HR cases and Civil Appeal, by leave of the Court, have been
filed by the applicants/appellant for extension of benefit of the NRO to
them.

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
2. Succinctly stating the facts, giving rise to instant proceedings, are that
on 5th October, 2007, the President of Pakistan, in purported exercise of
powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 89 of the Constitution, issued the
NRO, whereby, certain amendments have been made in the Criminal
Procedure Code, 1898, the Representation of the People Act, 1976 and the
National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 [hereinafter referred to as “the
NAB Ordinance”]. By means of Section 2 of the NRO, Section 494 of
Cr.P.C. has been amended. Likewise, vide Section 3 of the NRO, Section
39 of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 has been amended.
Similarly, Sections 4, 5 & 6 of the NRO amended Sections 18, 24 and 31A
of the NAB Ordinance, respectively, whereas by means of Section 7 of the
NRO, Section 33F has been inserted in the NAB Ordinance.
3. The NRO came under challenge, as stated above, before this Court,
through listed petitions. These petitions came up for hearing before the
Court on 12th October, 2007 when after hearing the learned counsel for the
petitioners, the Court proceeded to issue notices to the respondents as well
as to Attorney General for Pakistan, for a date in office after three weeks,
while making the following observation:-
“however, we are inclined to observe in unambiguous terms that
any benefit drawn or intended to be drawn by any of the public
office holder shall be subject to the decision of the listed petitions
and the beneficiary would not be entitled to claim any protection of
the concluded action under Sections 6 and 7 of the impugned
Ordinance, under any principle of law, if this Court conclude that
the impugned Ordinance and particularly its these provisions are
ultra vires the Constitution”.
3
rd
4. Pending decision of these petitions, on November, 2007,
emergency was proclaimed in the country by the then President of Pakistan
and also the Chief of Army Staff and under the garb of Provisional
Constitution Order, 2007, Provisional Constitution (Amendment) Order,

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
2007 was issued, whereby, Article 270AAA was inserted in the
Constitution, which provided protection to all the laws including the
Ordinances in force on the day on which the Proclamation of Emergency of
3
rd
3
November 2007 was revoked. As a result of above constitutional
amendment, the apparent interest was that the NRO should attain
permanence. The Proclamation of Emergency as well as other extraconstitutional
instruments were challenged before this Court in the case of
Tikka Iqbal Muhammad Khan v. General Pervez Musharraf (PLD
2008 SC 178), when the Court declared the Proclamation of Emergency of
rd November, 2007, the Provisional Constitution Order, 2007, Provisional
Constitution (Amendment) Order, 2007, the Oath of Office (Judges) Order,
2007 and the President’s Order No.5 of 2007, to be validly enacted.
However, this Court, vide its judgment dated 31st July 2009, in the case of
Sindh High Court Bar Association v. Federation of Pakistan (PLD
2009 SC 879) declared all the above five instruments to be unconstitutional,
illegal and void ab initio, as a result whereof Article 270AAA stood deleted
from the Constitution. Consequently, the NRO, as well as 37 other
Ordinances, which were meant to be protected, were shorn of the
permanency purportedly provided under Article 270AAA of the
Constitution and sanctified by the judgment passed in Tikka Iqbal
Muhammad Khan’s case (ibid). However, through the same judgment,
this Court, while supporting the doctrine of trichotomy of powers, as
envisaged in the scheme of the Constitution and to prevent any disruption,
enabled the Parliament to reconsider and, if thought fit, to enact, all the 37
Ordinances including the NRO, as Acts of Parliament. For this purpose the
life of the Ordinances stood extended for another 120 days (in case of
Federal Legislation) and 90 days (in case of Provincial Legislation). This

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
constituted an opportunity to the democratic Government at the Centre and
in the Provinces to legitimize the acts, actions, proceedings and orders,
initiated, taken or done, under those Ordinances, by placing them before the
Parliament, to make them enactments of Parliament, with retrospective
effect.
5. In pursuance of above judgment of 31st July, 2009, the NRO was
placed before the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Law &
Justice, in its meeting held on 29th & 30th October, 2009. During the
discussions and deliberations, some of the members did not agree with the
decision of the Committee and left the proceedings in protest. However,
ultimately, on 2nd November, 2009 the Committee recommended that, after
the proposed amendments in the Bill for enacting the NRO, the same may
be passed by the Assembly. It is pertinent to mention here that despite
finalization of the report of the Standing Committee on NRO and before its
approval by the Chairperson of the Committee, the Minister concerned
withdrew the Bill under Rule 139 of Procedure & Conduct of Business in
the National Assembly, 2007. As a result, the NRO could not be passed by
the Parliament, within its extended life, therefore, it lapsed.
6. The petitioners in these Constitution Petitions have challenged the
vires of the NRO with the prayer that the same may be declared ultra vires
the Constitution, viod ab initio and of no legal effect. For convenience, the
prayer made in Constitution Petition No. 76 of 2007, filed by Dr. Mubashir
Hassan, is reproduced herein below:-
“1) Section 2, 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the NRO may kindly be declared
to be void ab initio, of no legal effect and ultra vires the
Constitution, in particular Articles 25, 62, 63 and 175
thereof.

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
2) During the pendency of the instant petition, the respondents
may kindly be restraint from taking any action under or in
terms of the impugned Ordinance. The respondents may in
particular, be restrained from withdrawing any request for
mutual assistance and civil party, letters rogatory and like
issued to any Foreign Government, Court or other
Authority or Multilateral Organization.
3) Any other order deemed beneficial to the interest of Justice
and equity, may also kindly be made.
7
7. The instant petitions came up for hearing before this Bench on
th
December 2009, when Mr. Shah Khawar, Acting Attorney General for
Pakistan, placed on record a written statement on behalf of Federation of
Pakistan. Relevant paras therefrom are reproduced herein below:-
“2. That the Federation believes in supremacy of the
Constitution of 1973 and the Parliament.
3. That the National Reconciliation Ordinance, 2007 was
promulgated by the previous regime and I am under
instruction not to defend it.”
8. Mr. Kamal Azfar, learned Sr. ASC appearing on behalf of the
Federation of Pakistan, through Ministry of Law & Justice, filed Civil
Misc. Applications No. 4875 & 4898 of 2009 in Constitution Petitions
No. 76 & 77 of 2007. Contents of paras at page 11 & 12 of the said
applications are reproduced herein below:-
“If however, this Hon’ble Court wishes to rule upon wider issues
other than those raised in the petition and prayer the Federation requests
that fresh petitions be filed precisely stipulating these issues whereupon
the Federation will seek instructions on such new petition.
Pak Today is poised at the cross roads. One road leads to truly federal
democratic welfare sate with the balance of power between an
Independent judiciary, a duly elected Govt. representing the will of the
people a determined executive which is fighting the war against terrorism
and poverty. The second road leads to destabilization of the rule of law.
The people of Pakistan await your verdict.”

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
When we confronted the learned counsel with above contents of his
applications, he requested that the same may be treated as deleted. In this
behalf, he, however, filed a written statement, contents whereof are
reproduced herein below for ready reference:-
“STATEMENT
In Compliance of the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court
of Pakistan to appraise the Hon’ble Court as to how the Federation
would interpret the wording “the second road leads to the
destabilization of the rule of law”, it is submitted as follows:-
(1) There is no mention of the wording ‘threat to democracy’
in the Statement.
(2) The Federation supports the Prosecution, in accordance
with law, of persons alleged to have done wrong doing. The
Federation does not oppose the Petitions seeking a
declaration that the National Reconciliation Ordinance
2007 (NRO) is illegal and unconstitutional.
(3) With regard to the “wider issues” mentioned in paragraph
No.9 these refer to those matters which were raised by the
Petitioner’s counsel during oral arguments and which find
no mention whatsoever in the Petitions. For example,
submissions made in respect of Articles 89 (in particular
the alleged concept of “implied Resolution”) and A.264 on
the effect of Repeal.
(4) The Federation’s view is that those who have benefited
under the NRO should be proceeded against under the
appropriate laws before the courts having the competent
jurisdiction. As factual matters need to be determined by
the trial courts.
(5) So far as my comments made yesterday before this Hon’ble
Court concerning the threat from GHQ, the CIA and the
contents of paragraph 9 of the CMA are concerned these
were my personal views and were not made on the
instructions of the Federation of Pakistan. As such I
withdraw the same, which should not be considered by this
Hon’ble Court in any manner whatsoever and the same
should be deleted and expunged from the record.
(6) It is emphasized that the Federation of Pakistan holds this
Hon’ble Court in the highest esteem and has the greatest
respect for the same.”
9. Learned Advocates General of Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and
Balochistan appeared and supported the stance taken by the Attorney
General for Pakistan.

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
10. We have heard the learned counsel for the parties at length and have
also gone through the material placed on record in support of their
submissions.
11. As it has been noted above that challenge to NRO was thrown by the
petitioners, no sooner same was promulgated by the President and
admission order dated 12th October, 2007, was passed, to examine
following questions:-
“2. Mr. Salman Akram Raja, learned counsel appearing on
behalf of petitioner in Constitution Petition No. 76 of 2007 argued
that:--
a) Section 7 of the impugned Ordinance being selfexecutory
in nature amounts to legislative judgment,
which is impermissible intrusion into the exercise of
judicial powers of the State and thus falls foul of
Article 175 of the Constitution which envisages
separation and independence of the judiciary from
other organs of the State.
b) Legislative judgment cannot be enacted by the
Parliament. [ Smt. Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj
Narain (AIR 1975 SC 2299)].
c) By promulgating Section 7 of the impugned
Ordinance, Article 63(1)(h) and 63(1)(l) of the
Constitution have been made ineffective, as regards
chosen category of people, therefore, it is ultra vires
the Constitution as it amounts to defeat the
constitutional mandates.
d) Impugned Ordinance exhorts about or indemnifies a
particular class of people i.e. public office holders
from proceedings, actions and orders passed by the
competent authorities, whereas no such powers are
available to the Parliament or, for that matter, to the
President of Pakistan under Federal or Concurrent
Legislative List. Further; the President is empowered
only to pardon an accused person, under Article 45 of
the Constitution, after passing of sentence by a Court
of law, whereas by means of impugned Ordinance, the
President has been empowered to indemnify or pardon
an accused, against whom proceedings are pending
before Investigating Agency or a Court of law or in
appeal by giving a blanket cover.
e) The impugned Ordinance violates the provisions of
Article 25 of the Constitution because it is not based
on intelligible differentia, relatable to lawful objects,
therefore, deserves to be struck down.
f) The impugned Ordinance is against the public policy

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
because it also provides protection against future
action in terms of its Section 7 and it had also
rendered Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution
ineffective.
g) Sub-sections (2) and (3) of Section 494 of Cr.P.C.
added by means of impugned Ordinance are contrary
to provisions of Sub-section (1) of Section 494 of
Cr.P.C. where it has been provided that cases can only
be withdrawn with the consent of the Court, whereas,
in newly added Sub-Sections, powers of the “Court ”
have been conferred upon the Review Boards of the
Executive Bodies, therefore, these Sub-sections are
also contrary to Article 175 of the Constitution.
and
No criteria has been laid down as to why the cases
1st
falling between the day of January 1986 to
12th day of October 1999 have been covered under
these provisions, inasmuch as definition of political
victimization has not been provided in these Subsections,
as a result whereof it has been left at the
subjective consideration of Review Board/ Executive
Bodies to determine the same. Thus such provisions
cannot exist in any manner.
h) The impugned Ordinance has been promulgated in
colorable exercise of Legislative powers and its
various provisions have created discrimination among
ordinary and classified accused, therefore, all these
provisions tantamount to malice in law.
i) The provisions of impugned Ordinance are so
overbroad that these have provided blanket cover to all
the holders of public offices, including chosen
representatives and ordinary employees, therefore, the
object of national reconciliation cannot be achieved by
allowing it to exist.
j) The provisions of Sections 4 and 5 of the impugned
Ordinance are highly discriminatory in nature,
therefore, are liable to be struck down.
k) Section 6 of the impugned Ordinance is contrary to the
basic principles relating to annulment of judgments,
even if passed in absentia, in accordance with existing
law, according to which unless the basis for the
judgment, in favour of a party, is not removed, it could
not affect the rights of the parties, in whose favour the
same was passed but when the Legislature
promulgated the impugned Ordinance, in order to
remove the basis on which the judgment was founded,
such judgment shall have no bearing on the cases.
[Facto Belarus Tractor Ltd. v. Government of
Pakistan (PLD 2005 SC 605)]. Hence, provisions of
the impugned Ordinance as a whole are against the
concept of equality of Islamic Injunction, provided
under Article 2A of the Constitution, therefore, on this
score as well, deserves to be struck down being ultra

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
vires the Constitution.
3. Mr. Muhammad Ikram Chaudhry, learned Sr. ASC for
petitioner in Constitution Petition No. 77 of 2007, while adopting
the above arguments, added that :i)
The impugned Ordinance is purpose specific and
period specific, therefore, violates Article 25 of the
Constitution.
4. Dr. Farooq Hassan, Sr. ASC appearing in Constitution
Petition No. 78 of 2007 on behalf of petitioner, while adopted the
arguments raised by Mr. Suleman Ahmed Raja, ASC contended
that:-
i) The impugned Ordinance is contradictory to and
violative of the United Nation’s Convention Against
Corruption, enacted in 2005 and ratified by Pakistan
on 31st of August 2007.
ii) Under the Constitution, no indemnity or amnesty can
at all be given to any one, except granting pardon in
terms of Article 45 of the Constitution.
iii) Sections 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the impugned Ordinance are
violative of the doctrine of trichotomy of powers.
iv) The impugned Ordinance has in fact changed the basic
structure of the Constitution.
v) The impugned Ordinance has also violated the
principles of political justice and fundamental rights
because it allows plundering of national wealth and to
get away with it. More so, it tried to condone
dishonesty of magnitude which is unconscientious and
shocking to the conscience of mankind.
5. Mr. M.A. Zaidi, AOR appeared on behalf of Mr.
Muhammad Akram Sheikh, Sr. ASC in Constitution Petition
No.79 of 2007 and adopted the above arguments of the learned
counsel for the petitioners.
6. Mr. Tariq Asad, ASC appearing in Constitution Petition
No. 80 of 2007 also adopted the above arguments, while adding
that:-
a) The impugned Ordinance has been promulgated on the
basis of personal satisfaction of the President of
Pakistan but for extraneous reasons and to provide
indemnity/immunity to the public office holders,
therefore, is liable to be struck down.

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
12. Subsequent thereto cases remained pending except when their
hearing was fixed on 27th February, 2008 and order dated 12th October,
2007, was vacated in following terms : -
“3. These Constitution Petitions are adjourned to a date in
office due to indisposition of the learned counsel for the
petitioners. Meanwhile, in view of the rule laid down in the case of
Federation of Pakistan vs. Aitzaz Ahsan (PLD 1989 SC 61), the
observations made by this Court in Para 8 of the order dated
12.10.2007 in Constitution Petitions No.76-80 of 2007 to the effect
that “however, we are inclined to observe in unambiguous terms
that any benefit drawn or intended to be drawn by any of the
public office holder shall be subject to the decision of the listed
petitions and the beneficiary would not be entitled to claim any
protection of the concluded action under Sections 6 and 7 of the
impugned Ordinance, under any principle of law, if this Court
conclude that the impugned Ordinance and particularly its these
provisions are ultra vires the Constitution” are deleted.
Resultantly, the Ordinance shall hold the field and shall have its
normal operation. The Courts and authorities concerned shall
proceed further expeditiously in the light of the provisions of the
Ordinance without being influenced by the pendency of these
petitions.”
13. As it has been noted above that while deciding the case of Sindh
High Court Bar Association (ibid), all the Ordinances which were not laid
before the Parliament, on account of insertion of Article 270AAA in the
Constitution, were shorn of permanency, therefore, the Parliament was
asked to examine all such Ordinances within a period of 120 and 90 days,
as the case may be, commencing from 31st July, 2009, when a 14 Member
Bench announced judgment. The period so assigned by the Court expired
on 28th November, 2009 but the NRO was taken back from the Parliament,
leaving for this Court to examine its constitutionality in the cases listed
above. It is a cardinal principle of jurisprudence that courts are not required
to give decisions of cases in vacuum rather it has to consider facts as well,

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
giving a cause to a person to approach Courts. The NRO gave benefits to a
class of people, whose identification is not difficult to ascertain, namely
accused persons, involved in criminal and corruption cases, during the
period commencing from 1st January, 1986 to 12th October, 1999 and this
classification has created a divide amongst ordinary citizens of Pakistan and
a class of alleged criminals who statedly have committed crimes of murder,
dacoity, rape, looting/plundering of money/resources of this nation.
Therefore, prima facie, to understand the nature of such beneficiaries,
Federal Government, Provincial Governments and the NAB were asked to
provide details in this behalf. In response to such query the Government of
Sindh through its Advocate General filed a large list of such like accused,
who being charged for the cases of criminal nature, benefited from the
NRO, which included heinous and minor crimes, as well. As far as the
remaining Governments and the Federating Units are concerned, they
categorically denied extension of benefits of the NRO to even a single
accused in their respective jurisdictions. However, NAB has submitted a
list containing names of 248 persons, who benefited from the NRO within
and outside the country. A cursory perusal of this list suggests that barring
the cases inside the country, huge benefit has been availed by some of the
persons in the cases pending against them outside the country. At this stage
it is to be noted that application of the NRO, beyond the territories of the
country, is a question which requires consideration on jurisdictional plane
of this Court as well. NAB has also provided a list of the persons, who were
convicted in absentia under Section 31A of the NAB Ordinance.
14. In depth examination of the NRO suggests that it has not been
promulgated to provide reconciliation on national basis as this nation has
seen reconciliation in 1973, when a Constituent Assembly gave the

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
Constitution of 1973 to the nation, guaranteeing their fundamental rights,
on the basis of equality and brotherhood, as a result whereof, the nation had
proved its unity, whenever it faced a challenge to its sovereignty and
existence. The representation of the people, in subsequent Legislative
Assemblies, has upheld the provi sions of 1973 Constitution, except for few
occasions when they have made amendments under peculiar circumstances.
However, salient features of the Constitution i.e. Independence of
Judiciary, Federalism, Parliamentary form of Government blended with
Islamic provisions, now have become integral part of the Constitution and
no change in the basic features of the Constitution, is possible through
amendment as it would be against the national reconciliation, evident in the
promulgation of the Constitution of 1973, by a Legislative Assembly.
Therefore, promulgation of the NRO seems to be against the national
interest and its preamble is contrary to the substance embodied therein.
Thus, it violates various provisions of the Constitution. Therefore, by
means of instant short order, reasons of which shall be recorded later, we
hold as follows:-
(i) that the NRO is declared to be an instrument void ab initio being ultra
vires and violative of various constitutional provisions including
Article Nos. 4, 8, 25, 62(f), 63(i)(p), 89, 175 and 227 of the
Constitution;
(ii) that as a consequence of the said declaration, all steps taken, actions
suffered, and all orders passed by whatever authority, any orders
passed by the courts of law including the orders of discharge and
acquittals recorded in favour of the accused persons, are also declared
never to have existed in the eyes of law and resultantly of no legal
effect;

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
(iii) that all cases in which the accused persons were either discharged or
acquitted under Section 2 of the NRO or where proceedings pending
against the holders of public office had got terminated in view of
Section 7 thereof, a list of which cases has been furnished to this Court
and any other such cases/proceedings which may not have been
brought to the notice of this Court, shall stand revived and relegated to
the status of pre-5th of October, 2007 position;
(iv) that all the concerned courts including the trial, the appellate and the
revisional courts are ordered to summon the persons accused in such
cases and then to proceed in the respective matters in accordance with
law from the stage from where such proceedings had been brought to
an end in pursuance of the above provisions of the NRO;
(v) that the Federal Government, all the Provincial Governments and all
relevant and competent authorities including the Prosecutor General of
NAB, the Special Prosecutors in various Accountability Courts, the
Prosecutors General in the four Provinces and other officers or
officials involved in the prosecution of criminal offenders are directed
to offer every possible assistance required by the competent courts in
the said connection;
(vi) that similarly all cases which were under investigation or pending
enquiries and which had either been withdrawn or where the
investigations or enquiries had been terminated on account of the NRO
shall also stand revived and the relevant and competent authorities
shall proceed in the said matters in accordance with law;
(vii) that it may be clarified that any judgment, conviction or sentence
recorded under section 31-A of the NAB Ordinance shall hold the field
subject to law and since the NRO stands declared as void ab initio,
therefore, any benefit derived by any person in pursuance of Section 6
thereof is also declared never to have legally accrued to any such
person and consequently of no legal effect;

