Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari: An obituary

President Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari: May 29, 1940-October 20, 2010

There are a thousand ways of looking at any politician who has lived in this wilderness for so long as did Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari. Former president of Pakistan, Former PPP stalwart, one of the most competent civil servants of Pakistan, a shrewd and thinking politician, an excellent orator and a companion in of Late Benazir Bhutto in the time of trial of Zia regime are a few hallmarks of his illustrious political career. This is not to say that he was an example of everything that embodied good. He had his share of weaknesses. He was mainly responsible for the downfall of second government of Late Benazir Bhutto which he orchestrated along with military, judiciary and elements of opposition. He was also found along the side of another military regime under General Pervez Musharraf and supported that regime with all his might. A very powerful feudal lord who is often accused of blocking the path of education and better living for those dwelling under his control. So Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari was a man of thousand colors and here at second perspective But we are second perspective and we don't follow the traditional line. That's why, today, we shall remember him for those colors which made him and Pakistan proud...a president who practiced austerity, a man who could present Pakistan's case with such a masterly skill of oratory that everyone was forced to take notice, a man who defied military for 11 years and who was one of the closest to erstwhile democratic workers such as Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan...May your soul be blessed Mr. President.

Missing people of Pakistan: An explosive coverage by Guernica Magazine on its celebration of 6 years of serious publishing

"Missing People of Pakistan" is a story of pain and agony that caused several heads to roll, a government to be nearly toppled, a whole supreme court of a nation to be held hostage and a whole new breed to terrorism to emerge on the false pretext of revenge. And yet, those around whom the story was spun, never returned home.

Cuba

There were different hues and colors of these missing people...Rebels craving for their rights from Baluchistan, Journalists and free minds from fiercely independent PakhtunKhawah, God fearing but absolutely sociable youth from Punjab, Human rights activists and trade unionists from Sindh...they came in all colors. But all of them had two things in common...a desire to be free and a hate for imperialism (whether in the hands of dictator, USA or Taliban)...And this caused their disappearance. No'one knows who took them away...Taliban, America or our own capable intelligence agencies.

and Pakistan

The missing people will haunt forever. Many of us might well be familiar with "Ladies in White" of Cuba who are protesting for their missing ones since early 70. I believe as long as the conscience of Pakistani nation is alive, we shall also keep protesting for "our missing people". It is better for all concerned to take heed and get the whole nation out of this agony... The report is at the following link

http://www.guernicamag.com/features/2096/garcia_10_15_10/

Update on Plot to Assasinate PM of Pakistan

The BBC report has given a new twist to all of this tale by claiming that accused were the same people involved in the bombing of ISI Headquarters in Multan district situated in southern Punjab region on 8th of December 2009 killing several and injuring dozens. The whole news coverage is on this link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/2010/10/101014_terrorists_arrested_as.shtml

A video clip of that deadly attack is given here:

Breaking News: Plot to assasinate Prime Minister of Pakistan Revealed

Prime Minister of Pakistan

Seems like today is a day of surprises. CNN has been reporting for a while now that an attempt to assassinate the prime minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani has been nabbed (thanks god for that) and several people have been taken into custody in this regard. The full news coverage is on the following link....

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/14/pakistan.plot/

Given below is the complete coverage:

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Several people have been seized in a plot to kill Pakistan's prime minister, and the suspects claim they were getting orders from a militant in the country's volatile tribal region, police said.
Police official Babar Bakhat Qureshi told CNN that officers arrested several suspects who were plotting to attack the compound of Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
Shabir Anwar, Gilani's press secretary, had no comment on the alleged plot because it is a security matter.
The plot to strike the compound, located in the Punjab provincial city of Multan, was in its "final planning stages," Qureshi said. The location is about 395 kilometers, or 245 miles, southeast of the nation's capital, Islamabad.
The suspects were planning to use a car bomb for the attack, and that they had acquired large amounts of fertilizer to manufacture an improvised explosive device, since confiscated by police, he said.
A vehicle for the attack had not been acquired yet.
The police confiscated one kilogram of gold and and two and a half kilograms of silver, which the men were going to sell to fund the plot, the official said.
Qureshi said the suspects have confessed that they were getting their orders and instructions from Kari Imram, a leader of a Taliban offshoot group from Miran Shah in North Waziristan. Drone strikes said to be conducted by the United States have targeted militants in North Waziristan, one of seven of the county's tribal districts.

The arrests were made after police stopped three suspects traveling on two motorcycles near Multan in the town of Ahmed Pur Sharkia on a check during a police patrol. Questioning led police to other suspects.

Two beathtaking windows in Past: Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and S B John

Was going through some of my archived files and found these two treasures...One is a gift shared by Fatima Bhutto...A long forgotten piece of treasure...A very beautiful picture of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto addressing employees of a textile mill..The crowd forced him to come out of adress hall and speak to them in open...Just look at the charisma of the man...

Thanx to Fatima Bhutto for Sharing this

And second is a song by S B John...a long forgotten voice of melodious 50s of Pakistan...So Enjoy

Time to bet on Pak Politics

It was not the time to do so...It really was a time of recollection and thinking...of regrouping and institutionalizing and strengthening each other...alas it did not turn out to be so and we are again at that time....seems like time to bet on our future is again upon us...who is going to be king...who the kingmaker...mullah, military, technocrats, judges, media and oooohhhhh I almost forgot the destitute hapless mass of us...sometimes also referred to as Pakistani nation....more about it later but what is your bet?