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
(viii) that since in view of the provisions of Article 100(3) of the
Constitution, the Attorney General for Pakistan could not have
suffered any act not assigned to him by the Federal Government or not
authorized by the said Government and since no order or authority had
been shown to us under which the then learned Attorney General
namely Malik Muhammad Qayyum had been authorized to address
communications to various authorities/courts in foreign countries
including Switzerland, therefore, such communications addressed by
him withdrawing the requests for Mutual Legal Assistance or
abandoning the status of a Civil Party in such proceedings abroad or
which had culminated in the termination of proceedings before the
competent fora in Switzerland or other countries or in abandonment of
the claim of the Government of Pakistan to huge amounts of allegedly
laundered moneys, are declared to be unauthorized, unconstitutional
and illegal acts of the said Malik Muhammad Qayyum;
(ix) that since the NRO stands declared void ab initio, therefore, any
actions taken or suffered under the said law are also non est in law and
since the communications addressed by Malik Muhammad Qayyum to
various foreign fora/authorities/courts withdrawing the requests earlier
made by the Government of Pakistan for Mutual Legal Assistance;
surrendering the status of Civil Party; abandoning the claims to the
allegedly laundered moneys lying in foreign countries including
Switzerland, have also been declared by us to be unauthorized and
illegal communications and consequently of no legal effect, therefore,
it is declared that the initial requests for Mutual Legal Assistance;
securing the status of Civil Party and the claims lodged to the allegedly
laundered moneys lying in foreign countries including Switzerland are
declared never to have been withdrawn. Therefore the Federal
Government and other concerned authorities are ordered to take
immediate steps to seek revival of the said requests, claims and status;

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
(x) that in view of the above noticed conduct of Malik Muhammad
Qayyum, the then learned Attorney General for Pakistan in addressing
unauthorized communications which had resulted in unlawful
abandonment of claims of the Government of Pakistan, inter alia, to
huge amounts of the allegedly laundered moneys lying in foreign
countries including Switzerland, the Federal Government and all other
competent authorities are directed to proceed against the said Malik
Muhammad Qayyum in accordance with law in the said connection;
(xi) that we place on record our displeasure about the conduct and lack of
proper and honest assistance and cooperation on the part of the
Chairman of the NAB, the Prosecutor General of the NAB and of the
Additional Prosecutor General of the NAB, namely, Mr. Abdul Baseer
Qureshi in this case. Consequently, it is not possible for us to trust
them with proper and diligent pursuit of the cases falling within their
respective spheres of operation. It is therefore, suggested that the
Federal Government may make fresh appointments against the said
posts of persons possessing high degree of competence and
impeccable integrity in terms of Section 6 of the NAB Ordinance as
also in terms of the observations of this Court made in the case of
Khan Asfandyar Wali v. Federation of Pakistan (PLD 2001 SC 607).
However, till such fresh appointments are so made, the present
incumbents may continue to discharge their obligations strictly in
accordance with law. They shall, however, transmit periodical reports
of the actions taken by them to the Monitoring Cell of this Court
which is being established through the succeeding parts of this
judgment;
(xii) that a Monitoring Cell shall be established in the Supreme Court of
Pakistan comprising of the Chief Justice of Pakistan or a Judge of the
Supreme Court to be nominated by him to monitor the progress and
the proceedings in the above noticed and other cases under the NAB
Ordinance. Likewise similar Monitoring Cells shall be set up in the
High Courts of all the Provinces comprising of the Chief Justice of the

Const. P.76/2007, etc.
respective Province or Judges of the concerned High Courts to be
nominated by them to monitor the progress and the proceedings in
cases in which the accused persons had been acquitted or discharged
under Section 2 of the NRO;
(xiii) that the Secretary of the Law Division, Government of Pakistan, is
directed to take immediate steps to increase the number of
Accountability Courts to ensure expeditious disposal of cases;
15. We place on record our deep sense of appreciation for the learned counsel
for the parties as also for the learned amicii curiae who have rendered invaluable
assistance to us in these matters.
The petitions stand allowed and disposed of by this short order in terms
noted above.
Islamabad
16.12.2009
Irshad /*
APPROVED FOR REPORTING.

Koi thu Roye,,,,

2009-12-15T07:01:00.000-08:00

Koi thu Roye leput ker Jawan Lasho se-----
Es leye thu Woh beton ku Maa detha hai.|

Who am I?

2009-12-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

Dont know why I felt a something in this picure, don’t know who she is and what could be the story behind her situation. But one thing dears, next time when you say I love you mother, think and imagine about this lady and see as a society what we have gained so far…

Climate Change

2009-12-06T17:53:00.000-08:00

Unless we combine to take decisive action, climate change will ravage our planet, and with it our prosperity and security. The dangers have been becoming apparent for a generation. Now the facts have started to speak: 11 of the past 14 years have been the warmest on record, the Arctic ice-cap is melting and last year’s inflamed oil and food prices provide a foretaste of future havoc. In scientific journals the question is no longer whether humans are to blame, but how little time we have got left to limit the damage. Yet so far the world’s response has been feeble and half-hearted.

Climate change has been caused over centuries, has consequences that will endure for all time and our prospects of taming it will be determined in the next 14 days. We call on the representatives of the 192 countries gathered in Copenhagen not to hesitate, not to fall into dispute, not to blame each other but to seize opportunity from the greatest modern failure of politics. This should not be a fight between the rich world and the poor world, or between east and west. Climate change affects everyone, and must be solved by everyone.

The science is complex but the facts are clear. The world needs to take steps to limit temperature rises to 2C, an aim that will require global emissions to peak and begin falling within the next 5-10 years. A bigger rise of 3-4C — the smallest increase we can prudently expect to follow inaction — would parch continents, turning farmland into desert. Half of all species could become extinct, untold millions of people would be displaced, whole nations drowned by the sea.

Few believe that Copenhagen can any longer produce a fully polished treaty; real progress towards one could only begin with the arrival of President Obama in the White House and the reversal of years of US obstructionism. Even now the world finds itself at the mercy of American domestic politics, for the president cannot fully commit to the action required until the US Congress has done so.

But the politicians in Copenhagen can and must agree the essential elements of a fair and effective deal and, crucially, a firm timetable for turning it into a treaty. Next June’s UN climate meeting in Bonn should be their deadline. As one negotiator put it: “We can go into extra time but we can’t afford a replay.”

At the deal’s heart must be a settlement between the rich world and the developing world covering how the burden of fighting climate change will be divided — and how we will share a newly precious resource: the trillion or so tonnes of carbon that we can emit before the mercury rises to dangerous levels.

Rich nations like to point to the arithmetic truth that there can be no solution until developing giants such as China take more radical steps than they have so far. But the rich world is responsible for most of the accumulated carbon in the atmosphere – three-quarters of all carbon dioxide emitted since 1850. It must now take a lead, and every developed country must commit to deep cuts which will reduce their emissions within a decade to very substantially less than their 1990 level.

Developing countries can point out they did not cause the bulk of the problem, and also that the poorest regions of the world will be hardest hit. But they will increasingly contribute to warming, and must thus pledge meaningful and quantifiable action of their own. Though both fell short of what some had hoped for, the recent commitments to emissions targets by the world’s biggest polluters, the United States and China, were important steps in the right direction.

Social justice demands that the industrialised world digs deep into its pockets and pledges cash to help poorer countries adapt to climate change, and clean technologies to enable them to grow economically without growing their emissions. The architecture of a future treaty must also be pinned down – with rigorous multilateral monitoring, fair rewards for protecting forests, and the credible assessment of “exported emissions” so that the burden can eventually be more equitably shared between those who produce polluting products and those who consume them. And fairness requires that the burden placed on individual developed countries should take into account their ability to bear it; for instance newer EU members, often much poorer than “old Europe”, must not suffer more than their richer partners.

The transformation will be costly, but many times less than the bill for bailing out global finance — and far less costly than the consequences of doing nothing.

Many of us, particularly in the developed world, will have to change our lifestyles. The era of flights that cost less than the taxi ride to the airport is drawing to a close. We will have to shop, eat and travel more intelligently. We will have to pay more for our energy, and use less of it.

But the shift to a low-carbon society holds out the prospect of more opportunity than sacrifice. Already some countries have recognized that embracing the transformation can bring growth, jobs and better quality lives. The flow of capital tells its own story: last year for the first time more was invested in renewable forms of energy than producing electricity from fossil fuels.

Kicking our carbon habit within a few short decades will require a feat of engineering and innovation to match anything in our history. But whereas putting a man on the moon or splitting the atom were born of conflict and competition, the coming carbon race must be driven by a collaborative effort to achieve collective salvation.

Overcoming climate change will take a triumph of optimism over pessimism, of vision over short-sightedness, of what Abraham Lincoln called “the better angels of our nature”.

It is in that spirit that [56] newspapers from around the world have united behind this editorial. If we, with such different national and political perspectives, can agree on what must be done then surely our leaders can too.

The politicians in Copenhagen have the power to shape history’s judgment on this generation: one that saw a challenge and rose to it, or one so stupid that we saw calamity coming but did nothing to avert it. We implore them to make the right choice.

We must go for talks ,? Ansar Abbassi

2009-11-01T17:46:00.001-08:00

We are on a suicide mission. At a time when our sovereignty is seriously threatened and is being violated and our foreign policy being entirely run on alien diktat, Pakistanis are being made the scapegoats on a daily basis as their lives serve as fodder for the US war on terror, imposed on us on Washington’s terms.

Initially it was General Musharraf, who after 9/11 served as Washington’s poodle and badly divided the nation. And now it is the democratically elected but NRO-laundered regime that has owned the US war as its own war.

When last year, the only time the issue was ever referred to parliament in nine years, the people’s representatives unanimously disowned this war and without even a single dissenting voice passed a resolution demanding a homegrown solution to extremism and terrorism through a dialogue. But who cares what the people say.

The US dictation comes at a time when national cohesion is fast eroding, state institutions are indifferent and unresponsive, people’s voice is not being heard and national leadership is highly irresponsible and corrupt. Consequently with every passing day there are growing incidents of terrorism, more bloodshed and increased human misery and cry.

And after every terrorist act, the hollowed rhetoric of our shallow leaders that the people of Pakistan would win this war is repeated. However, there is no strategy, no political initiative and no urge to find and address the root cause of this menace. Everything has been left to the army to achieve. All the bets are on the military option and there is no room for any political solution. There is a call for an “all out war”.

Instead of adopting a rational approach to stop further killing of the innocents, we are responding in the rush of blood, which could cause more bloodshed and more killings. We are not trying to figure out where the problem lies and more importantly the real problem. We are not diagnosing the disease but trying to treat the symptoms.

Initially it was Nek Muhammad, later Abdullah Mahsud, then Baitullah Mahsud and Fazullah and now Hakeemullah Mahsud. Musharraf thought, and the present rulers also believe, that killing such symbols would solve the problem but it has not worked. We are made to believe that once the Pakistan Army conquers South Waziristan and cleanses it from extremists and terrorists, the problem would be over. The same was said about Swat and Malakand.

Where would be the next battleground? Apprehensions are already rising in south Punjab. Past record proves that the extremists and terrorists killed or nabbed do not belong to the tribal areas alone but come from all over and could not be identified. In such a situation, can we afford to launch military solution everywhere. Is it possible either? Can the army afford to leave Swat and Malakand, South Waziristan and other parts of the tribal areas? Aren’t we marching on an extremely dangerous track that may lead us to a complete civil war?

Practically this is a game of death where only the blood of Pakistanis, predominantly innocent citizens is being shed. We may not feel for them as if they are not our own family (i.e. Pakistan) but those including children and women who are mercilessly killed by US drone attacks in our tribal areas are our own people even if everyone of them is condemned unheard and dubbed a terrorist or a militant.

This is also true that those so dubbed and attacked, whether in Swat and Malakand or Waziristan are too our own people. These innocents who become victims of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks all over are also from amongst us. So are the young brainwashed teenager suicide bombers who lose their lives.

For our enemy this is a win-win situation and possibly a source of pleasure but for every Pakistani it is the most serious cause of concern. We don’t want this game of death to go on and on but others do. We don’t want our people to be killed but others do. We don’t want our army to be dragged in a situation where it is compelled to use its muscle against its own people and get unpopular but others do. We don’t desire to see brothers killing brothers here but others do.

But what we want and desire cannot be achieved if we follow the foreign dictat. It can’t be achieved through military options either. It can be effectively achieved only through a process of dialogue, rethinking of our strategy, pondering into the whole situation to address the root causes, the US war on terror, drone attacks, enslavement of Islamabad to the whims and wishes of Washington and US and Nato forces presence in Afghanistan. A political initiative in line with the unanimous resolution adopted by the parliament last year is thus a vital and urgent need. Terrorism is condemnable but it cannot be defeated only through the use of force, which is counter productive.

This is precisely what is happening in Pakistan. Washington would not like this but we need to focus on political means instead of entirely depending on the military option, which should remain restricted and quick. The US war on terror is neither in the interest of Muslims nor in favour of Pakistan. Therefore, the US war, now owned by our rulers and fought in the fashion the US expects us to fight, is not our war and it will never be.

A New Prize For Obedience..

2009-10-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

Both chambers of the US Congress have quietly approved a bill that seeks tough new restrictions on military aid to Pakistan, aides told Dawn on Wednesday. The bill comes up for final approval later this week.

Democratic Senator Robert Menendez and Republican Senator Bob Corker jointly crafted the new restrictions.

‘The Senate approved the bill on July 24 while the House of Representatives passed it earlier this month,’ an aide for Senator Corker told Dawn.

In the US legislative system, the House and the Senate work separately, which requires both chambers to craft their own versions of a proposed bill. After separate votes, the two versions are reconciled in a joint session, which is called the conference.

The proposed amendment to the National Defence Authorisation Act comes to conference later this week. If approved, as expected, it would become a law.

An earlier joint statement by the offices of the two senators said that they had successfully attached an amendment to the Department of Defence authorisation bill that passed the Senate ‘in order to help ensure that military assistance for Pakistan is actually being used for its purpose: to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda’.

The Menendez-Corker legislative language would mandate a certification by the US Secretary of State and Secretary of Defence, before Pakistan is reimbursed with Coalition Support Funds, that the payment is both in the national security interests of the US, and will not affect the balance of power in the region.

‘To this point, almost eight years and more than seven billion in American taxpayer dollars for Pakistan’s military have not prevented the Taliban and Al Qaeda from regrouping along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border,’ said Senator Menendez.

‘The fight against these extremists is crucial for our own security, which is why we have to certify that our support is in fact doing what we intend it to do and is not being used for other purposes.’

Mr Menendez insisted that this was an issue of national security and of responsibility with taxpayer dollars and that’s why he was seeking to further tighten the restrictions on Pakistan.

Senator Corker said that the US appreciated the important role Pakistan had played in America’s fight to eliminate the terrorist safe havens within their borders, ‘we also owe it to our service members and the American taxpayer to ensure that the funds provided to Pakistan out of the Coalition Support Funds are in fact being directed towards those efforts and not misdirected’.

The fresh limits include efforts to track where US military hardware sent to Pakistan ends up, as well as a warning that US aid to Pakistan must not upset ‘the balance of power in the region’ —a reference to tensions with India.

The limits are in a $680 billion US Defence Department spending measure for 2010 that the Senate will take up after the bill cleared the House of Representatives in a 281-146 vote on Oct 8.

If, as expected, the Senate approves the legislation, it will go to President Barack Obama to sign into law who earlier this month signed the Kerry-Lugar bill into a law.

Although the Kerry-Lugar bill tripled US economic assistance to Pakistan, it also placed some restrictions on the military aid.

Abi Na Rukna

2009-09-17T02:45:00.000-07:00

Sun set in Karak

2009-09-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

We are Peaceful and Peace lovers Khattaks

2009-09-09T10:47:00.004-07:00

We are peaceful and peace lovers khattaks in Khattakistan. We always depend upon on peace and avoid violence. We are educated,hard working,dedicated and patriotic Pakistanis.We disliked those who are misguided and anti Pakistan elements.
NO BODY CAN DENIED THIS THAT WE ALL ARE NOT ONLY EDUCATED BUT PEACE LOVING AND PEACEFUL PEOPLES OF THE PAKISTAN.KARAK IS HEAVEN IN THIS TROUBLE FULL TIME.WE ARE GOOD MUSLIMS,BEST PASHTOONS AND PATRIOTICS PAKISTANI.WE KNOW HOW TO ACT AND REACT.WE ARE MASTERS OF OURSELVES AND WE DON’T ACCEPT MASTERMINDING OF OTHERS. ALLAH MAY GUIDE US TO BE HELPING HANDS HUMANITY. Let us respect our elders guidance and love our values and honor our virtues. The value of Live and let others live.

It is shame

2009-08-03T03:52:00.001-07:00

woreds are not enough to condemn the barberic and horrific incident that has takent place in Gojra.The innocent women and childern are burnt alive safeguard islam.but the cruel dnt know abt islam.We muslim community are ashamed for this very barbarism and condemn it.To us Islam is the religion of peace and love.

New dawn....A dawn of happiness and Light

2009-07-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court of Pakistan Friday declared the steps taken on November 3, 2007 by former president Pervez Musharraf as unconstitutional.

The judgment came after the 14-judge larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry completed the hearing of constitutional petitions regarding PCO judges, appointments of judges of higher judiciary and November 3, 2007 steps.

The Supreme Court in its short verdict declared the steps of November 3, 2007 taken by former president Pervez Musharraf as unconstitutional. Article 279 of the Constitution was violated on November 3, 2007, it said.

It termed as illegal and unconstitutional the sacking of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and the other higher judiciary as well as the appointment of Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar as chief justice.

The oath taken by President Asif Ali Zardari will not be affected by the SC verdict, is said.

All the appointments made in the higher judiciary of Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar have been termed illegal.

It termed as unconstitutional all the appointments of judges during November 3, 2007 to March 24, 2008.

It said the strength of Supreme Court judges will remain 17.

It declared unconstitutional all the steps taken by Pervez Musharraf during November 3, 2007 to December 15, 2007 including the increasing of number of superior judges through finance bill.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry announced the verdict.

The verdict said all the appointments of judges on and after November 3, 2007 under PCO were unconstitutional. The case of PCO judges will be referred to the Supreme Judicial Council, it said.

The announcement of today’s verdict sent a wave of jubilation outside the Supreme Court and at all the bar associations. Sweets are being distributed as people and lawyers are chanting slogans in support of the judiciary.

The 14-judge larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry reserved the judgment after completing the hearing of the case and announced it after a delay of over four and a half hour.

General (R)Now where u will go?

2009-07-23T00:28:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD: Former president Pervez Musharraf had his eight years in power and now he has got an opportunity to have his day in court as well. The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday issued a notice to the former president to appear in person or through his lawyer before the court on July 29 and defend his position on the state of emergency he declared on November 3, 2007, making over 60 independent-minded judges non-functional.

“According to principles of law, internationally known, no person should be condemned unheard; therefore, under Order 25 of Rule 9 of the Supreme Court Rules 1980, a notice be issued to Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, however, leaving for him to appear before the court or otherwise,” Justice Chaudry said in the order.

A 14-member larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is hearing a petition of the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA), seeking regularisation of two SHC additional judges.

Other members of the bench are Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Justice Nasirul Mulk, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed, Justice Ghulam Rabbani, Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani, Justice Muhammad Sair Ali, Justice Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui and Justice Jawwad S Khawaja.

The two SHC judges were denied regularisation on the basis of the Supreme Court judgment in the Tikka Iqbal case was a “past and closed transaction”. The same judgment had also validated the imposition of emergency and the steps taken thereafter by the former president.

“According to the principles of law, universally known, no one should be condemned unheard, as it has been recognised and stated by this court in almost every case where an adverse decision was likely to take place. Not only in our country, internationally where there is a regular system of administration of justice, this principle is applied. Even when there is no provision under the law, the courts have been issuing notices under the principle of natural justice,” the court order said.

The court further ruled that in the Asma Jilani case, notice was not issued as the respondent government had not made a categorical statement that it was not defending the action of Gen Yahya Khan.

“As far as the proceedings of the case are concerned, these are going on for the last two to three days. The media, print and electronic, is widely publicising the observations and proceedings. Anyone interested in the proceedings who is concerned with the promulgation of the PCO can appear on his own by making application directly or otherwise,” the court order added.

“Therefore, under Order 25 of the Rule 9 of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Rules 1980, notice be issued to Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf: however, leaving for him to appear before the court or otherwise, hence notice be issued on the address of his residence in Islamabad,” the order concluded.

On Wednesday, the chief justice sought view of counsel for the petitioners Hamid Khan and Attorney General Sardar Latif Khan Khosa on the question of issuing notice to Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf with a view to providing him with an opportunity to defend himself in the case if he wanted so.

Hamid Khan, who is representing the Sindh High Court Bar Association, opposed issuing of notice to Musharraf, saying there was no precedence of issuing notices to former dictators in such cases and that former military ruler Yahya Khan, too, was not issued notice in the Asma Jillani case.

At this Justice Shahid Siddiqui said that there were people to defend Yahya Khan but in this case the attorney general is not defending him. Khan further contended that Musharraf was not being prosecuted, instead his constitutional actions were being examined; therefore, there was no need of issuing notices to him.

Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, however, observed that fairness demanded that Musharraf is provided with opportunity to come and defend himself. The attorney general, however, said he was leaving the matter to the court.

The chief justice remarked that if there were 0.001 per cent chance of revisiting the Tikka Iqbal case, the court would attack the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO). He said there would be fallouts and repercussions of this case, which he said would decide on the life of our nation.

“We would have to strengthen our institutions and there should be no more adventurism,” the CJ said. The chief justice further observed that the court was examining the PCO promulgated by Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf. Therefore, someone may raise fingers at us for condemning someone who was not before us, he said.

Later, Justice Justice (retd) Malik Qayyum, told reporters outside the court building that he was thinking of representing Gen (retd) Musharraf in the court if he (Musharraf) asked him to do so. Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, who was opposing Musharraf in the court in the past in a case filed against the military dictator for contesting the election for the office of the president, said that the retired general could appear before the Supreme Court either through his lawyer or in person.

“It is purely a constitutional petition and Musharraf either could appear in person or through his legal counsel; however, if the former military dictator appears in person it would be fine,” Aitzaz told Geo TV.

At the same time Aitzaz said that Musharraf would not opt to appear in person before the court for being a coward. He said that the court could issue a notice to Musharraf for appearing in person only if a criminal petition was filed in the apex court.

Aitzaz Ahsan, however, to a question refused to plead Musharraf’s case, saying that he was a cruel ruler who put over 60 judges of the superior judiciary under house arrest along with their children.

Faith,Hope ,and Heart

2009-07-20T23:28:00.000-07:00

I was once told only in dreams,
Do dreams come true,
But I am tell , here and now,
Your dreams are upto you,
like "The Rose"
we may pass through life,
"Not Understand"
And may be we won,t.
make all friends we should.
But always treasure what You have,
And in the mirror what you see,
Then strive to get all you have ,
and be all that you may be.
on the rocky roads of life
you must be strong to fall apart.
But I tell you from my soul to keep,
Faith,Hope and Heart.

By Nicci Pagon

Proud pakistani.... Dr.Farrukh Salim

2009-03-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

Karbala, Muharram 10, 61 AH -- Hussain ibne Ali ibne Abi Talib (RA) refused to pledge allegiance to Dictator Yazid ibne Mu'awiyah ibne Abi Sufyan. Sayyid al-Shuhada (RA) "gave his head but not his hand of allegiance in the hand of Yazid (this according to Shah Moinuddin Chishty Ajmeri)." The Sayyid of the youth of Paradise was beheaded by Shimr Ibne Thil-Jawshan (a soldier in the Ummayad army that was led by Umar ibne Sa'ad).

Dateline: Kufa, 148 AH -- Imam Al-azam Abu Hanifa refused to become Dictator Abu Ja'far al-Mansur's Qazi Al-Qazat (chief judge). Al-Mansur imprisoned Abu Hanifa and tortured him to death (when al-Mansur invited Abu Hanifa to become his chief judge, Abu Hanifa sent a message back to the monarch that he did not consider himself capable for the post. Al-Mansur told Abu Hanifa that he was lying and Abu Hanifa shot back: "I rest my case. If I am a liar then how can I become the chief judge?" Al-Mansur was furious at Abu Hanifa's reply).

Dateline: Islamabad, Safar 20, 1428 AH – Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry refused to resign on orders of Dictator President General Pervez Musharraf. The chief justice was suspended, his family imprisoned within the four walls of his house.

Dateline: Islamabad, Rabi-ul-Awwal 18, 1430 -- Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani announced the restoration of all the deposed judges including Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

There are 1.5 billion Muslims and 57 Muslim-majority nation-states. Imagine; in the past 1,430 years of Islamic history the first Muslim who refused to bow down to a dictator was Sayyid al-Shuhada Hussain ibne Ali ibne Abi Talib (RA). Eighty-seven years later, the second Muslim to bow down to a dictator was Imam Al-azam Abu Hanifa. One thousand two hundred and eighty years later came a Pakistani named Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

In 1986, peoples' power -- absolutely peaceful, non-violent and prayerful -- brought down a stubbornly corrupt Filipino system of governance. In 1989, peoples' power proved its muscle in Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania (all peaceful except for in Romania where the military unexpectedly changed sides and allowed Nicolae Ceausescu's summary execution). People's power in Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Serbia and Ukraine used a colour or a flower as a symbol but never ever has a chief justice been used as the rallying cry.

On March 24, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry shall sit in Court Room No 1 and begin dispensing justice. To be certain, on March 25, there aren't going to be canals of milk and honey all over 778,720 square kilometres of land area we call Pakistan. Justice Chaudhry shall be dispensing justice; neither electricity nor atta or pani. And that is so because any tripodal government rests on the executive, parliament and the judiciary. The judiciary merely dispenses justice and keeps the executive and parliament within the bounds of the constitution. Bijli, atta and pani -- plus law and order -- are part of the social contract between the elected politicians and the 172 million Pakistanis.

For the chief justice, he would have to hold the executive and parliament accountable (both consider themselves above accountability). The Lord Chief Justice of Pakistan would have to protect fundamental rights plus steer clear of all purely political quarrels.

Proud to be a Pakistani because we produced the third Muslim in the history of Islam who said 'no' to a dictator. Proud to be a Pakistani because ours has been the very first absolutely non-violent mass movement within the world of Islam that successfully met its objective. Proud to be a Pakistani now that we can export our chattels of judicial independence to our brethren in other 57 Muslim-majority states. Proud that we can be the source of glitter to Muslims in other countries. Proud that our civil society has reinvented hope. Proud at the tenacity of our lawyers. Proud at the strength of our journalists. Proud at the resolve of our media.

Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry restored as Chief Justice of Pakistan...A Great Success

2009-03-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

In a historic address to the nation, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani announced on Monday to restore the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.The prime minister also pledged that the government would steer the country out of the numerous domestic and international challenges facing it. The prime minister said that after consultations with all political forces of the country and President Asif Ali Zardari, the government has decided to restore all deposed judges including Justice Iftikahr Muhammad Chaudhry as Chief Justice of Pakistan who will assume charge on March 21. The current Chef Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar retires on March 21. "I announce today that Iftikhar Chaudhry and all other deposed judges will be reinstated from March 21," he said in his televised address to the nation. The current supreme court chief justice will retire on that date, allowing Chaudhry to take over, the premier said. He said that a notification for the reinstatement of the deposed chief justice would also be issued. The prime minister urged all the political forces and lawyers to work for the solidarity and welfare of the country. Gilani said the country is standing at a critical moment. He said that no country could make progress without political tolerance and co-existence.Speaking about the struggle for the independence of judiciary, the PM said that the lawyers and the PPP had been together for the cause of justice and democracy.He said that Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto actively participated in the lawyers struggle for the restoration of deposed judges. “Benazir Bhutto wanted free judiciary and supremacy of the constitution and she had promised for his restoration. PPP respects the educated segment of the society”, Gilani added.Gilani said the federal government would file a review petition against the disqualification of the Sharif brothers. “I invite Sharif brothers to come forward to work together in the light of the Charter of democracy

Democracy?

2009-03-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

democracy?

2009-03-14T20:47:00.001-07:00

Minus One Formula...Ansar Abbasi .. The news ,,15/03/2009

2009-03-14T19:55:00.001-07:00

President Asif Ali Zardari today stands completely isolated, as both the military-led establishment and the Gilani-led government are not convinced with the one-man recipe of the presidency to handle the present political crisis.

A source, while quoting an influential diplomatic source in Islamabad, who had earlier indicated about the resolution of the present political impasse before the long march reached Islamabad, now talks of the minus-one formula, insisting that things cannot be allowed to proceed as they are presently.

The source said that the requests by the prime minister, the Army chief and even by influential world capitals to cool down the present tempers remained unheard. The source said that such an indifferent response from the country‚Äôs president was surprising. He added that shying away from taking a political initiative to clear up the self-created mess was simply not understandable.

Although, the presidency is determined to fight the present crisis in its own fashion, things are worsening with every passing moment and may lead to a situation where the military may force the present political leadership to get to a political solution as was done in the mid 90s by General Abdul Waheed Kakar. ‚ÄúI am expecting that anything could happen at anytime,‚Äù a source said.

A key government minister, who is seen publicly defending President Zardari during these difficult days when most of the cabinet ministers are reluctant, said that Kayani had told the president that he needed to get the present political impasse resolved. The minister, on condition anonymity, said that the Army chief was upset with the present situation. He agreed that the situation may not come under the government‚Äôs control if corrective measures were not immediately taken. He, however, indicated that the president may still announce lifting of governor‚Äôs rule in the Punjab by 16th March and offer the PML-N to make the government in the province. The minister also said that at the eleventh hour, the government may also allow the lawyers and other participants of the long march to stage a sit-in in Islamabad, while ensuring that the participation remains thin. The minister conceded that despite tall claims of the governor Punjab, the PML-N continues to enjoy clear majority in the provincial assembly and the PPP had failed to muster the required support to make its own government.

A presidential aide, while talking to this correspondent on Friday, also indicated that governor‚Äôs rule in the Punjab could possibly be lifted by March 16, but said in a lighter vein that the Sharifs and the N-Leaguers, who are desirous of going on the long march, should at least see the government‚Äôs muscles before the crisis was resolved by the presidency.

‚ÄúWe faced jails, we were beaten up and maltreated in the past, now let them have a bit of it,‚Äù he said.

A recently retired Lt-General, who has served with the Army chief for long, said Kayani would be the last person to go for the option of military intervention. He, however, insisted that the Kakar formula might be the last option to overcome the present political crisis in the country.

However, a source, who closely knows President Zardari, insisted that Zardari was not the kind of person who would surrender to pressures.

While the president continues to show a brave face and insists that he is capable of countering the present challenges, Prime Minister Gilani is really upset and so are the majority of his cabinet members. They are not convinced with what President Zardari did on February 25. The departure of respected and saner voices, Raza Rabbani and Sherry Rehman being the latest, have also saddened Gilani and his cabinet colleagues as they also see the popularity graph of the government and the PPP falling severely.

While tension in the public further grew after the prime minister and Army chief‚Äôs meetings with the president on Friday remained inconclusive, a diplomat representing an influential European capital said that the options were getting limited for the president. The source said that it was a matter of days that things might change - the Nov 2, 2007 judiciary getting restored, the office of the prime minister becominstronger and a national government formed.

Zardari deals....

2009-03-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

If Zardari does not accept the new deal then:
* Army, foreign powers will be left with no option but to implement ‘minus-one formula’.
* Presidents office will be completely marginalised, Zardari will be removed.
* Gilani will take over as power will be restored to Prime Minister’s office.
* Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) will join the cabinet
* Deposed Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikar Chaudhary will be reappointed.
Terms of the deal are as follows:
* Pakistan Prime Minister Gilani has been asked to convince Zardari to accept the new political and constitutional arrangement.
* The deal also states the removal of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, who is an obstacle to good relations between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the PML (Nawaz).
* Implementation of the new Constitutional package through the Parliament.
* The deal also demands the restoration of Supreme Court Justice Ifthikar Chaudhary.
Since Wednesday (March 11), there have been a series of meetings that have shaped this deal.
The Pakistan Army Chief met Prime Minister Gilani in Islamabad on March 11, where in the ninety minute meeting the former essentially told the latter to set the deal in motion. On Thursday (March 12), the US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson met the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The reason ostensibly was after Sharif alleged that there was a plot to assassinate him.

Might Be Good News...

2009-03-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

Pakistan Army Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has reportedly given a 24 hour deadline to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to convince President Zardari to accept the new political deal backed by Washington and London.
If Zardari does not accept the new deal, then the Army and the foreign powers will be left with no option but to implement the ‘minus-one formula’ which will include Zardari’s removal from the Presidency.
Other consequences would be Gilani taking over and power being restored to the PM office, Nawaz Sharif will join the cabinet and deposed SC chief Justice Iftikar Chaudhary will be reinstated, a Times Now report said.
Gilani is expected to convince Zardari to accept the new political and constitutional arrangement and remove Punjab Governor Salman Taseer before the lawyer’s Long March reaches Islamabad.

Is it Not Fascism?

2009-03-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

We strongly condemn Police torture on Musarrat Hilali and sorry to say that in all this barbaric and brutal event the government of Bacha Khan the great followers are involved...shame on U .

U have forgotten the philosophy of Love, brotherhood,humanity and respect for women....

A Good News?Should we be Optimistic....

2009-03-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

A protest by lawyers and opposition parties for an independent judiciary threatens to bring political turmoil and comes as President Asif Ali Zardari's government is struggling to check rising Islamist militancy and to revive a sinking economy.Black-suited lawyers and flag-waving opposition activists launched a so-called long march from the cities of Karachi and Quetta on Thursday, and aim to reach Islamabad on Monday.The government has tried to foil the protest with detentions, bans on rallies, and road blocks, while at the same time looking for a way to avert a showdown that could become violent.Under a compromise Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is pushing, Zardari has agreed to yield ground to opposition demands, according to a presidential aide, speaking on condition of anonymity.The protesters are demanding the reinstatement of former Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who was dismissed by former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf in 2007.Zardari has refused to reinstate the judge, seeing him as a threat to his own position, but the presidential aide said under the proposed compromise a constitutional court and an appellate court would be set up and Chaudhry would head one.

A good News?

2009-03-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

Under a compromise Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is pushing, Zardari has agreed to yield ground to opposition demands, according to a presidential aide, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The protesters are demanding the reinstatement of former Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who was dismissed by former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf in 2007.

Zardari has refused to reinstate the judge, seeing him as a threat to his own position, but the presidential aide said under the proposed compromise a constitutional court and an appellate court would be set up and Chaudhry would head one.

Long march and State Facism

2009-03-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

Fascism in action

2009-03-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

Even in Pakistan's troubled history of democratic governance, it is rare to find examples of the kind of open fascism we are seeing today. As lawyers and activists prepared to set out for their 'Long March' to Islamabad, Section 144 was slapped into place in Punjab and a massive crackdown initiated with raids on the homes of dozens of PML-N workers and leaders. Hundreds have been arrested; some dragged out of homes in the darkness. The PML-N claims the figure runs to thousands. In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the action seems to have been even more vicious, with police goons arresting a prominent human rights activist after bursting violently into her home. Though Tahira Abdullah was released after a few hours – the message is clear: The Zardari administration has laid aside all pretence of following democratic practice or even the mere norms of civilized conduct and has reacted in a manner that would make many bloodthirsty dictators proud. Hundreds of lawyers and activists in the city have been rounded up and efforts to nab others are reported to be continuing in Karachi and Quetta, from where some are said to have already set out on the journey towards the federal capital. The current round of midnight raids and swoops is netting those with the highest profile, who have a place and a voice in public life, all in the name of the preservation of law and order. The ordinary men watch askance, fearful of when it may be his door that feels the rap of the baton. Feel their own heels bumping through the dust as they are dragged in the direction of the paddy-wagon and not knowing when they will again see their loved ones. Fear has never been a good tool of governance, yet it seems in these days to be the tool of preference for a government that is looking increasingly panicked and uncertain. What makes the powers that be look even more foolish is the fact that there is obvious dissent within their own ranks. Some within the PPP apparently seek to stand by the values of the late Benazir Bhutto, who had herself announced plans for a long march in 2007. They are not as willing as her widower to abandon these. Leaders of the lawyers' movement were reportedly tipped off in advance about the plan for mass arrests. Many have gone underground, including Aitzaz Ahsan, who has lambasted the measures resorted to by his own party from a secret location. Arrests of this nature had not been expected – or at least not till March 16, when the protesters are scheduled to arrive at Islamabad. The fact that the detentions are illegal and have already been widely condemned by human-rights groups and the legal fraternity has not deterred the henchmen unleashed by the presidency. Across Punjab, banners asking people to join the Long March have been torn down and lists of persons to be arrested handed out to police. The PML-N has been forced to cancel a crucial meeting as reports of fresh arrests poured in – and it is being anticipated that some effort may now be made to clampdown on a media that has brought the shameful scenes we are witnessing into homes everywhere across the country.We spiral downwards in the direction of totalitarianism, of the destruction of democratic process and institutions. Whatever good we might have glimpsed in the aftermath of last years election has died, sacrificed on the altar of ambition and selfishness that sadly grips the minds of those who govern. It is Pakistan's tragedy that we have once more been betrayed. The forces that claimed to stand for judicial independence and democratic principle have turned brutally on people. Under its present leadership, the PPP has lost all right to be called a party of the people. Those who head it have been completely exposed. Their actions have plunged a struggling nation into still greater turmoil. History will not absolve them for what they have done.

I am proud of U ...

2009-03-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

Superintendent of Police Gujranwala Athar Waheed was suspended on Wednesday for not obeying orders to arrest political workers.Talking to Geo News, Athar Waheed said the basic responsibility of police was to provide justice to the people. He said that police were primarily a services institution and its status as a forces institution was secondary. It is not a tool for politicians to settle their scores, he said. The police official said the dignity of police suffers and its reputation damaged when politicians use it for self-interest. The police had arrested many during the tenure of Musharraf and the PML-Q, he said, adding though none of them is on the scene now but by following their orders the department has lost much of its dignity and respect.The suspended police official believed that the primary objective of the police was to enforce the law and help in the dispensation of justice. “According to me, a police officer also has a conscience and should refer to it while performing his duties.îHe said that every policeman takes oath at the Police National Academy to obey the lawful orders of the superiors. ìThere should be concrete evidence to justify confiscation of a personís freedom.î While referring to the arrest of political leaders in the province, he said: ìThese are the same politicians with whom we had discussed transfers and postings of police personnel and we were answerable to them. But today we are being ordered to scale the walls of their houses and enter into their homes, insult the inmates and denigrate the sanctity of the household.îHe said some politicians were ordering them to do so keeping in view their personal interests. ìBut eventually itís the police to lose, not the politicians,î he added. ìWhether there is long march or not, my question is that when a policeman in Britain can arrest the son of prime minister Tony Blair for being drunk, why we canít even imagine such things here. We canít because the police are the loser in our country.î He said though it is generally believed police are all powerful in the country, but on the contrary they have been disgraced by the politicians. ìHow can we deny a citizen of his fundamental rights to the freedom of speech and movement?î

Is It Democracy?

2009-03-11T19:35:00.001-07:00

I condemn the arests of those who are fighting for rule of law in Pakistan.What the government has got from Tahira Abdullah, a woman of 55 years and so many political workers , lawyers as well civil society activists... Just jihad for Rule of Law in pakistan....If it is crime then we all are criminal.....