It is feverish and flooded but Pakistan can yet thrive and about "good" generals

Why we are calling another general?

Mohsin Hamid, one of the most well known English novelist of PakistanIt is feverish and flooded but Pakistan can yet thrive wrote a very beautiful piece about Pakistan of today and I want to share it with you here. Read and feel better as well as educated.

I am reading a lot about pros and cons of "good" generals taking over Pakistan to cure it of all its diseases inflicted by "corrupt" politicians. I am also writing and contributing a lot in various blogs with my opinion. Two things that I will like to copy here which I wrote on our very own FASTIAN, samir butt's blog.

Mohsin Hamid

1. I think it is very irresponsible and idiotic of leaders of mainstream political parties to even think of inviting “patriotic” generals to cure Pakistan of all its diseases. One thing…I don’t think Ayyub, Zia or Musharraf were less patriotic than others and some “other” generals are more patriotic than these three gentlemen. Second thing…there is no politician “less” patriotic and “more” corrupt than any generals of our army and we know that too.
The problem lies in the fact that we as Pakistanis have spent around 63 years under authoritarian and hierarchical governments rather than true democratic governments. The governments were always authoritarian in Pakistan whether military or civilian. The solution to overcome these authoritarian regimes is not to impose another military supervised doctrine but to let the democracy move forward. We should trust the collective judgment of 180 million people of Pakistan. With the passage of time, democracy will start taking care of itself…and NO…I don’t agree with you that we don’t have that much time….Nations HAVE that much time always…

2. Which army has transformed the democracy of India???? And by the way do you really think there is no corrupt politician or ghundas or criminals in Indian politics? Which army transformed the democracy of America? And by the way don’t tell me there are no interest groups and mafia and corruption in USA? Did army transform the democracy of France? And by the way don’t tell me that president of France Sarkozy is not taking kickbacks? Which army transformed the democracy of Italy? And don’t tell me Mr. Berlusconi is all neat and clean like milk? Why is it so that only in PAKISTAN, we always invite army to root out the corruption of politicians? The army comes, we deliver sweets, the generals plunder even more for decades, and they can’t prove a things against these CORRUPT politicians and then the generals leave with the same politicians again responsible for handling the rot they left behind? Zaradari or no Zardari, the question is not of him but of democracy. Shall we Pakistanis never learn and lives in our so called castles of high morality? I again say, let the democracy correct itself.

My comments published by Daily Mail over the article published in daily mail titled "Why Cameron should count ....."

Asif Zardari

Recently there was an article published by Daily mail titled "Why Cameron should count his fingers after shaking hands with Pakistan's Mr Ten Per Cent". I had some thoughts about it which I sent to the newspaper and they were gracious enough to publish those. Following is what I had to say;
"I don't know why you need to twist facts even in such a reputable newspaper as daily mail. Why you need to put banning of 500 websites in the account of president while those websites were blocked because of material they hosted which was sensitive for Muslim's feelings? why do you need to trivialize bad remarks from your prime minister while exaggerating jokes about our president? why do you need to highlight our bad areas while glossing over your absolutely out of the mind follies? Why are you still not able to see the problem which is afflicting us today but will surely reach your doorsteps as well? Sorry but by writing such naive things, you are repeating same mistakes that we committed and consequently imposed a president like Zardari on ourselves."
You can read the article and comments on:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1300498/Cameron-count-fingers-shaking-hands-Pakistans-Zardari.html#addComment#ixzz0vvfxqREI

Your Opinion????

Which path have we lead ourselves to?

Here?

and Here?

I generally don't consider myself as a pessimist and on several occasions, I have heard myself cursing media for all the negativism that we see in our society. But fact of the matter is that this negativity is not unrealistic. It is there and it is real and it is growing. We have led ourselves on a path that leads towards nothing but destruction. We are becoming more and more self-centric, self-contradictory and hapless. I usually just listen such music as I am presenting to you now. But today, I am not just listening.........For your "ears" and "eyes" only.....God help you if you also take it for your "mind".....

Extension of COAS Pakistan Army

As the fate may have it, my first serious blog post had to do with Pakistan army, an institution, we as a nation have come to both love and loathe. Despite having no doubt about the professional commitment of our chief of army staff, general Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, I doubt his job extension is going to do any good to our national affairs. Contrary to what media is saying, I don't see any strategic advantage achieved during our own two years old war on terror. True that we have gained ground but nothing more than that. And that too with a heavy count of casualties both martyred and injured. And our country is still smoldering from suicide bombings and killings. Baluchistan is still burning with fingers being raised about the role of army and intelligence agencies unfortunately. And above all, sectarian violence has again started to raise its ugly head in Pakistan. I am afraid no one can dare to ask these questions from either our beloved elected government or or heroic COAS.

Does competence justify going against the rules?

But as I said, It is my perspective, second perspective to be precise. Incidentally, the general after this extension is going to stay on helm of affairs even longer than the full term of our own elected government. How is that for "fair opportunity to all" and "right of the worthy" principles.