A massive crackdown on the opposition parties and lawyers was launched on Tuesday midnight across the country to foil the long march and sit-in.Hundreds of activists of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and lawyers were rounded up, while a large number of political and lawyer leaders went into hiding.PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq was placed under house arrest at his sector G-7 residence in Islamabad. Raja Zafar, also a newly-elected senator, said he had received no detention orders but the police locked the gate to his residence from outside at 3am. He said he had heard that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had taken note of the incident and would intervene in the matter.

Former SCBA President Aitzaz Ahsan said the government could not foil the long march and the sit-in would be held at all costs. District Bar Association President Taufiq Asif said he had escaped arrest because he was not present at his house. “Caravans will reach Rawalpindi on March 15 then they all would proceed towards Islamabad via the Benazir Bhutto Road,” he added.
Agencies add: The Punjab government has decided to deploy Army in 30 districts and Rangers in 11 districts of the Punjab, Online reported. However, Punjab Home Secretary Rao Iftikhar Ahmad told reporters that the Army had not been deployed in any part of the province while the Rangers were on standby to maintain law and order.

Containers have been placed at borders of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan to stop caravans. The caravan coming from Balochistan would be stopped near Jacobabad at the Sindh-Balochistan border while caravans coming from different areas of Sindh and Balochistan would be stopped at Kashmore.
All these actions are hsameful and Condemnable.

Long March and Dharna Schedule

2009-03-04T02:53:00.000-08:00

According to announcement made in the judiciary restoration conference here, lawyers’ long march will begin simultaneously from Quetta and Karachi on March 12 and will reach Sukkar in evening. The caravan of lawyers will go to Lahore from Multan on March 14.

The long march will leave for Lahore from Rawalpindi on March 15 which is expected to reach Islamabad on March 16. The participants of long march will start staging sit-in on Constitution Avenue for indefinite period of time at noon.

Earlier, addressing the conference former President of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said the peaceful long march would not let the national leadership down. He said Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto also promised to restore the deposed judges.

The lawyers want the reappointment of a former Supreme Court chief, the independent-minded Iftikhar Chaudhry, who former army chief and president Pervez Musharraf dismissed in 2007.

But top lawyer and protest organiser Aitzaz Ahsan, a prominent member of Zardari's party, said the president could end the protest, and pave the way for a flood of investment, by keeping his promises to reinstate Chaudhry.

"Iftikhar Chaudhry's reinstatement can open the flood gates to private investment," Ahsan told Reuters in an interview on Monday. "Private investment goes only to countries where the judiciary is independent."

I know the world is under a deep recession but as and when the wheels start turning, that's the only recipe we have for attracting investment in a country that is bedevilled with so many problems,"

The objective is not to oust the government or derail democracy, it is just to get our liberal, progressive, modernist judges back" Aithezaz Said.

Lahore attack...Governor raj...

2009-03-03T06:26:00.000-08:00

At least a dozen men ambushed Sri Lanka's cricket team with rifles, grenades and rocket launchers Tuesday as they drove to the stadium ahead of a match in Pakistan, kiling six policemen and a driver.

The attackers struck as a convoy carrying the squad and match officials reached a traffic circle 100 yards (meters) from the main sports stadium in the eastern city of Lahore, triggering a 15-minute gunbattle with police guarding the vehicles.

Seven players, an umpire and a coach were wounded, none with life-threatening injuries.

The assault was one of the worst terrorist attacks on a sports team since Palestinian militants killed 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The attackers melted away into the city, and none was killed or captured, city police chief Haji Habibur Rehman said. Authorities did not speculate on the identities of the attackers or their motives, but the chief suspects will be Islamist militants, some with links to al-Qaida, who have staged high-profile attacks on civilian targets before.

Before governor’s rule, Asif was asked to sack Taseer ...Rauf Clasra

2009-03-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

Asif Ali Zardari was advised by four federal ministers on the night governor’s rule was imposed in Punjab to sack Governor Salman Taseer to send a positive message to the Sharif brothers after their disqualification by the Supreme Court.

At a cabinet meeting, held a day later and chaired by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, a serious allegation was heard that one lawyer — fighting Nawaz Sharif’s eligibility case in the Supreme Court — was quietly paid a sum of Rs5.5 million by a bank for unknown services.

It was confirmed to The News that before the imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab, a secret meeting took place among Salman Taseer, Law Minister Farooq H Naek and retired judge Malik Qayyum at the Governor House in Lahore. It was this meeting that sealed the Sharif brothers’ fate.

A well-placed source confided to this correspondent that a shouting match took place at the cabinet meeting that was called to discuss the imposition of governor’s rule and endorse President Zardari’s decision on installing a PPP government in Punjab.

Several federal ministers reportedly exchanged harsh words so much so that Prime Minister Gilani was seen helplessly watching his raucous ministers settling their scores and having no idea how to placate them.

One insider claimed that President Zardari, during his visit to China, had told the prime minister to meet Shahbaz Sharif to bring the situation under control. Zardari called for the fence-mending talks after he was informed of the secret meeting held at the Governor’s House.

But one source defended the president and claimed that Zardari did not have any idea about the verdict of the apex court against the Sharifs. However, a PML-N leader rejected the view, saying, his party believed that the president knew full well what was going to happen.

As the president came to know of the Supreme Court ruling, he immediately called his close aides in the cabinet and started discussing the issue before making up his mind what to do in Punjab. The meeting, minus the prime minister, was attended by all the top leaders of the PPP.

A, RA and KS, according to sources, opined that governor’s rule should not be imposed, because it would send negative signals. However, some others like HSK, MW, AW and RA suggested that if governor’s rule was to be imposed, Salman Taseer should also be replaced to help the federal government save its face.

At one stage, Zardari appeared serious about removing Salman Taseer while declaring governor’s rule. However, before someone could propose any name for the new governor, FN, LK, AM and SR strongly backed the continuation of Salman Taseer in office. They argued that he was an experienced man, knew the whole system in Punjab and was thus in a better position to handle the dangerous situation resulting from the imposition of governor’s rule. It was further argued that if a new man was brought in, he would not deliver at all.

When Zardari realised the mismatch of perceptions on governor’s rule, he asked for a consensus on the issue before he took a final decision. Ultimately, the hawkish elements prevailed, with others deciding to accept the majority opinion. As a result, all agreed on imposing governor’s rule in Punjab without replacing Taseer.

Once the decision was made, the prime minister also joined the meeting. As Gilani came to know about the participants’ intentions, the sources revealed, he was in a state of shock and tried to oppose the move. Gilani feared that it would lead to a serious trouble, but he was overruled by the majority. When the premier felt that he was not in position to convince them, he decided to fall in line.

Naek and Khosa were later assigned with preparations for governor’s rule. Both returned to the meeting with the observation that the prime minister’s advice was required before governor’s rule was declared. Gilani was asked to send a recommendation to the president, which was done within minutes.

Supporters of the unpopular step kept telling Zardari that he did not need to be confused, as it was not for the first time that governor’s rule was being imposed. Several precedents justifying the step were already there, they maintained.

Zardari was reminded of Nawaz Sharif’s orders placing Sindh were under a similar arrangement when Mamoon Hussain was made governor after sacking of the Liaquat Ali Jatoi government. Likewise, Manzoor Wattoo also did his bit to goad the president into action and recalled governor’s rule imposed in Punjab in the mid-90s. As tension between the Centre and the province was at its peak, Wattoo called the shots with the help of only 17 legislators.

At the meeting, an insider disclosed, the prime minister insisted that the Punjab chief secretary and IGP should be of his choice, a demand that was readily met to make him feel relaxed. But the tension among the participants during consultations at the Presidency also surfaced in the cabinet meeting the next day when Rabbani and Naek clashed and traded shouts in the presence of Gilani.

ne source said that the shouting match started when Raza Rabbani — discussing the governor’s rule issue — was snubbed by Farooq Naek, who warned cabinet members against taking up the question. Naek tried to prevent all from commenting on the verdict of the Supreme Court, as he claimed it was against the law.

ut Rabbani challenged his assertion, saying that the cabinet could confer on the issue. At this stage, Prime Minister Gilani sought the opinion of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Babar Awan, who also backed Rabbani’s view. After the judgment, Awan observed, fair comments could be passed on it.

This further infuriated the law minister, who tried to confront his dissenting cabinet colleagues — many of them blaming him for having a close relationship with Malik Qayyum, who had sealed the fate of Zardari and Benazir Bhutto to please the Sharif brothers.

The sources reiterated that the largest cabinet in Pakistan’s parliamentary history was sharply divided on governor’s rule, with many slamming it as a bad move by the party leadership and warning that it would trigger chaos in the days to come. Some of them were in favour of lifting governor’s rule and letting the PML-N bringing in a new chief minister.

It is learnt the cabinet members were heard asking how one of Nawaz Sharif’s lawyers got Rs5.5 million from a bank. But no one came up with a reply.

Chaos and Collapse ----Mumtaz Ali Bhutto

2009-03-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

Mind boggling bungling, among other more heinous faults, has come to be the identifying characteristic of the Zardari government. From the inept way administrative matters are handled to the fact that Zardari can not open his mouth without something startling pouring out of it, one gets an overwhelming sense of incompetence all around. Not only the task of governance, but even that of running a party like the Peoples’ Party has proved to be far beyond the capabilities of the accidental Co-Chairman, who sneaked into power not on his own merits or public acclaim but on a tidal wave of emotions and subservience of those who were salivating at the prospect of memberships of assemblies, ministerships and all the other joys associated with winning an election in the current dispensation. All too soon, the whole set up has exploded and, as pointed out at the start, the lack of calibre and qualification of those who have occupied high offices has become starkly evident. It must be remembered that it was more or less this lot which twice before formed governments but were unable to run them even though Shaheed Benazir held the reins. They have landed the country in serious trouble internally and externally, such as bringing it to the brink of war with India by grossly mishandling the Bombay tragedy and reducing the much trumpeted reconciliation to a joke by violating all commitments. This government basically came into being through a deal with Musharaf and under protection of the cursed NRO. In return, the government does not only maintain him in presidential style, but also follows in his footsteps. The greatest letdown, however, has been in keeping the promise of roti, kapra makan to the people and freeing them from the curse of corruption, lawlessness, high cost of essential commodities and lack of basic amenities. The lure of jobs and handouts under the Benazir Income Support Scheme has proved to be a pipe dream and gone sour. The net result is that within a short period of nine months the government and the Peoples’ Party are not only in a chaotic state of disarray and collapse, but also the object of public discontent, which has manifest itself in a recent poll by placing Zardari’s popularity at nineteen percent. So much so that ministers and party office holders are unable to venture even into gatherings of party workers without risking harm and their leader can not step out despite the security provided by thousands of protectors at very high cost to the people.

On Benazir’s first death anniversary, it was announced that there would be a public meeting at Garhi Khuda Buksh Bhutto, addressed by Zardari. Later, this was cancelled due to security concerns. Then it was on again and Zardari was to address it by telephone from Naodero, a mile away. But on the morning of the anniversary, it was once again announced that the public meeting was off for the same security reasons, much to the anger of those who had been herded from across the country to be there. It is shocking that a man who professes to be a democrat and a leader of the masses, guarded by 9,000 policemen, 7,000 rangers and hundreds of commandos on this occasion, did not feel safe among the people in, of all places, Garhi Khuda Buksh Bhutto, the geographic epicenter of the Peoples’ Party’s.

While lack of any progress in apprehending and punishing Benazir’s assassins, indeed the failure to file an FIR even a year after the murder, falls like a yoke on the government’s neck, in his address to a small gathering of party office holders in Naodero, Zardari confessed that he knew the identity of the killers. This being so, the inexplicable twelve month delay in action against them is unpardonable and the façade of approaching the United Nations, at the potential cost of hundreds of millions of dollars for just an inquiry, nothing more than an escape. Knowing the identity of the killers yet allowing them to go free not only casts doubt on Zardari’s motives but also implicates him under section 216 of the Penal Code, thereby bringing Benazir’s murder at par with that of Mir Murtaza Bhutto.

Zardari And Musharraf Congrates Iltaf Over Karachi's Rally?

2009-03-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

Asif Ali Zardari and his predecessor Pervez Musharraf on Monday praised MQM chief Altaf Hussain for organizing a successful rally in Karachi against desecration of Benazir Bhutto’s memorial.

They phoned Altaf Hussain and thanked him on his positive initiative for reconciliation process in the country.
It means That U are Same......

Karak Social Forum

2009-02-28T02:33:00.000-08:00

we are against the verdict and governor Rule at Punjab

2009-02-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

EXPECTATIONS had been aroused by conciliatory statements from Prime Minster Gilani and Mian Nawaz Sharif that the ongoing confrontation between the government and the PML(N) might finally end. Many thought good sense would finally prevail among the top leadership of the country. These hopes have received a severe jolt from the verdict of a Supreme Court bench, upholding the disqualification of Mian Nawaz from contesting elections and removing Shahbaz Sharif from both the membership of the Punjab Assembly and the post of CM. Even if he is re-elected to the Assembly, he has been effectively disqualified from being the Chief Minister by a bar imposed by former President Musharraf on a third tenure. The imposition of Governor's Rule in the province exacerbates the situation. Mian Nawaz is the leader of the second largest party in the country and has been twice elected Prime Minister. PML(N) lawyers and leaders have condemned the decision as biased and accused President Zardari of putting pressure on the Court to debar his major political opponents. The judgement, which has led to the removal of Mian Shahbaz as CM, has generated a crisis in the largest province of the country, which had a popular, stable and relatively efficient government which faced no threat from the Assembly. With the authority to run the province passing over to the Governor known for his antipathy to the PML(N), the PPP-PML(N) coalition government is virtually dead. The judgement has led to a perception of instability, leaving a negative impact on the share market. Protests by PML(N) workers and the lawyers started all over Punjab, including the provincial capital, soon after the verdict was announced by TV channels. The Punjab Bar Council and Lahore High Court Bar Association declared three days' boycott of the courts. There is a likelihood of similar, though perhaps less spirited, reactions from other provinces also. While the position of other ruling coalition partners is yet not clear, ANP President Asfandyar Wali has expressed dismay over the development, indicating division over the issue within the ruling coalition.
he judgement coincides with the arrival of President Zardari from China. Being an all-powerful President as well as the Co-Chairman of the PPP, he is expected by many to stop the country, already reeling under the threat of militancy, from sliding into a crisis. He has to realise that what is at stake is the stability of the country and the future of democracy. Mian Nawaz Sharif too owes it to the people, as the leader of the second largest party, to ensure that the system is not threatened, but it is primarily the responsibility of President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani to play their role to save the democratic process from being destabilised. Mian Nawaz Sharif, who addressed a hard-hitting press conference on Wednesday, needs to calm down also.
Mr Zardari must ensure first that even if Mian Shahbaz is not the CM, the PPP-PML(N) coalition continues to function. A recourse to horse-trading would put the ruling coalition at the mercy of turncoats who would ditch it whenever their self-interest demanded. Second, all legal and political avenues need to be urgently explored by the government to get the verdict changed. If cases against other politicians can be quashed through the NRO, debarring the Sharif brothers on the basis of cases filed for political reasons would lead to a perception of vindictiveness.

XPECTATIONS had been aroused by conciliatory statements from Prime Minster Gilani and Mian Nawaz Sharif that the ongoing confrontation between the government and the PML(N) might finally end. Many thought good sense would finally prevail among the top leadership of the country. These hopes have received a severe jolt from the verdict of a Supreme Court bench, upholding the disqualification of Mian Nawaz from contesting elections and removing Shahbaz Sharif from both the membership of the Punjab Assembly and the post of CM. Even if he is re-elected to the Assembly, he has been effectively disqualified from being the Chief Minister by a bar imposed by former President Musharraf on a third tenure. The imposition of Governor's Rule in the province exacerbates the situation. Mian Nawaz is the leader of the second largest party in the country and has been twice elected Prime Minister. PML(N) lawyers and leaders have condemned the decision as biased and accused President Zardari of putting pressure on the Court to debar his major political opponents. The judgement, which has led to the removal of Mian Shahbaz as CM, has generated a crisis in the largest province of the country, which had a popular, stable and relatively efficient government which faced no threat from the Assembly. With the authority to run the province passing over to the Governor known for his antipathy to the PML(N), the PPP-PML(N) coalition government is virtually dead. The judgement has led to a perception of instability, leaving a negative impact on the share market. Protests by PML(N) workers and the lawyers started all over Punjab, including the provincial capital, soon after the verdict was announced by TV channels. The Punjab Bar Council and Lahore High Court Bar Association declared three days' boycott of the courts. There is a likelihood of similar, though perhaps less spirited, reactions from other provinces also. While the position of other ruling coalition partners is yet not clear, ANP President Asfandyar Wali has expressed dismay over the development, indicating division over the issue within the ruling coalition.
he judgement coincides with the arrival of President Zardari from China. Being an all-powerful President as well as the Co-Chairman of the PPP, he is expected by many to stop the country, already reeling under the threat of militancy, from sliding into a crisis. He has to realise that what is at stake is the stability of the country and the future of democracy. Mian Nawaz Sharif too owes it to the people, as the leader of the second largest party, to ensure that the system is not threatened, but it is primarily the responsibility of President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani to play their role to save the democratic process from being destabilised. Mian Nawaz Sharif, who addressed a hard-hitting press conference on Wednesday, needs to calm down also.
Mr Zardari must ensure first that even if Mian Shahbaz is not the CM, the PPP-PML(N) coalition continues to function. A recourse to horse-trading would put the ruling coalition at the mercy of turncoats who would ditch it whenever their self-interest demanded. Second, all legal and political avenues need to be urgently explored by the government to get the verdict changed. If cases against other politicians can be quashed through the NRO, debarring the Sharif brothers on the basis of cases filed for political reasons would lead to a perception of vindictiveness.

How much sovereignty has Pakistan conceded? Sherin Mazari

2009-02-24T18:22:00.000-08:00

It certainly did not take Holbrooke long to reveal his arrogant ignorance about Pakistan. Hysterical over the Swat agreement – clearly it undermines the US efforts to expand the destabilisation of Pakistan and thereby seek a rationale for sending troops into Pakistan and eventually targeting the country’s nuclear assets – he made some absolutely absurd remarks. First he chose to declare the 9/11 perpetrators as being similar to the Swat militants and to the groups of militants in FATA. Only his arrogance would push him into displaying such ignorance since we all know that the perpetrators of 9/11 were well-off Saudis educated in Western institutions (not madrassahs) and living in the West. Unlike them, the Swat militants are a motley group comprising various shades of Pakistanis, primarily madrassah educated and certainly not from the financial elite of the country. As for FATA, the militants comprise several groups ranging from Al-Qaeda offshoots, religious zealots, Afghan Taliban, Pakistan Taliban, local groups and criminal elements. But for Holbrooke it would appear these crucial differences are irrelevant and all that is relevant is the religious identity! Talk about bigotry and prejudice. As for his understanding of the security situation in the NWFP, it was defined in terms of people not “being able to walk their dogs!” Now how many ordinary citizens of Pakistan actually keep dogs as pets and walk them every evening a la New York style? And this is the best Obama could muster as a Special Envoy!

But for us Holbrooke is a secondary issue. Far more critical is the lying and cheating the governments of Pakistan have been indulging in with their own people as they have gradually conceded more and more sovereignty to the USA. We now know that the drone attacks have not only been done with the complicity of the Pakistan government (with both the military and civilian components giving their assent) but also with the provision of a special drone airbase at Bandari, about 87 kilometres from Kharan in Balochistan. There has been a deliberate effort to confuse the issue by citing the Shamsi base close to the Iranian border, built by an expansion of the old Juzzak airport, which is actually primarily being used by the US to destabilise Iran. The drone airfield is a separate clandestine one that does not figure even in the international list of the 22 restricted areas identified in Pakistan – because the drone base is not controlled at all by the Pakistan military – it has simply been handed over to the US to do with as they please. Even more pathetic is the news that our air defence personnel are now embedded in the US embassy in Islamabad to ensure the safety of the drones as they go about killing fellow Pakistanis.

As for our Defence Minister declaring that the US drones have been given rights to land only after they have killed Pakistanis; this is so ridiculous a claim one cannot waste time critiquing its irrationality. In any case, the Foreign Minister declared that the statement was based on a misperception – such is the dysfunctional nature of the state. But then when lies and cover ups are to be maintained this is what happens!

or is the drone issue the only major relinquishing of state sovereignty by Pakistan. The New York Times has revealed what many of us had been writing about for some time now, that the US has around 70 military advisers and technical specialists who are training our military to fight Al Qaeda. That is comical given the lack of success the US is having fighting this beast in Afghanistan! Apparently this secret task force has been in Pakistan since summer 2008 – although there have been sightings of the odd foreigner much earlier in the area around Warsak!

Then there is the access given to the FBI to accompany our security forces as they make their arrests. Why? Is it because the US does not trust our security forces? There are also revelations coming in of how the British were part of the torture machinery of Pakistani prisoners alongside our agencies. Now where will all this go? Will we soon simply hand over our nuclear assets to the US also for “security” reasons – if we have not already done so! After all, with all the duplicity going on, who can trust the state anymore to tell the truth?

eanwhile we continue to hear statements that external sources are funding the militants in parts of Pakistan and now the ISPR head, General Athar Abbas has declared that the military cannot control the “external elements” being funded by hostile sources. But the point is why is no one in the state identifying these elements and sources of funding? Why is it being kept so vague? What is the pressure and where is it coming from?

As the deceit by the state continues, the peace in Swat seems to be holding for the present and the nine points for maintaining this peace that have been given by Sufi Mohammad are interesting because they make demands from both sides. Incidentally, the Taliban have also declared a unilateral ceasefire in Bajaur. Since our rulers look up to the West for almost everything, perhaps they should study the Good Friday Agreement which ended the Northern Ireland conflict and in which concessions were made by all parties. Just to inform some judgemental but ignorant critics, the British Army was also unable to go into areas of Northern Ireland controlled by the armed IRA – the many “no-go” areas but eventually control by the state came through dialogue, not military force! And many prisoners were also released as part of the deal.

oming back to the issue of the Pakistani state’s deception of its own people, the net result is that there is no credibility left. That is why interlocutors like Sufi Mohammed become necessary. If the credibility of the government and the establishment is to be re-established, they must first come clean on the extent of the sovereignty already surrendered to the US. Then they must delink from the US and claim back the lost sovereignty before it is too late. Whether one likes it or not, unless Pakistan creates space between itself and the US, there will be no peace and security and the space for moderates will continue to shrink.

tudy the history of US-backed regimes – be it in Iran, Vietnam, or the many examples of Latin America. US leaders like Obama will not alter the strategic vision the US has of itself – and Obama’s first moves vis-à-vis Pakistan have hardly been encouraging. So let us break our leadership’s psychological dependency on Washington. The rest will follow. Otherwise, the threat our ruling and miniscule westernised elites are seeking to avert will surely become a reality.

Tailpiece: It is sad that Farhat Taj has had to resort to using my columns out of context to counter my arguments but then since she is giving me so much time, I feel my writings must be hurting in the right quarters! Just to clarify some points: the sectarian problem in Pakistan was there much before there were any Pakistan Taliban. Secondly, since I have always made a distinction between the situation in Swat and FATA, I am well aware that there are no drones in Swat – though the US could move in that direction if it felt threatened by the peace and stability being re-established there! But that does not mean our leaders should not visit the area instead of remaining barricaded in their ivory tower residences. Not wanting to waste space on the diatribes of Ms Taj, let me simply say that if she is as intolerant of opposing viewpoints what is the difference between her and the Taliban that she accuses of intolerance – just the weapons? But if she wants to devote her columns to critiquing my writings, I have no complaints. It seems it is not just the Taliban and the US that have intolerance endemic in them!

Email: callstr@hotmail.com

New political alignments

2009-02-23T18:24:00.000-08:00

Political and social movements, no matter how insignificant, produce certain sentiments and mindsets. The lawyers’ and civil society’s movement for the restoration of the judiciary, still on the march, has caused a significant degree of socio-political mobilisation of the urban middle classes

Perhaps it is too early to judge the recasting of political alliances among the socio-political forces of Pakistan. At the moment, the political lines between different players are blurred, and are not as clear as when the lawyers, the then opposition parties and civil society launched their movement against the imposition of a second martial law by Pervez Musharraf in November 2007. Earlier, the Charter of Democracy signed by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif drew the political line between ‘democratic’ and ‘authoritarian’ forces in the country.

The issues of authoritarianism and democracy in Pakistan are complex, as are the political relationships and networks between classes, institutions and political groupings that are ever willing to change positions for immediate political benefits. Under our brand of pragmatic politics, everyone is ready to strike a new political deal.

Musharraf, for all his political faults, understood the opportunism of the Pakistani political class and made effective, in some instances lasting, political deals to consolidate his power. Even during emergency rule, which didn’t last very long, he had a good section of the political forces on his side.

It was the popular democratic mood at the time of the February 18, 2008 elections that raised serious questions about Musharraf’s rule. His confrontation with the judiciary and the media proved to be a fatal mistake that led to his, and his political allies’, undoing.

Political and social movements, no matter how insignificant, produce certain sentiments and mindsets. The lawyers’ and civil society’s movement for the restoration of the judiciary, still on the march, has caused a significant degree of socio-political mobilisation of the urban middle classes. Nawaz Sharif was quick to capture this sentiment in the more developed parts of Punjab, but the PPP was not left behind in owning and participating in the movement either. However, the political dividends of this participation were meagre for the PPP as compared to the PMLN.

There were other, not so insignificant, factors that played a major role in bringing the PPP to power for the fourth time: a stable social constituency of support in different parts of the country; its image as the party of the poor; and the great sacrifice of Benazir Bhutto.

It was the emotional factor, the mixture of grief and resilience among PPP leaders and workers, that led to a big turnout of its supporters on election day, and that was what mattered in the electoral results for the party.

The old political divide between the ‘democratic’ political forces and their bases of social support even today remains unchanged. At the national level, the divide is between the PPP and the PMLN. Ethnic and religious groups are also influenced by the strong pull of the two parties, depending on their political fortunes.

Then what has really changed?

The real change is in the character of the lawyers’ and civil society’s movement, their political agenda, and their flexibility to align with any political group that would lend support to their cause. This is one of the great social movements of Pakistan that mobilised on an issue-basis, i.e. independence of the judiciary and restoration of unfairly deposed judges. Further, a variety of political parties, either for political gains or conviction, support the movement.

Even bringing these issues to the forefront of the Pakistani political consciousness is a major contribution to democratic thought and practice in the country. At least among the urban middle and professional classes, there is the very strong belief that democratic transition will remain flawed, at best incomplete, unless the judiciary is free.

The lawyers’ and civil society’s movement is non-partisan, and started off with the support of every party and faction in the political opposition. However, there is an irony in the character of the movement: as far as political ideas are concerned, it is liberal-secular, and many of its prominent members were part of the socio-political forces that founded and supported the PPP.

So naturally, it seems to be disillusioned by the PPP leaders, whom it accuses of stalling on the issue of restoring the deposed judges. The movement believes that it has exhausted all possibilities of negotiation with the government, and feels that the only way out is political pressure through the Long March and the indefinite sit-in at Constitution Avenue in Islamabad.

There is a question mark about how the deposed judges will be restored and how the independence of the judiciary will be ensured at the end of the Long March and dharna. This will be a major political event that will be carefully watched by everyone in the country, as well as by the countries that want to gauge Pakistan’s political climate for their own national interest.

But the real significance of the dharna is in another question mark over the realignment of socio-political forces in the country. The PMLN has, finally, after some wavering and rethinking about its commitment to the movement, decided to join the dharna, declaring that it is now willing to “go beyond” this event.

What this means is that the PMLN, which a few days ago was questioning the utility of dharna, wants to throw its full weight behind the movement regardless of the political consequences, especially for its government in Punjab.

If this happens, then clearly, we will see a new realignment of activist urban social and political forces. This is going to be a very different kind of alignment, issue-specific but not grassroots-level, and essentially born out of common political frustrations that may not be enduring.

As soon as the issue of the restoration of judges is resolved, which looks unlikely, or the government is toppled, which we hope is not the aim and which cannot be accomplished short of a ‘revolution’, the alignment between the movement and the PMLN and its traditional political allies may remain intact. There is also an innate fear that the social movement may not be able to stand clear of the lines of political confrontation and may become tangled in them with possible divisions along partisan political lines.

Dr Rasul Bakhsh Rais is author of Recovering the Frontier State: War, Ethnicity and State in Afghanistan (Oxford University Press, 2008) and a professor of Political Science at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. He can be reached at rasul@lums.edu.pk

Individualism

2009-02-23T05:02:00.000-08:00

There is no hope in individualism for egotism. When a man is at last brought face to face with himself by a brave Individualism, he finds himself face to face, not with an individual, but with a species, and knows that to save himself, he must save the race. He can have no life except a share in the life of the community; and if that life is unhappy and squalid, nothing that he can do to paint and paper and upholster and shut off his little corner of it can really rescue him from it.

George Bernard Shaw, The Quintessence of Ibsenism (1891)

10 lessons all Pakistanis must learn

2009-02-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

Mulk khud hi chalta rehay ga" (approximate translation: the country doesn't need our contribution to thrive) is a sentence many Pakistanis are prone to saying. I confess that till a few years ago, I myself was confident of this misleading notion. Misleading and dangerous - especially in today's volatile climate. As Pakistanis, it is imperative that we come to terms with the fact that no heavenly Manna will alleviate our country's plight. The job rests squarely on our own shoulders; with the destiny of a whole nation tethered to our will and to the execution of that will. And so as the clock ticks and the prophets of doom raise a foreboding murmur from East to West, it is high time for us to learn some crucial lessons. Lessons without which our collective slumber will only deepen:

1) Extremism always overcomes moderation. History is fraught with examples of moderate majorities ruled and controlled by extremist minorities. Therefore unless we are extreme in our moderation, our endeavor - any endeavor - is doomed to be highjacked by powers which know more meticulous passion. From the radicalized Islamic cleric who preaches bigotry and hatred to the Neoconservative-backed Christian televangelist who sermonizes the urgency of preparing for an ethnic genocide pithily called Armageddon, we today live in an increasingly polarized world. And since Pakistan exists on the very fault-lines of this burgeoning conflict, our problems are exacerbated. Regardless of what stance we take or which side we pick, our country will remain on the receiving end for the foreseeable future. And regardless of how hastily we disregard conspiracy theories, the extreme forces on all sides will continue to augment their belief systems with hybrid religiopolitical prophecies. Prophecies which have a way of snowballing into self-fulfilment. Therefore it is critical that we take our moderate stance to be more of a proactive doctrine rather than apolitical aloofness. Our very existence depends on it.

a
) Microanalysis never gives the complete picture. The details are undoubtedly important when comprehending any system. But often overlooked is the effort to mull over the big-picture such details contribute to – roughly the equivalent of what Sir Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal referred to as tadabbur in his reformist discourse. As denizens of a land increasingly rife with numerous challenges, we simply cannot afford intellectual naiveté. Notwithstanding esoteric themes, we consistently fall short of sensibly determining atleast the more obvious big-picture connections in unfolding narratives. This is utter mediocrity. Whereas some would mistake this for a failure of ability – this is infact predominantly a display of negligent disinterest; of an irresponsible, desensitized populace.

Countless times we have allowed ourselves to fall for the same old tricks. A glaring contemporary example is the myth of Pakistan's democratically elected government we all seem to have digested without any modicum of reflection. Ostensibly, the country voted out the dictator and brought in a government ‘for the people by the people’. But consider the macro picture: currently the seat of political power is the Office of the President - a position where the current incumbent's name was never advertised on the ballot on Election Day, a position where the current incumbent affected the people's voting decision by publicly disavowing any interest in the Presidentship on and before election day, a position which still exercises the uber-powerful, dictatorial Article 58 2(b). In form, we indeed have a democratic set-up in place. But in substance?

Now confessedly this example is a soft and convenient target. Moreover even had most Pakistanis successfully connected the dots, demands for a true democratic set up would be a low priority given more daunting issues the country is currently facing. But it's one of the more visible examples and is relatively fresh in memory - overall an effective illustrative point. Furthermore it helps emphasize the need for greater intellectual involvement on our part. Unless we start to discern between real enemies and contrived ones, manipulation of us and our coming generations by exploitative elements both internal and external will continue to be a dominant theme in the national narrative. That is no future to look forward to.

) Moral relativism is a conduit to absolute corruption. Those who start compromising on principles – even in trivial issues – end up going all the way. A textbook example is that of our previous President: By the end of his regime, General Pervez Musharraf was not the man he was when he first usurped the seat of Pakistan's government. Over time as his political age advanced, he underwent a staged metamorphosis: from an amateur idealist, to a practitioner of temperate Realpolitik, and then finally to an outright Machiavellian Prince. This is the classic lifecycle of corruption; the philosophy that principles are subservient to actions instead of it being the other way around. We must learn once and for all that those who have the proverbial ‘crack in the armor’ inevitably succumb; that their demise is a certainty.

ow realistically speaking it is true that there is no absolute escape from moral relativism, but we atleast need to be skeptical of the more blatant practitioners of this philosophy. We all know who they are. Too many times we have fallen for those who claim that they have been reformed; too many times we have made choices based on the ‘lesser of two evils’. This is folly because it reinforces the longevity of the corrupt by repetitively giving them second chances through the people’s misplaced, gullible trust. Until and unless we explicitly reject this opportunism, our polity will remain enslaved by the puppet-masters.

4) Morality is a myth in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Ethnocentric self-righteousness robs us of our ability to be constructively self-critical and stems societal improvement. Unless we teach our progeny the truth about the decrepit moral standards prevalent in the country and pass on a ‘to-do’ list of sorts; we would have failed in parenting responsible future citizens. We have all witnessed how the various religious movements burn CD shops, dynamite girl schools and dismantle barber boutiques without raising an eyebrow at the greater tyranny of the socio-political system. We have personally seen principled stands getting drowned in derision; the politics of necessity being proclaimed king. We have beheld firsthand justice being abused by megalomania; injustice becoming the law. This is not a lesson to be forgotten or concealed.

5) Don't believe everything you see in the media (self-explanatory)

6) But don't become too paranoid either: empathy and objectivity are seminal in asymptotically approaching the truth. Currently as it stands in Pakistan, we seldom 'think things through', and instead prefer to latch on to the first and most convenient explanation the social circle around us resonates with. This is futile practice. Futile because herd mentality is seldom rational, is borne of fear and dread, and invariably leads to the sort of exploitable mass-hysteria we have witnessed many times over circa 9/11. Make no mistake about it - by abandoning empathy and objectivity, we give up our very freedom of thought and become marionettes to higher interests. In a world of pervasive fear today, Pakistan can chart the course of its destiny better if the collective remains independently thoughtful.

7) Our destinies are tied to Pakistan, to our ethnicity, and to our religion. In the increasingly divisive world of today, individual allegiances are being outdone by overarching stereotypes. In other words, no matter what shade my skin may be, what dialect or accent I speak in or what my beliefs about God may be, I will always be perceived as a Pakistani Muslim by the world at large. And thus, my fate is inescapable from that of Pakistan. So for example if this country is torn asunder due to civil-war brought on by geopolitical strife, I will invariably be perceived as a refugee in the world. Thereafter I can achieve the American dream, or move in international social circles, or even perfectly synchronize my habits with Western norms - I can do all that and I'll still be a refugee. Pakistan's imprint echoes in my very existence; in all of us. We can live our life denying this fact and bury our head in the sand. Or we can accept it, embrace it and let it influence our priorities. How we choose our greater allegiance today will shape our collective, intertwined destiny.

8) The onus for reforming the system is on the middle classes. That is, the onus is on people like you and me. We are the potential agents of change. And thus by implication, we are also blameworthy for allowing the system to remain broken, for not wanting to 'get our hands dirty', for being the silent, apathetic onlookers. The moneyed elite are not to blame – they adhere to their characteristic decadence and nonchalance; they do precisely what they're expected to do. Corrupt politicians are not to blame – a thief knows little more than the art of thievery. Likewise, neither the military's top brass, and nor the have-nots of Pakistan are culpable. They all play their designated roles in manners they ought to. This leaves the middle and upper-middle classes - essentially people like you and me. Us. We are the true architects of revolutionary change. For we are the only societal segment in this country which is situated at the confluence of a moral code which may be disillusioned but still partly intact, a vision which is alienated but still somewhat patriotic and an agency which is disoriented but still adequately resourceful. In short we are far from perfect, but we are the only messiahs Pakistan can realistically count on. There is absolutely no one else. This lesson is perhaps the most consequential one we have to learn.

) Incremental change is not a bad option. Activism through small, comfortable increments is not an impractical way of approaching the paradigm of change. That is, even small steps help since at any one time atomic constituents are more solvable than the complex whole. Hence we must not abhor atomizing issues and then indulging in micro-activism – it is ok if how one contributes does not have immediately noticeable repercussions.

I have encountered many Pakistanis who cite their inability to have a substantial, resounding impact as the main driving force behind their evident indifference to the country's woes. To all those who espouse this view, I say that though I can empathize with your sense of demoralization, I simply cannot condone the rationale for such inaction. For it is undeniable that some progress is better than no progress; that going from 100 to 101 is a better deal than staying put; that the smallest gestures help too. If all of us today - the 140 million plus of us no less – individually contemplate the smallest, tiniest way we can contribute to Pakistan's socioeconomic betterment and act on it, is there any doubt that the country will not change overnight in one big rush of altruistic activism? Now this is ofcourse an unrealistic, rhetorical example - but it is thematic of the power of incremental change. A change easy to accomplish with the results snowballing as more people buy into the paradigm. In short we must not overlook this option; rather it is sensible to include it as an ally in our portfolio of loftier ambitions.

0) Lastly, Pakistan can shine. No really; this is not just talk. If you don't know where to start, there's a lot of help around. And not to mention many examples to take inspiration from. Did you know that Pakistan possesses the technological knowhow to manufacture drones indigenously[i]? Or that one of the most highly regarded applications available in Apple's iPhone App Store today is of Pakistani[ii] origin? Or that 27 Pakistani scientists[iii] are scheduled to work on CERN's Large Hadron Collider (the 'Big Bang' experiment machine)? Or that a Pakistani Venture Capitalist has been placed in the top 10[iv] in Forbes magazine's worldwide annual VC ranking?

These are just a few inspirational stories among a plethora of real-world anecdotes and accomplishments with a quintessentially Pakistani stamp on them. For all that is made out to be defective about this country, there are flashes of brilliance just waiting to be given the opportunity to show themselves in their true splendor to the realms; to spread out and envelope the gloom infesting our polity. We just need to get rid of the “Mulk khud hi chalta rehay ga” approach. And fortunately, this is not as hard as it sounds. There are numerous small but meaningful ways in which we can make a personal contribution. Some suggestions are:

Make yourself heard. Become involved, for your continued silence is really an endorsement of the status quo. Reject what must be rejected, condemn that what is condemnable, endorse and encourage where merited. And do not be fooled into thinking that this is an ambitious proposition: increasing accessibility to the information superhighway has made it easier for any individual to become part of the public discourse. There are numerous Pakistani internet blogs and forums where you can voice your opinions and contribute in your own way to mold the national spirit for a brighter future. And you do not necessarily have to write articles – blogs traditionally invite one-liner comments as well. It is the same as, if not easier than, writing a text message on your cell phone.
Brainstorm in public to seed ideas and to inspire. Many people talk about the way the world should be, but much less understand how to get there. If you do have thought-provoking ideas, then there is nothing more fruitful than exposing your design – through, say, the internet – to the collective intellect for it to dissect it, understand it, polish it if necessary and support it when satisfied. Also remember that your proposed solutions do not have to be comprehensive – for many issues simply cannot be solved bottom-up[v] and the burden has to be placed on the unlikely possibility of a non-elitist, well-educated visionary coming along and dominating our political scene in the future. But your ideas can always ameliorate problems; lessen their severity so to speak. It is imperative that such brainstorming enters our public discourse – the resulting crosspollination is what will slowly and steadily alter the course of our destiny.
ecome an activist through inaction (can’t get easier than this). Every populace has its own share of idealists and lunatics. Ones who think the impossible is possible, the unrealistic is realistic and that conventional wisdom is unwise. And too often people succumb to the temptation of vociferously chastising such individuals; of telling them how futile their beliefs are; of how the system will crush their hopes. Now during my days at LUMS, a Groucho Marx quotation used to do the rounds quite often: “Blessed are the cracked ones, for they shall let in the light”. Just let the lunatics be no matter how imbecilic[vi] their ideas are. Let them have their shot at change. Next time you meet the idealist, unreasonably optimistic seedling who thinks he or she can change the world, be lazy and do not make the effort go negative on them.

All of the suggestions above are very small starts confessedly. But by no means is such a start inconsequential. Through the build-up of momentum, confidence to tackle bigger beasts can evolve and we can then trailblaze our way to that true destiny envisioned for Pakistan by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This is our moment; let’s seize it. Let’s get going.

The Drone Story and Google Earth

2009-02-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

According to a story in this newspaper, images from Google Earth dating to 2006 show unmanned aerial vehicles, the kind used for attacks in tribal areas, stationed on the ground at an airfield in Balochistan – possibly near Kharan. These pictures may not on their own prove that the drone attacks on FATA originate from within Pakistan, but they go a long way towards adding weight to the mounting body of evidence that this may well be the case. Indeed, even before US Senator Dianne Feinstein – the head of the Senate's intelligence committee – made her comments about bases within Pakistan, suspicion as to their presence existed in many places. In 2008 and now, just the other day, two major US newspapers published stories quoting unnamed US officials as saying that such bases do exist in Pakistan.

Surely the government must realize it is time to come clean. It cannot continue to fool people. Most citizens are intelligent enough to see the truth. Further deception will do more harm than good. The real question is what is to be done for the future. The presence of bases used by the US within the country is simply unacceptable. Opinion about this is unanimous. The suggestion coming in from the US that the raids be re-cast as 'joint operations' needs to considered carefully by our decision-makers. This may, for the present, seem to be the only way out. But a crucial prong in this approach must be to persuade people that the war against terrorists is one led and planned by Islamabad; that it is being fought for the sake of the people of Pakistan. This conviction has still to be created and in its absence the US involvement is, naturally, one that arouses a great deal of anger even though the drone attacks have removed a number of high-level targets.

Kyrgyiztans' parliament closes US base when you in Pakistan?

2009-02-19T18:45:00.000-08:00

kyrgyzstanís parliament voted on Thursday to close the only US air base in Central Asia, removing one of the US militaryís supply routes into Afghanistan as it prepares to send more troops.
The United States also faced reluctance from its NATO allies to provide more soldiers to complement the extra 17,000 troops it is sending to Afghanistan to tackle the Taliban insurgency. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, attending a NATO meeting in Poland, said Washington wanted its allies to send more troops to provide security for a presidential election in Afghanistan in August but acknowledged big increases were unlikely. Kyrgyzstanís decision to close the US air base undermined its plans to diversify supply routes into Afghanistan after supply convoys were attacked by militants in Pakistan. Kyrgyzstanís parliament backed a decision by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, announced in Moscow after he secured a $2 billion package of aid and credit from Russia to close the Manas air base. Bakiyev has accused Washington of refusing to pay a higher rent for using the base. Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Kadyrbek Sarbayev said Washington would be given 180 days to wrap up operations after the parliamentary decision was signed into law. ìWe are prepared to look at the fees and see if there is justification for a somewhat larger payment,î Gates told reporters in the Polish city of Krakow. ìBut we are not going to be ridiculous about it. We are prepared to do something we think is reasonable. It is an important base, but it is not so important that we are going to waste taxpayer dollars paying something that is exorbitant.

The United States and its allies fly troops and supplies from bases in Europe and the Gulf and could increase this traffic to make up for the loss of Manas air base. ìWe have full stock piles. It is an inconvenience for allies and one to regret, but we can certainly absorb it,î NATO spokesman James Appathurai said. The closure underlined the challenges Washington faces in enlisting Russian support for its campaign in Afghanistan.

Will we be lucky enough to realize our dreams of free Pakistan, free from injustices, free from western interests, free in decisions, and free from powerfuls' chains.?

Musa Khan....A sinless Victim

2009-02-19T18:38:00.000-08:00

Pakistan’s shocked and saddened media community came out across the country on Thursday to protest the killing of Musa Khankhel, the Swat correspondent for Geo Television and The News.

he 28-year-old Musa Khan was abducted by unidentified men while he was reporting on the controversial new effort to bring peace in the Taliban-overrun district of the North-West Frontier Province. His body was later found riddled with a dozen bullets.

According to his brother, also a journalist working in Swat, Musa Khan was picked up at gunpoint as he accompanied a “peace caravan” headed by Maulana Sufi Mohammed, the leader of the Tehreek-e-Nifas-e-Sharia-Mohammadi.

he NWFP government had earlier in the week concluded an agreement with the TNSM for the imposition of Sharia courts in seven districts of the province, including Swat.

In return, Sufi Mohammed must persuade the Swat Taliban, headed by his son-in-law, Maulana Fazlullah, to submit themselves to government rule.

The two were reported to be in negotiations at a secret location on Thursday in Swat but the killing of a journalist has cast a shadow over the Pakistani media’s enthusiasm for the deal.

usa Khan was among the large number of journalists covering the TNSM leader’s march across Swat. He filed his last dispatch for Geo only hours before his body was discovered.

In the capital, a large number of journalists gathered to protest Musa Khan’s killing, demanding that the perpetrators be arrested, and pledged not to be silenced by this incident. His killing was the fourth of a journalist in Swat in one year. “Musa Khan, you have not shed your blood in vain,” the journalists chanted. “Musa Khan we salute your courage.”

The journalist had received several threats in the recent past, which he had reported to his organisation, the Jang media group. Pakistani journalists said it was impossible to say who might have killed him — the Taliban or, as one report in The News suggested, the security agencies. A proliferation of different Taliban groups in Swat, with militants owing allegiance to a local commander, complicates the picture.

“In Swat, and in many other places in NWFP, there are more grey areas than black and white, and this is the problem. In fact, this is Pakistan’s problem,” said Imtiaz Gul, a senior journalist.

Also on Wednesday, armed men walked into a press club building in Wana in the militant-stronghold of South Waziristan, asked the guards to leave, and then blew up the building, destroying it with explosives they planted as they arrived. No one was hurt or killed in the incident.

And in Lahore, the secretary-general of the South Asia Free Media Association, Imtiaz Alam, who has urged the Pakistan government to conduct a transparent probe into the Mumbai attacks, was attacked by motorcycle-borne men as he drove home at night. The bearded young men smashed the windows of his car, but he escaped without injuries to his person.

Mazhar-Abbas, secretary-general of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, said the government had so far not solved a single case of attack on a journalist, except one in the Sindh province, in which the PPP government arrested a former minister and a political opponent.

The tragic killing of Musa Khel has also sparked a debate on the employer’s responsibilities towards training and providing insurance for those working in hostile situations.

Sacked Employees Reinstatement Ordinance 2009

2009-02-14T19:27:00.000-08:00

( 2009-02-14 20:48:45 ) :President Asif Ali Zardari here on Saturday promulgated the Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Ordinance-2009 for providing relief to persons who were appointed during the period from November 1, 1993 to November 30, 1996 and were removed from service from November 1, 1996 to December 31, 1998.

Following is the text of the Ordinance: "Ordinance No.II of 2009

An Ordinance to provide relief to persons in corporation service or autonomous or semi-autonomous bodies or in Government service who were dismissed, removed or terminated from service;

WHEREAS it is expedient for the purpose of providing relief to persons who were appointed in a corporation service or autonomous or semi-autonomous bodies or in Government service during the period from the 1st day of November, 1993 to the 30th day of November, 1996 and were dismissed, removed or terminated from service during the period from the 1st day of November, 1996 to the 31st day of December, 1998;

And whereas the National Assembly is not in session and the President is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary to take immediate action;

ow, Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 89 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President is pleased to make and promulgate the following Ordinance:-

1. Short title, extent and commencement-

(1) This Ordinance may be called the Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Ordinance, 2009.

(2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan.

3) It shall come into force at once. 2. Definitions - In this Ordinance unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context-

(a). "Person in corporation service" means a person who was appointed in a corporation, organization or autonomous or semi- autonomous body, established by or under a Federal law or owned or controlled by the Federal Government, during the period from the 1st day of November, 1993 to the 30th day of November, 1996 (both days inclusive) and was dismissed, removed or terminated from service or given forced golden hand shake during the period from the 1st day of November, 1996 to the 31st day of December, 1998 (both days inclusive)

(b). "person in Government service" means a person who was a number of the civil service of the Federal or held a civil post in connection with affairs of the Federation in a Ministry, Division or department, during period from the 1st day of November, 1993 to the 30th day of November, 1996 (both days inclusive) and was dismissed, removed or terminated from service or given forced golden hand shake during the period from the 1st day of November, 1996 to the 31st day of December, 1998 (both days inclusive); and (d). "review Board" means the Review Board established under section 4. 3. Reinstatement of employees.- Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, judgement of any Tribunal or a Court including the Supreme Court and the high Court, contract or terms and conditions of service, all persons appointed in corporation or Government Service, during the period from the 1st day of November, 1993 to the 30th day of November, 1996 (both days inclusive) and dismissed, removed or terminated or given forced golden hand shake during the period from the 1st day of November, 1996 to the 31st day of December, 1998 (both days inclusive) shall be reinstated immediately in service on one scale higher to their substantive scale of the post at the time of termination of service and report for duty to their respective departments or organizations.

Provided that in case of change in scale or structure of any post or cadre by the competent authority after the 31st day of December, 1998, the persons in corporation or Government service on reinstatement shall be placed on, one scale higher than the revised or existing scale of the post.

Provided further that any person in corporation or Government service who was dismissed, removed or terminated from service on account of closure of organization or absence from duty, misappropriation of Government money of stock or medical unfitness may prefer petition to the Review Board as provided in section 5. 4. Establishment of Review Board.- There is hereby established a Review Board to review the cases of persons in corporation or Government service who were dismissed, removed or terminated from service on account of closure of organization, absence from duty, misappropriation of Government money or stock or medical unfitness. The Review Board shall consist of Secretary, Law and Justice Division and Secretary, Establishment Division to be headed by a retired Judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court to be appointed by the Federal Government. 5. Petition to the Review Board.

(1) Any person in corporation or Government Service who was dismissed, removed or terminated from service on account of closure of organization, absence from duty, misappropriation of Government money or stock or medical unfitness may within sixty days of the commencement of this Ordinance, prefer petition for review of the order of dismissal, removal or termination from service to the review Board which shall decide the case within thirty days of its first hearing. The Review Board may, on consideration of review petition and any other relevant material, confirm, set aside, vary or modify the order.

(2) The order of the Review Board passed on the review petition shall be final and shall not be called in question in any court, authority or tribunal.

(3) In dealing with cases under this Ordinance the Board shall have power to regulate its own procedure. 6. Reinstatement of contract employees- (1) A person in corporation or Government service who held the post on contract against a regular post and his contract was extended at least once and he was subsequently dismissed, removed or terminated from service shall be reinstated immediately and adjusted against regular post.

(2). A person in corporation or Government service appointed on contract against a temporary post and who was dismissed, removed or terminated before the completion of his contract period shall be reinstated immediately for the remaining portion of his contract. 7. Reinstatement of golden hand shake employees.- Persons in corporation or Government service who where given forced golden hand shake shall be reinstated immediately subject to reimbursement of all monetary benefits received by them as a result of forced golden hand shake. 8. Creation of supernumerary post- Where due to non- availability of sanctioned posts or an equivalent scale post in corporation or Government service, the Secretary of the respective Ministry, Division, head of the department or corporation or organization shall immediately create supernumerary posts to accommodate the reinstated employees and such arrangement shall continue till the availability of regular posts are made available. 9. Manner and mode of payment of compensation on reinstatement- On reinstatement in service each employee in corporation or Government service shall be paid compensation equal to three years emoluments of the pay scale in which he would be placed and the emoluments shall be paid to him in the following manner, namely:- (a) first installment equal to twelve months emoluments on reinstatement; (b) second Installment equal to twelve months emoluments on the 1st day of January, 2010: and (c) third installment equal to twelve months emoluments on the 1st day of January, 2011.

10. Reinstated employees not to claim other service benefits.- Any person in corporation or Government service who is reinstated under this Ordinance shall not be entitled to claim seniority or arrears of pay or other service benefits save as provided in this Ordinance and shall be required on reinstatement to submit a surety bond in the form specified for the purpose.

11. Ordinance to override other laws.- The provisions of this Ordinance shall have effect notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other law for the time being in force or in any judgment of any Tribunal or Court including Supreme Court and High Court.

12. Power to make rules.- The Federal Government may make rules to carry out the purpose of this Ordinance."

Oath Taking Ceremony Of KSF

2009-02-09T02:40:00.000-08:00

Let Karak Be A Better Place To Live In.

2009-02-09T02:15:00.000-08:00

Oath Taking Ceremony Of KSF

2009-02-09T01:49:00.000-08:00

Let Karak be a better place to live in

The Oath Taking Ceremony of the newly formed cabinet & Executive Council members of the first ever Karak Social Forum was held in a simple but dignified manner on February 08,2009 at Town Hall Karak. Professor Dr.Fida Yunas Khattak, Dean of Sciences, KUST honored the occasion as chief guest while MNA and Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Moulana Muhammad Ajmal presided over the meeting.
Dr.Fida Yunas Khattak took oath from the cabinet and executive council members of KSF.Akhtar Mahmood Khattak took oath as Chairman, Taslim Advocate as Vice Chairman, Naimatullah Khattak as General Secretary, Muhammad Zubair as Joint Secretary, Anwar Jalal as Finance Secretary and Ihsanullah Shah as Press Secretary of KSF.While Jamal Yunas, Mansoor Ahmad, Hidayatullah Advocate, Khalid ur Rehman, Naeemur Rashid, Sirajul Islam and Muhammad Irfan took oath as members of Executive Council of Karak Social Forum.
Chairman of KSF Akhtar Mahmood highlighted the objectives of the formation of KSF and he made it clear to the participants, that by nature KSF is non –Political and non governmental and dedicated to the welfare and problems identification and searching possible solutions to issues being faced by the dwellers of Karak City in particular and District Karak in general. The KSF problems solutions mechanism will be close coordination with the district management and other stakeholders with the volunteers’ support and services of KSF.
Professor Dr. Fida Yunas was more than happy over the spirit of the young, dedicated and educated members of KSF and encouraged them by reciting examples of great people from the history, whose basis were laid down on efforts that he witnessed among the ranks of Karak Social Forum.
Mufti Ajmal, Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism in his presidential address appreciated the efforts of KSF members and ensured his full support in pursuing the goals, objectives and vision of KSF. He stressed on the strength of the institutions and hoped that Karak Social Forum will play an important role in problems solutions, social and behavioral awareness.

Theory of Pashtun descent from Israelites

2009-02-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

The theory that the Pashtun or "ethnic Afghan"s are descended from the ancient Israelites—more precisely, from the perspective of Jewish history the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel— has a longstanding basis as a tradition among the Pashtun themselves, was widely accepted by 19th century British scholars, and has been accepted by some reasonably recent and prominent individuals such as Itzhak Ben-Zvi, second President of Israel. However, contemporary anthropologists continue to debate this, putting forth an eastern Iranian people relation to the other peoples of the Iranian plateau, in addition to other possibilities.
Whether or not the Pashtuns are in fact derived from one ethnic group is unknown, as no comprehensive study of them as a whole group has ever been completed.
The claim of Afghans to be the Bani Israel (Children of Israel) is not founded on oral tradition alone. It is supported by ancient monuments, old inscriptions, manuscripts, and historical works, many in the public domain, and many others in private collections. Of recent report is the 12th century Hebrew cemetery a mile and a half from the base of the Tower of Jam in the middle of a very desolate region of Western Afghanistan. [New York Times Magazine, 42, Aug. 25, 2002]
One of the most ancient manuscripts available is Rauza ul Albab fi Tawarikh-ul-Akabir wal Ansab – The Garden of the Learned in the History of Great Men and Genealogies – by Abu Suleman Daud bin Abul Fazal Muhammad Albenaketi which was written in 1317 AD. The author in his Introduction explains that ever since the times of Moses the ancestors of Afghans have had to face great hardships. They were expelled from place to place and exterminated. Their ancient ancestors were sacked more than once and carried into captivity. In Chapter I a detailed history of Yacub (Jacob) is given and in Chapter II the genealogies of the Afghan tribes are further traced.
Bukhtawar Khan in his most valuable universal history Mirat-ul-Alam – The Mirror of the World – gives a vivid account of the journeys of the Afghans from the Holy Land to Ghor, Ghazni, and Kabul. Similarly Hafiz Rahmat bin Shah Alam in his Khulasat-ul-Ansab and Fareed-ud-Din Ahmad in Risala-i-Ansab-i-Afghana provide the history of the Afghans and deal with their genealogies.
Two of the most famous historical works on the subject are Tarikh-i-Afghana – History of the Afghans – by Niamatullah, which was translated by Bernard Dork in 1829, and Tarikh-i-Hafiz Rahmatkhani, by Hafiz Muhammad Zadeek which he wrote in 1770. These books deal with the early history of the Afghans, their origin and wanderings in general. They particularly discuss the Yusuf Zyes (the Yusefzai, "Sons of Joseph") and their occupation of Kabul, Bajoor, Swat, and Peshawar.
Additional authors Syed Jamal-ud-Din Afghani (Tarikh-i-Afghana, the History of Afghans), and Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah (Mun'ameen-i-Bani Israel, MS.), ex-Ruler of Swat, discuss the question exhaustively and come to the conclusion that the Afghans represent the Lost Tribes of Israel as viewed from the perspective of the Jewish/Western world.
If we turn to Anglo-Western writers during the time of the British Empire we find that they also have come to the same conclusion. The first to reach such is Henry Vansittart. In a letter which appeared in Indian Researches he commented on the Israelitish descent of the Afghans. He expressed the opinion that the claim of the Afghans to be Bani Israel are more than justified given his own observations of their indigenous traditions. [Indian Researches, 1788, Vol. 2: 69]
Sir Alexander Brunes in his Travels into Bokhara, which he published in 1835, speaking of the Afghans said: "The Afghans call themselves Bani Israel, or the children of Israel, but consider the term Yahoodi, or Jew, to be one of reproach. They say that Nebuchadnezzar, after the overthrow of Israel, transplanted them into the towns of Ghore near Bamean and that they were called after their Chief Afghana… they say that they lived as Israelites till Khalid summoned them in the first century of the Mohammadans… Having precisely stated the traditions and history of the Afghans I see no good reason for discrediting them… the Afghans look like Jews and the younger brother marries the widow of the elder. The Afghans entertain strong prejudices against the Jewish nation, which would at least show that they have no desire to claim – without just cause – a descent from them. [Sir Alexander Brunes, Travels into Bokhara, Vol. 2:139–141.]
Brunes was again in 1837 sent as the first British Envoy to the Court of Kabul. For some time he was the guest of King Dost Muhammad Khan. He questioned the King about the descent of the Afghans from the Israelites. The King replied that "his people had no doubt of that, though they repudiated the idea of being Jews".
William Moorcroft traveled during 1819 to 1825 through various countries adjoining India, including Afghanistan. "The Khaibarees," he says, "are tall and have a singularly Jewish cast of features." At Push Kyun, within Afghan territory, he came across a very old copy of the Old Testament in Hebrew. [Moorcroft, Travels in Himalayan Provinces of Hindustan and the Punjab; in Ladakh and Kashmir, in Peshawar, Kabul, Kunduz and Bokhara, 12]
J.B. Frazer in his book, An Historical and Descriptive Account of Persia and Afghanistan, which he published in 1843, says: "According to their own tradition they believe themselves to be descendants from the Hebrews… they preserved the purity of their religion until they met with Islam." [J.B. Frazer, A Historical and Descriptive Account of Persia and Afghanistan, 298]
J.P. Ferrier wrote his History of the Afghans in 1858. It was translated by Capt. W. M. Jesse. He too was disposed to believe that the Afghans represented the Ten Tribes of Israel. In support of his view he recorded, among others, a very significant fact: When Nadir Shah marching to the conquest of India arrived at Peshawar, the chief of the tribe of Yoosoof Zyes (Sons of Joseph) presented him with a Bible written in Hebrew and several other articles that had been used in their ancient worship and which they had preserved. These articles were at once recognized by the Jews who followed the camp. J.P. Ferrier, History of the Afghans, 4.
George Moore published his famous work The Lost Tribes in 1861. He gave numerous facts to prove that these tribes are traceable to the Afghans. After giving details of the character of the wandering Israelites, he said: "And we find that the very natural character of Israel reappear in all its life and reality in countries where people call themselves Bani Israel and universally claim to be the descendants of the Lost Tribes. The nomenclature of their tribes and districts, both in ancient Geography, and at the present day, confirms this universal natural tradition. Lastly, we have the route of the Israelites from Media to Afghanistan and India marked by a series of intermediate stations bearing the names of several of the tribes and clearly indicating the stages of their long and arduous journey." [George Moore, The Lost Tribes]
Moore goes on to say: "Sir William Jones, Sir John Malcolm and the missing Chamberlain, after full investigation, were of the opinion that the Ten Tribes migrated to India, Tibet, and Cashemire [Kashmir] through Afghanistan." [[George Moore, The Lost Tribes]
Moore has mentioned only three eminent writers on the subject. But reference can also be made to General Sir George Macmunn (Afghanistan from Darius to Amanullah, 215), Col. [G.B. Malleson (The History of Afghanistan from the Earliest Period to the outbreak of the War of 1878, 39), Col. Failson, (History of Afghanistan, 49), George Bell (Tribes of Afghanistan, 15), E. Balfour (Encyclopedia of India, article on Afghanistan), Sir Henry Yule (Encyclopædia Britannica, article on Afghanistan), and the Hon. Sir George Rose (Rose, The Afghans, the Ten Tribes and the Kings of the East, 26). They, one and all, independently came to the same conclusion. Another, Major H.W. Bellew, went on a political mission to Kandahar and published his impressions in his Journal of a Mission to Kandahar, 1857–8. He then wrote in 1879 his book Afghanistan and Afghans. In 1880 he was sent, once again on another mission to Kabul, and in the same year he delivered two lectures before the United Services Institute at Simla: "A New Afghan Question, or "Are the Afghans Israelites?" and "Who are the Afghans?" He then published another book: The Races of Afghanistan. Finally he collected all his facts in An Enquiry into the Ethnography of Afghanistan, which was published in 1891.
In this work he mentions Killa Yahoodi ("Fort of the Jews") (H.W. Bellew, An Enquiry into the Ethnography of Afghanistan, 34), as being the name of the eastern boundary of their country, and also speaks of Dasht-i-Yahoodi ("Jewish plain") (ibid., 4), a place in Mardan District. He concludes: "The Afghans accounts of Jacob and Esau, of Moses and the Exodus, of the Wars of the Israelites with the Amalekites and conquest of Palestine, of the Ark of the Covenant and of the election of Saul to the Kingdom, etc., etc., are clearly founded on the Biblical records, and clearly indicate a knowledge of the Old Testament, which if it does not prove the presence of the Christians at least corroborates their assertion that the Afghans were readers of the Pentateuch up to the time of the appearance of Mohammad." (Ibid., 191)
Note, it is well understood and undisputed that there have never been Christian communities in Afghanistan pre- or for many centuries after the dawn of Islam.
Thomas Ledlie wrote an article in the Calcutta Review, which he subsequently elaborated and published in two volumes. He expressed his views on the subject very clearly: "The Europeans always confuse things, when they consider the fact that the Afghans call themselves Bani Israel and yet reject their Jewish descent. Indeed, the Afghans discard the very idea of any descent from the Jews. They, however, yet claim themselves to be of Bani Israel." [Thomas Ledlie, More Ledlian, Calcutta Review, January, 1898]
Ledlie goes on to explain: "Israelites, or the Ten Tribes, to whom the term Israel was applied – after their separation from the House of David, and the tribe of Judah, which tribe retained the name of Judah and had a distinct history ever after. These last alone are called Jews and are distinguished from the Bani Israel as much in the East as in the West." [Ibid., 7]
Among more contemporary writers Dr. Alfred Edersheim says: "Modern investigations have pointed to the Nestorians and latterly, with almost convincing evidence (so far as it is possible) to the Afghans as descendants from the Lost Tribes." [Dr. Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus, the Messiah, 15]
Sir Thomas Holditch in his The Gates of India says: "But there is one important people (of whom there is much more to be said) who call themselves Bani Israel, who claim a descent from Cush and Ham, who have adopted a strange mixture of Mosaic Law in Ordinances in their moral code, who (some sections at least) keep a feast which strongly accords with the Passover,… and for whom no one has yet been able to suggest any other origin than the one they claim, and claim with determined force, and these people are the overwhelming inhabitants of Afghanistan." Sir Thomas Holditch, The Gates of India, 49.
There are many additional references, recorded incidents, manuscripts and artifacts related to the Hebraic history of the Pashtuns for the dedicated objective researcher who seeks them out.
In his 1957 classic The Exiled and the Redeemed, Itzhak Ben-Zvi, second President of Israel, writes that Hebrew migrations into Afghanistan began, "with a sprinkling of exiles from Samaria who had been transplanted there by Shalmaneser, King of Assyria (719 BC). From the recurrent references in the Book of Esther to the "one hundred and twenty seven dominions" of King Ahasuerus, the deduction is permissible that eastern Afghanistan was among them." [[The Exiled and the Redeemed, 176]
Ben-Zvi continues, "The Afghan tribes, among whom the Jews have lived for generations, are Moslems who retain to this day their amazing tradition about their descent from the Ten Tribes. It is an ancient tradition, and one not without some historical plausibility. A number of explorers, Jewish and non-Jewish, who visited Afghanistan from time to time, and students of Afghan affairs who probed into literary sources, have referred to this tradition, which was also discussed in several encyclopedias in European languages. The fact that this tradition, and no other, has persisted among these tribes is itself a weighty consideration. Nations normally keep alive memories passed by word of mouth from generation to generation, and much of their history is based not on written records but on verbal tradition. This was particulary so in the case of the nations and the communities of the Levant. The people of the Arabian Peninsula, for example, derived all their knowledge of an original pagan cult, which they abandoned in favor of Islam, from such verbal tradition. So did the people of Iran, formerly worshipers of the religion of Zoroaster; the Turkish and Mongol tribes, formerly Buddhists and Shamanists; and the Syrians who abandoned Christianity in favor of Islam. Therefore, if the Afghan tribes persistently adhere to the tradition that they were once Hebrews and in course of time embraced Islam, and there is not an alternative tradition also existent among them, the matter certainly deserves careful and critical examination

Pashtuns

2009-02-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun, ethnic Afghan, or Pathan are an ethno-linguistic group of people, living primarily in eastern and southern Afghanistan, the NWFP Province and Karachi in Pakistan, and small communities in India. The Pashtuns are characterized by their indigenous code (religion) of honor and culture, Pashtunwali. The Pashtuns are the world's largest segmentary lineage (patriarchal) tribal group in existence. The total population of the group is estimated at over 40 million.
History
Pashtun culture is ancient and much of it is yet to be recorded in contemporary times. There are many conflicting theories, some contemporary, some ancient, about the origins of the Pashtun people, both among historians and the Pashtun themselves.
According to the writer W.K. Frazier Tytler writing in his book Afghanistan, "The word Afghan… first appears in history in the Hudud-al-Alam, a work by an unknown Arab geographer who wrote in 982 AD." Until the advent of the modern Afghan state in the 18th century, the word Afghan had been synonymous with Pashtun.
"The supposition that the Pathans are any different from the Afghans is not borne out either by the legendary accounts associated with the origin of this people or by historical or ethnological data." (Afghan Immigration in the Early Middle Ages, by K.S Lal).
From the 1st century BC to the 5th century AD this region saw immense migrations of peoples from Central Asia: the arrival of the Sakas, Kushans, Huns, Gujjars Hebrews,and Greeks.
According to the Encyclopedia of Islam, the Theory of Pashtun descent from Israelites is traced to Maghzan-e-Afghani who compiled a history for Khan-e-Jehan Lodhi in the reign of Mughal Emperor Jehangir in the 16th century AD. This reference is in line with the commonly held view by Pashtuns that when the twelve tribes of Israel were dispersed (see Israel and Judah, Lost Ten Tribes), the tribe of Joseph among other Hebrew tribes settled in the region. Hence the term 'Yusef Zai' in Pashto translates to the 'sons of Joseph'; the Yusefzai are the 8th largest tribe of the Pashtuns. See Theory of Pashtun descent from Israelites.
However, the Pashtuns appear to be an eastern Iranian people related to the other peoples of the Iranian plateau.
The Pashtuns are intimately tied to the history of modern-era Afghanistan. The country's founder, Ahmad Shah Durrani, was a Pashtun. He founded the state, as we know it today, in 1747 and the Pashtuns would rule it for the next 200 years. More recently the Pashtuns are known for being the primary ethnic group that comprised the Taliban, whose ideological basis began in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, centered around the city of Peshawar and at the Madarassa-e-Haqqania in Akora, Khattak.
Who is a Pashtun
Among historians, anthropologists, and the Pashtun themselves, there is controversy as to exactly who is a Pashtun. The three most prominent views are (1) to define the Pashtun in terms of patrilineal descent going back to legendary times, (2) to consider Pashtun any tribes who have for hundreds of years lived in the relevant geographic area and who speak Pashto and live in an essentially similar manner though may not have a patrilieal descent connection, and (3) only those who follow Pashtunwali regardless of language or ethnicity. We may call these the patrilineal definition, cultural definition, and religious definition respectively.
The patrilineal definition is based on an important orthodox law of Pashtunwali and tradition of Pashtun society. It states simply that if your father is not a Pashtun, neither are you. This law has kept the immemorial trait of the Pashtuns being an exclusively patriarchal tribe intact. Under this definition it does not matter which language you speak (Pashto, Urdu, English, etc.), but that your father be an ethnic Pashtun. Thus the Afridis and Yousafzai of Bhopal, India have lost both the language and presumably many of the ways of their ancestors, but by being able to trace their fathers' ethnic heritage back to the Pashtun tribes, who some believe are descendants of the four sons of a Qais Abdur Rashid, a possible progenitor of the Pashtun, they remain "Pashtun". Thus, under the patrilineal definition language is not in itself a defining point. This patrilineal law is rooted in Pashtunwali.
The cultural definition would include all Pashto speakers and those tribes and communities who have assimilated into Pashtun tradition, who, however, may not have a patrilineal connection. A prime example of this are the Arab tribes who settled amongst the Pashtuns after the Arab invasions of Afghanistan and Sindh during the rise of Islam. These same tribes today are considered Pashtun by some due to their cultural assimilation of Pashtun culture. Additionally, some feel that this cultural definition excludes those whose connection is merely ancestral- though of this there is great debate and historical precedent. Taking this idea further, the cultural definition would exclude the Afridis and Yousafzai of Bhopal, India who are in fact ethnic Pashtuns, but would include some tribal groups that do not share the specific patriarchal ethnic descent required by the patrilineal definition, notably the Swatis, who claim patrilineal descent from Muhammad, the founder of Islam.
The religious definition is based on the laws of Pashtunwali, and that those who are Pashtun adhere to them.
Culture
Throughout Pashtun history poets, prophets, kings and warriors have been the most revered members of society. The term 'Pakhto' or 'Pashto' from which they derive their name is not merely the name of their language, but synonymous with an honour code and religion known as Pashtunwali. The main tenets of 'Pakhto' or formally known as Pashtunwali are:
Hospitality and asylum to all guests seeking help.
Justice: Ancient Israelite Moses' Law, Tooth for a Tooth.
Defense of 'Zan, Zar and Zameen' (Women/Family, Treasury and Property).
Personal Independence. Pashtuns are fiercely independent and there is a lot of internal competition.
Most decisions in tribal life are made by a 'Jirga' or 'Senate' of elected elders and wise men. However, Pashtun society is also marked by its matriarchal tendencies. Folktales involving reverence for Pashtun mothers and matriarchs are common and are passed down from parent to child, as most Pashtun heritage, through a rich oral tradition.
However, some historians believe that the name Pakhtun has its origin in Pactyan, the name of an ancient Iranian tribe that lived in the Persian Satrapy Arachosia.
Institutions
The Pashtuns are predominantly a tribal people, however, increasing numbers now dwell in cities and urban settlements. Many still identify themselves with various clans.
More precisely, there are several levels of organization: the tabar (tribe) is subdivided into kinship groups each of which is a khel. The khel in turn is divided into smaller groups (pllarina or plarganey), each of which consists of several extended families or kahols. [Wardak, 2003, p. 7] "A large tribe often has dozens of sub-tribes whose members may see themselves as belonging to each, some, or all of the sub-tribes in different social situations (co-operative, competitive, confrontational) and identify with each accordingly."

The Real Picture...

2009-02-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

It is Time To Change....

2009-02-03T09:27:00.000-08:00

I step into the future
Don't know what's in store
I'll be walking new pathways
Learning moreMeeting new faces,
Making new friends,
The time has come to move on,
It's time to change.
It's hard to leave the things you know and understand
And set out on a journey on unfamiliar land
It's hard to leave old friends behind and walk away,
But the time has come to move on, it's time to change.
But my friends are a part of me,
A part of my personality,
Always there to guide me
Wherever I happen to be
The past leaves its mark on me,
And makes me the person I am
And the good things go with me
When it's time to change.
The seasons turn
And the years move on
Nothing ever stands still
Changing day by day,,,Good wishes go with me
And speed me on towards the sun
The time has come to move on,It's time to change.
The seasons turn, and the years move on,
Nothing ever stands still,
changing day by day Good wishes go with me
And speed me on towards the sun
The time has come to move on,.It's time to change.
Change for the better?
Change for the worse?
Who can tell it better…
It's for me to make it work
The sun is up and shining
And there's a rainbow in the sky
I'm going to find my pot of gold,
It's time to change.
It's time to change,
It's time to change,
The time has come to move on,
it's time to change.

Poverty

2009-02-03T01:32:00.000-08:00

The brother weeps
The mother cries
The father sleeps
As the daughter dies.
O hateful world I see before me
The world of poverty.
O hateful world I see before me
That lies beside Eternity.
The brother weepsThe mother cries
The father sleepsThe daughter dies.
Her father doesn't care
That she'd been trapped
By Hunger's cruel snare.O hateful world I see before me
The world of poverty.
O I pray poverty takes me never
For I'll never be ready.
Athena Atalanta

Colonial NWFP or Pakistani Pakhtunkhwa?

2009-02-03T01:19:00.000-08:00

North-west of the British has been a changing phenomenon in history. In their westward advance over the decline of the Mughal Empire the British first created the North West Province, which is now called UP in India, and much later in 1901 they agreed to the formation of the present North West Frontier Province and separated it from the province of Punjab. To NWFP was added the Hazara division for administrative purposes, as Gulab Singh to whom Kashmir was sold, could not pay the full amount and hence Hazara was taken away and added to this newly created province. The Mughals had formed Subah-i-Lahore, Subah-i-Multan, to which Sindh was attached, and Subah-i-Kabul, to which was attached more or less the present NWFP. Later the Mughals conquered Kashmir and extended their sovereignty over Baltistan and Ladakh.
To the original British NWF Province the government of Pakistan, in 1970-71, after the abolition of the states, added Swat, Dir and Chitral as new districts and also created the district of Kohistan, which was practically no-man's land in the British period. Just before partition of the sub-continent, the idea of Pakhtunistan was floated by Congress for reasons not difficult to understand, but it fizzled out in the referendum as the people voted to join Pakistan.
Lord Curzon, in his Forward Policy, distinguished between the settled districts of NWFP and the newly established tribal agencies and fixed the border between British India and Afghanistan at the western end of the Khyber Pass for the first time in history and thus made a political division of the Pakhtun tribes. Dr. Akbar S. Ahmad, in his thesis, written under the influence of the British teachers, made unnecessarily sociological distinction between the Pakhtun tribes in the settled districts and those in the artificially created tribal agencies. Such a distinction never existed in history. Sir Olaf Caroe, in his book The Pathans tried in vain to trace the origin of the Pakhtuns from the Huns, although titles like Gul and Khan are certainly borrowed from the Huns and the Mongols.
The Pashto or Pakhto is a well-known Aryan tribe mentioned in the Rigveda along with others, Jadu (or Yadu), Kuru, Sivas and Bhalanases. The Jaduns are the modern Gaduns, Sivas have left behind their name in the modern village of Siva in Swabi tehsil, and Kuru can be recognised in the valley of Panchkora in the district of Dir and Bhalanases have left their name in Bolan Pass. It is the Aryans who first started the geographic name of Gandhara in about the middle of the second millennium BC that extended on either side of the river Indus, with two capitals, Pushkalavati (modern Charsadda) on the west and Taxila on the east. Later the western capital was transferred to Peshawar (old Purushapura).
In Gandhara lived eight Aryan tribes, known as Ashtakas, whose king, named as Astes in the Greek accounts fought with Alexander's forces. The place name Hashtnagar recalls their memory. The Ashtakas have probably left behind their trace in the name Khattaks, who spread out south of the river Kabul right up to Attock.The Achaemenian Iranian Empire extended into this part, and Herodotus names the provinces as Gandhara, Paktyike, Sattagudi (i.e. Sapta Gomati, inclusive of Bannu, D.I. Khan, Zhob and Loralai districts, and finally Maka or Makran in the coastal region. Next province is called Hindu or Sindhu to the east of the river Sindhu. He also mentions the country of Darad in the north and refers to the Babylonian name Paropamisadae, i.e. the hilly area beyond, which in Sanskrit is called Avagana, or Apagana or Afgana (ava meaning far and gana meaning tribe) and hence tribes of the distant area, referring to Kabul region. Paktyike still survives in the provincial name of Paktya in Afghanistan, although it is much reduced in size.
The geographical name Gandhara continued until AD10 century, i.e for nearly twenty-five hundred years, when after the overthrow of the Hindu Shahi dynasty by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, it was incorporated into his Ghazni empire and Gandhara was forgotten into the limbo of history. The Arab conquest of this region does not record Pakhto or Pakya because the Arabs fought with the Turki Shahi or Hindu Shahi rulers. However, the spread of Islam transformed the whole mental make-up and tradition of the people. Many of the tribes started connecting themselves with the Semitic tribes or with Iranian heroes of Shanamah fame; e.g. Gakkhars call themselves Kianis, and the Awans associate themselves with Qutub Shahis. Similarly, the Pakhtuns trace their traditional origin from the lost tribes of the Jews, as recorded in the Makhzan-i-Afghana of the time of Sher Shah Suri. It is after the conquest of the Arabs that the name Khyber was applied to the pass and Ali Masjid was built there near the old Buddhist site. But the name Khyber was never used this side of Jamrud. However, the Pakhto tribes got associated with Turkic conquerors and along with them they spread out into north India right up to Bengal.
From AD 10 century onward the Muslim historians use the word Afghan in their works but in India the world Pakhto is corrupted as Pathan or sometimes a new word is deprived from Roh, i.e. Koh Sulaiman and we get the world Rohilla or Rohilkhand, which played an important part in the later Mughal history.With the spread of the Timurid Empire the Afghan tribes were much disturbed. With Timur's son Shah Rukh sitting at his new capital of Herat, having full control over Kandahar, the Pakhtun tribes around Kandahar were shaken. Some tribes, like Tarin, moved into norther part of Balochistan, and others like Lodhis, Suris, Niazis and Durranis came to Punjab. The Yusufzais moved towards Kabul and later when Babar occupied Kabul, the Yusufzais spread eastward towards Bajaur, Dir, Swat, Mardan and Peshawar districts, displacing the earlier tribes who took shelter in Hazara.
The older tribes, such as the Khattaks in the south and Awans in the east developed rivalry against the newly arrived Yusufzais and Mohammadzais, who were already against the Mughals. The resettlement of the tribes took considerable time when they were again caught in the establishment of the Mughal authority here. In the pre-Mughal period the conditions remained disturbed because of tribal jealousies and Mongol invasions. When the Mughal emperor Akbar was able to befriend the Khattaks and made them give security for the new road that he built south of the river Kabul from Attock to Peshawar and onward through the Khyber Pass to Kabul. In lieu of the toll tax the security was guaranteed and the region west of the Indus river was tagged onto Subah-i-Kabul. When the Afghan State was created after the death of Nadir Shah by his successor Ahmad Shah Abdali the region remained a part of that state until Ranjit Singh separated it and joined with his new state of Punjab.
With the British conquest the Sikh State of Punjab became Punjab province and its extent included this region, until 1901 when the new province was created under the new name of North West Frontier Province.
As far as the British Indian Empire was concerned, the new colonial name of the province was fully justified as this province lay to the north-west frontier of the Empire but in the present geographical context of Pakistan it is neither the only region in the north-west nor the only part lying in the frontier of the state. Hence in my earlier articles I have been using the old historical name, Gandhara, and calling it the Land of the Pakhtuns, because the large majority of the people here are Pakhtuns and they speak the Pakhto or Pashto language. As we have accepted the name Balochistan because large majority of the people are Baloch, although

Pashthoons

2009-02-03T01:16:00.000-08:00

PASHTUNS....Between South Asia, Central Asia and the Iranian plateau of Sijistan lies a triangular shaped territory studded by bare and barren mountains covering an area of approximately 250,000 sq. miles. Starting from Dir in the north, this triangle runs along the Indus, takes a westward turn a few miles south of Dera Ismail Khan, and embracing within its fold Loralai, Sharigh, Degari, Harnai, Quetta, Pishin, Chaman and Qandahar extends up to Herat. From here it curves north-east and following the foothills of Hindu Kush comes back to Dir. This region includes the major portion of NWFP, a part of Quetta Division of Baluchistan and three-fourths of Afghanistan. In this triangular-shaped, hilly country divided between Afghanistan and Pakistan lives the world's largest group of tribesmen numbering over 30 million variously called Afghans, Pathans, Pashtuns or Pakhtuns.Any attempt to delve deep into the history of these interesting peopIe and find out their origin would prove baffling. But strangely indeed their history has attracted the attention of an unusually large number of scholars. In the modern period more and more western historians and researchers are taking keen interest in the past of this region and its people. But the larger literature on the subject, the greater the difference of opinion and deeper the confusion. The difficulty arises because of the fact that the area is inhabited by a large number of tribes each of which makes different claims about its origin. The confusion becomes worse confounded when it is found that these claims do not conform to historical evidence and do not agree with the conclusions arrived at by the researchers. In view of this peculiar situation, it is proposed to give only the consensus of opinion and to simpilify matters as far as possible. Many Pathans may not agree with what has been stated here; but unfortunately the nature of the subject is such that an agreement even on broad outlines seems difficult.Let us first discuss the origin of the names Pathan and Afghan. The term Pakhtun or Pashtun, according to Raverty, is derived from the Persian word 'Pusht' meaning 'back'. Since the tribes lived on the back of the mountains, Persians called them Pashtun which is also pronounced Pakhtun. Some scholars think that the word Pashtun or Pakhtun comes from the old Iranian words parsava parsa meaning robust men, knights. In Indian Ianguages it was spelt as Pakhtana or Pathan. Herodotus and several other Greek and Roman historians have mentioned a people called 'Paktye' living on the eastern frontier of Iran. By the word Paktye they meant the people of the frontier. (According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam the word Pathan is from the Sanskrit word Pratisthana). Muslim historians from Al-Biruni onward called them Afghans, never using the word Pathan which expression was extensively employed by the Hindus. "No Afghan or speaker of Pashtu ever referred to himself as a Pathan and the word is an Indian usage." (The Pathans, by Sir Olaf Caroe)"It is significant that neither Ibn Batuta nor Baber mention the word 'Pathan'. Baber gives the names of many east Afghanistan tribes, but nowhere does he mention Pathans, Pakhtuns or Pashtuns. He calls the people Afghans and their language, Afghani." (Afghan Immigration in the early Middle Ages, by K.S Lal) As for the word Afghan, it appears in the inscriptions of Shahpur I at Naksh-e-Rustam which mentions a certain Goundifer Abgan Rismaund. According to Sprengler, a similar name 'Apakan' occurs as the designation of the later Sassanian Emperor Shahpur III. "The word Afghan, though of unknown origin, first appears in history in the Hudud-al-Alam, a work by an unknown Arab geographer who wrote in 982 A.D." (Afghanistan, by W.K Frazier Tytler). But according to the Encyclopaedia of Islam: "the first mention of the Afghans in written history is in the Chronicle of al-Utbi in Tarikh-e-Yamini and an almost contemporary mention by Al-Biruni. Utbi records that Sabuktagin enrolled Afghans in his army." Another version states that the earliest recorded use of the name Afghan is by the Indian astronomer, Varaha-Mihira of the 6th century A.D. in the form Avagana. (Encyclopaedia of Britannica)."'The supposition that the Pathans are any different from the Afghans is not borne out either by the legendary accounts associated with the origin of this people or by historical or ethnological data." (Afghan Immigration in the Early Middle Ages, by K.S Lal). Both Bellew and Longworth Dames consider the two terms as appellation of a common people. There is no racial difference between the two. The two words are synonymous referring to one and the same people though a few writers try to make a distinction between Afghans and Pathans which is ephemeral.For instance, some authors maintain that only those tribes living in southern Afghanistan, particularly between Herat and Qandhar and who speak Persian should be called Afghans while others living in the rest of Afghanistan, NWFP and Baluchistan speaking Pashtu language should be called Pathans. What they mean is that those who speak Pashtu are Pathans and those of them who speak Persian are Afghans. Sir Olaf Caroe makes a distinction between the Afghans and the Pathans on the basis of the hillsmen and plainsmen. He thinks that those living in the fertile plains of Qandhar, Herat, Kabul and Peshawar should be called Afghans and those living in the hills, Pathans. Lt. Gen. George McMunn divides Afghans into three groups: Abdalis, Ghilzais and Pathans (Afghanistan from Darius to Amanullah, by Lt. Gen. Dir George McMunn). But, as already stated, such distinctions are confusing and will lead nowhere. All should be called either Afghans, Pashtuns, Pakhtuns or Pathans.There has, however, been no dispute over the name of the language they speak. It is called by one name only i.e., Pashtu. But its origin, again is disputed. Most of the authors are agreed that "it is both in origin and structure an Eastern Iranian language which has borrowed freely from the Indo-Aryan group." (The Pathans, by Sir Olaf Caroe). But one of the greatest authorities on the Pathans, Morgenstierne, on the other hand, feels that it is probably a Saka dialect from the north. The general opinion, however, is that Pashtu is a branch of the original Iranian language called Pahlawi.CLAIMS ABOUT ORIGINThe triangle between the Indus, Hindu Kush and the Sijistan plateau of Iran is populated by an assorted group of tribesmen some of them living in plains and valleys and others in mountains interspersed over the entire length and breadth of this triangle. As already stated this is the largest conglomeration of tribal people in the world.We shall begin with the accounts of their origin as given by later Muslim historians. According to Niamatulla's Makhzan-i-Afghani and Hamdulla Mustaufi's Tarikh-i-Guzida: one of Prophet Ibrahim's descendents, Talut (or Saul) had two sons, one of whom was named Irmiya or Jeremia. Irmiya had a son named Afghan, who is supposed to have given the name to the Afghan people. Tareekh-e-Sher Shahi states that Bakht Nasr who invaded Jerusalem and destroyed it, expelled Jewish tribes, including sons of Afghan, from their homeland. During the days of the Babylonian captivity when the Jews were scattered, one of the tribes settled in the Hari Rud area of modern (south) Afghanistan. Pathan legend states that they accepted Islam during the time of the Prophet when a group of their kinsmen (Jews) living in Arabia sent word to them that the true Prophet of God as prophesied in their scriptures had appeared in Mecca. The Afghans, the story goes, sent a delegation to Arabia headed by one Imraul Qais who met the Prophet, embraced Islam, came back and converted the entire tribe to the new religion. The Prophet was so pleased with Qais that he gave him the name of Abdur Rashid, called him Malik (king) and Pehtan (keel or rudder of a ship) for showing his people the path of Islam.The story proceeds: Qais Alias Abdur Rashid Alias Pehtan had three sons named Sarban, Batan and Ghurghust. Most of the present-day Pathan tribes claim descent from these three persons. Batan had a daughter named Bibi Matto. She fell in love with Hussain Shah, a prince of Turkish origin, and their intimacy reached a stage where her pregnancy could not be concealed. Marriage was the only course open, but the offspring, a boy, was given the name of Ghilzai, meaning in the Afghan language a son 'born of theft'. Bibi Matto's next son was Ibrahim who, because of his intelligence and wisdom, was addressed by Qais as Loi-dey (Lodi) i. e., Ibrahim is great. Two of Loi-dey's grandsons were Pranki and Ismail. BahIul Lodhi, the founder of the Afghan empire of Delhi, was eight generations from Pranki and was a member of the Sahukhel tribe of Lodhis. The Suris and Nuhanis are descended from Ismail's two sons Sur and Nuh. Thus the Ghilzais (Khiljis), Lodhis, Suris, Nuhanis, and their branches, the Sarwanis and Niazis are common descendants of Bibi Matto from her Turkish husband Hussain Shah.The major tribes of Afghans named above, it must have been noted, should be of Turkish origin as they are descended from the Turkish prince Hussain Shah who married the Afghan girl Matto, daughter of Batan and grand-daughter of Qais Abdur Rashid. Thus, according to their own accounts there would be two groups of Afghans, one of Jewish (Semitic) origin and the other of Turkish origin. There is a third group of Afghans called Hazaras living in the Hazarajat areas of Afghanistan. They are said to be descended from the remnants of the Mongol armies which had come along with Changez Khan or during later Mongol inroads. The origin of the Hazara Afghans, as such, is Mongol.

khattaks

2009-02-03T01:03:00.000-08:00

khattak is a Pashtun tribe. Khattak tribe is concentrated in North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan on the left side of the Attock river. The Khattak is a Pashtun tribe whose recorded history indicates that they originated in the area around ghazni and logar province. The largest of the tribe's population is now situated in Cherat, which hosts a Special Service Group military outpost in the NWFP. Speaking a variant of the Kandahari pashtu, their appearance belies an origin akin to the old pawindah type Earliest records show their migration from around modern day Bannu northwards towards modern day Kohat, Karak and Nowshera[citation needed]. A warrior poet by the name of Khushal Khan Khattak (1613-1690) belonged to this tribe, and his contributions to Pushto literature are considered as classic texts. They have been translated into numerous languages. The Khattaks have high literacy rate in comparison to other Pashtun tribes having achieved positions of influence throughout history.DemographicsA significant majority of the Khattak now reside in developed countries such as Malaysia, UAE, Japan, USA, Dubai but the largest contingency resides in the Britain. In particular the regions of Birmingham, London, Manchester and Aylesbury. Khattaks are known to be vey successful and wealthy in relation to other tribes. They use this wealth to invest luxurious homes back in the NWFP. Consequently, the region of Cherat and particularly Saleh Khana not surprisingly has one of the highest costs of land in the whole of Pakistan and is known as 'little Britain'. KOHAT, a town and district of Pakistan, in the Peshawar division of the North-West Frontier Province. The town is 37 m. south of Peshawar by the Kohat Pass, along which a military road was opened in 1901. The population in 1901 was 30,762, including 12,670 in the cantonment, which is garrisoned by artillery., cavalry and infantry. In the Tirah campaign of 1S9798 Kohat was the starting-point of Sir William Lockharts expedition against the Orakzais and Afridis. It is the military base for the southern Afridi frontier as Peshawar is for the northern frontier of the same tribe, and it lies in the heart of the Pathan country. - The DISTRICT OF KOHAT has an area of 2973 sq. m. It consists chiefly of a bare and intricate mountain region east of the Indus, deeply scored with river valleys and ravines, but enclosing a few scattered patches of cultivated lowland. The eastern or Khattak country especially comprises a perfect labyrinth of ranges, which fall, however,-into two principaigroups, to the north and south of the Ten Toi river. The Miranzai valley, in the extreme west, appears by comparison a rich and fertile tract. In its small but carefully tilled glens, the plane, palm, fig and many orchard trees flourish luxuriantly; while a brushwood of wild olive, mimosa and other thorny bushes clothes the rugged ravines upon the upper slopes. Occasional grassy glades upon their sides form favorite pasture grounds for the Waziri tribes. The Ten Toi, rising on the eastern limit of Upper Miranzai, runs due eastward to the Indus, which it joins I 2 m. N. of Makhad, dividing the district into two main portions. The drainage from the northern half flows southward into the Ten Toi itself, and northward into the parallel stream of the Kohat Toi. That of the southern tract falls northwards also into the Ten Toi, and southwards towards the Kurram and the Indus. The frontier mountains, continuations of the Safed Koh system, attain in places a considerable elevation, the two principal peaks, Dupa Sir and Mazi Garh, just beyond the British frontier, being 8260 and 7940 ft. above the sea respectively. The waziri hills, on the south, extend like a wedge between the boundaries of Bannu and Kohat, with a general elevation of less than 4000 ft. The salt-mines are situated in the low line of hills crossing the valley of the Ten Toi, and extending along both banks of that river. The deposit has a width of a quarter of a mile, with a thickness of Iooo ft.; it sometimes forms hills 200 ft. in height, almost entirely composed of solid rock-salt, and may probably rank as one of the largest veins of its kind in the world. The most extensive exposure occurs at Bahadur Khel, on the south bank of the Ten Toi. The annual output is about 16,000 tons, yielding a revenue of ~4o,ooo. Petroleum springs exude from a rock at Panoba, 23 m. east of Kohat; and sulphur abounds in the northern range. In 1901 the population was 217,865, showing an iiicrease of II % in the decade. The frontier tribes on the Kohat border are the Afridis, Orakzais, Zaimukhts and Turis. All these a-re described under their separate names. A railway runs from Kushalgarh through Kohat to Thal, and the river Indus has been bridged at Kushalgarh. - The Khattak sub tribes are: - *Seni Khattak(Kohat) - *Barak Khattak(Karak) - *Akorkhel Khattak(Noshera,Kohat: Gumbat, Lachi,Teri and Peshawar) - *Mungikhel Khattak(Shakar Dara) - *Mattukhel Khattak (Shakar Darra) - *Saghri Khattak (Attock)

Karak...

2009-01-27T03:07:00.000-08:00

District Karak is a district of the North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. It is situated to the south of Kohat District and on the north side of Bannu and Lakki Marwat districts on the main Indus Highway between Peshawar and Karachi - it is 123 km from the provincial capital Peshawar.//HistoryUntil 1940, this whole area was ruled by the Teri Nawab. Teri was the capital and the only Tehsil. It had tappas: Teri, Seni, Khurram and Barak. Between 1940 and 1982 it was a part of Kohat, after the July 1, 1982, it has been an independent district with Karak as its capital.The district is predominantly populated by Khattak tribe, one of the famous tribes of Pashtuns.ResourcesKarak has one of the largest uranium mines in Pakistan under supervision of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. Gas has been recently discovered in Shakardara, Gurguri and Makori areas. Agriculture is the main source of living of people.AdministrationThe district is represented in the provincial assembly by two elected MPAs who represent the following constituencies: ConstituencyMPAPartyPF-40 (Karak-1)Mian Nisar GulIndependentPF-41 (Karak-2)Malik Qasim khattakMuttahida Majlis-e-AmalTehsilsThe district of Karak is administratively subdivided into three tehsils.Banda Daud Shah KarakTakht-e-NasratiEducationDistrict Karak has the highest literacy rate after Islamabad and Wah. Since both Islamabad and Wah are mainly composed of temporarily migrated people, therefore Karak is ranked as the highest educated district.ClimateVery hot during the summer temperature touching 45-50C and sand storms are common. However, Lakkara regions are the coolest part in summer where people use blankets at night. The best time to visit is between Nov-April with lush green fields of wheat, grams.By the reason of the Khattak nationality is very hardworker on the Government level but they have no accuracy in the job. Then they try to achive meaningful for the area where is no wheat and other thing actlike the greencherry to the banuu stock to send many part of the in countryWildlifeDiverse wild life across the district with annual hunting season of quails, cranes, black and brown pheasants. It is a well known place for hunting quails (batair) and fowl. There are game reserves used for hunting by the VIPs. One such hunting place is Darab o' Kachch abundant in partridges and quail. Hunting is a popular pasttime in the area.FairsThere are a number of Melas (fairs) that take place on a weekly basis, Sabirabad mela on Monday, land kamar mela on Friday and takht-e-e Nasratti mela on Saturday are the most famous fairs of the district with people attending, buying daily food stuff, cattle, also people from neighbouring Bannu attend these fairs. The two and most popular as act like the vegetable buying in the certain level as below 1:karak city mela on the day of (sunday) 2:Metha khel mela on the day of (Tuesday)DemographyTotal population -600000Male – 320,000Female – 280,000Rural population -86%Urban population - 14%Total Union Councils - 21Total Police Stations - 9Annual growth rate - 4.26%Main clans - Barak sub-tribe of KhattakMain Languages - Pushto 99.9%Literacy rate Urban 53.84%, Rural 41.07%Economically active population 14.3%OccupationProfessionals 9%,Technicians 6.7%Clerks 5.5%Service and shop workers 7.7%Agriculture workers 39%Craft & related trade workers 1.9%Plant & machine operators 8.2%Elementary occupations 15.5%Armed forces 6.5%Hotel Management 0.5%The oldest high school, police station and veterinary hospital are in Town Teri. Teri is still the most populated town of the District. Seni Khattak are leaving in Tehsil Banda Daud Shah and Barak Khattak are leaving in Karak and Takh-e-Nasrati Tehsil. In the recent time large reservoirs of natural gas and oil at Gurguri&Makori have been discovered in Banda Daud Shah Tehsil. Karak has got one of the largest Uranium mines in Pakistan.

Let Karak be A better place To Live In

2009-01-27T02:52:00.000-08:00

Karak social Forum

2009-01-27T02:48:00.000-08:00

The meeting of Karak Social Forum was held in Town hall Karak.Educated youths belonging to different walks of life participated in its meeting. The grave issues, which the inhabitants of Karak City face today, were discussed in the meeting. Moreover, KSF constitution was approved and Executive body was also constituted .All the members of the forum approved the constitution unanimously ratified its constitution. The Seven members Cabinet was elected in democratic way. Later on MD Blue Birds Akhtar Mahmood was nominated as Chairman and Lecturer Naimatullah Khattak as General Secretary of KSF.Whereas, Tasleem Advocate ,Muhammad Zubair , Abdul Majid and Ihsanullah Shah were elected as Vice-Chairman, Joint Secretary, Finance Secretary and Press secretary respectively while Mansoor Ahmad DDEO (P) karak, Hidayatullah Advocate ,Jamal Yunas ,Sirajul Islam,, Irfan Khattak , Naeem ur Rashid and Khalid ur Rehman were elected as member of Executive Council. .Furthermore, a technical Committee was formed after thorough discussion by the Chairman and the general Secretary to check out the issues and suggestions for its improvement The committee will report in next meeting. The Oath taking Ceremony of KSF would be held by the end of this month as was decided, so that the Forum could prove a success. At the end the organizers which include Engr. Umer Khitab , Naimatullah khattak , Akhtar Mahmood , Taslim advocate and Mansoor Ahmad have stressed all the educated young men of the Karak City to participate in KSF next meeting to be held on 1St February 2009 (Sunday) at 2 .00 PM at Town Hall.

Chairman: Akhtar Mahmood Khattak
General Secretary: Naimatullah Khattak

Karak Social Forum

2009-01-27T02:41:00.000-08:00