The People Love Musharraf

Yesterday Shaukat Aziz announced at a press conference that:

“the government was not irked by the participation of a ‘few’ people in rallies supporting the chief justice. “Rather, the 200,000 strong pro-Musharraf rally at Naukot in Tharparkar can be called a referendum against opposition parties who have politicised the presidential reference against the chief justice.” (Daily Times)

In a separate report the Daily Times had this to say about Musharraf’s ‘referendum’ at Naukot.

Around 50,000 higher-ups of the Pakistan Army, police officers, district nazims, tehsil nazims, UC nazims, and officials from all Sindh government departments had been ordered to attend the rally. All of them, along with PML-Q office bearers from all levels of the party, arrived in Naukot on May 4. The higher-ups were lodged at government department buildings and in the houses and offices of the ruling party and its allies in at districts Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Sanghar, Hyderabad, Tando Allhayar, Badin and areas bordering district Tharparkar. Special arrangements were made at Naukot and Mithi by the Sindh government and the Tharparkar district government. Residence, food and drinking water was provided to the higher officials. Lower-level employees of the government department were, however, made to stay in tents near Naukot. Many could not sleep due to the severe heat, and because of fear of Thar’s infamous snakes and scorpions.

What an amazing referendum Mr Aziz!

The isolated desert towns of Naukot and neighbouring Chalhar are together believed to have a population of 10,000 men, women and children. For ‘200,000’ (I wonder who came up with this grossly inflated figure?) to gather in the wilderness to hear General Musharraf must be seen as a 'wondrous' phenomenon.


Pakistan

Catastrophe Ahead?

Suddenly I’m gripped with a feeling of foreboding.

Why?

I listened to BBC Urdu Service this evening and two things struck me.

First, Shaukat Aziz was quoted as saying “there is a provision in the Constitution to impose emergency and there are certain circumstances, explained in the Constitution, which are required to impose emergency”.

Secondly, Najam Sethi, who for reasons known only to himself, often uses the Daily Times and his Friday Times editorials to give advice to the general (some people even suggest that he has been a regular visitor to the presidency as well), told BBC that among the options open to Musharraf, in the event the Supreme Court goes against his wishes, is to declare martial law and sack the Supreme Court.

In my book this is a path to a national disaster, which might lead to a further break up of the country.

Could someone please tell me I am wrong!


Pakistan

Missing Persons Case: The Skeletal Man

Today Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry speaking on the topic of human rights, said: ‘Basic human rights are a backbone in the formation of a civilised society’.

Indeed they are.

This reminded your Blogger of the horrific story he read in the papers yesterday.

It concerns a man named Saud Memon, who was brought to the Supreme Court on Friday carried on a stretcher during a hearing of the Missing Persons Case.

According to the Nation:

“Saud Memon [was] arrested on March 7, 2003

"[He} is a cloth merchant from Karachi and had gone to South Africa on a business trip when he was arrested."

“[He] was sent to Guantanamo Bay and was handed over to Pakistani agencies in 2006"

“[He] was released by the Intelligence Agencies on April 28, 2007”

"On April 28, he was found dumped at a place near his house in Karachi."

“[He] is in a critical condition and due to harsh treatment meted out to him, has lost his memory and weight. Now he weighs only 18 kgs. He has shrunk into a skeleton and can neither walk nor hold his head."

“It was confirmed by three other people released from ISI’s detention that Saud Memon was also with them in ISI custody.”

One would imagine that the horrendous sufferings of this poor man are over, but no. As Dawn tells us:

‘This skeleton of a man has a reward of Rs3 million on his head in the Red Book of our Interior Ministry’, advocate Shaukat Akhtar Siddiqui told the court, pointing to the emaciated body of Saud Memon brought on a stretcher.

Okay, this man might have been a suspected religious extremist but so far no court seems to have been provided with the evidence of his crimes.

More importantly, no one has the right on God's earth to treat an individual as a human piece of garbage.


Pakistan

Missing Persons Case

Supreme Court of Pakistan

The Country's New Hero

In today’s Nation a former judge of the Punjab High Court sums it all up quite succinctly:

An excerpt from 'Catching the fleeting moment’ by Aamer Raza A. Khan

“One may legitimately ask - what has gone wrong. Are we descending to the state in which we find Afghanistan and Iraq? The answer and the causes are obvious. There is a widening chasm between our rulers and the ruled. The former are now not representative of the later, and are not answerable for their doings, nor can the citizens question them, nor do they respond. Look at the plight of the Parliament. Is it the repository of state power and the sovereignty of the State? Is the Government answerable to the Superior Courts?

The case of the missing persons exemplifies it all - those complained against are admittedly beyond the control of the civilian set up, and brazenly defy its authority. The CJP tried to intervene, and is now fighting for his own survival, and that of the judicial system, and does not find solace even amongst his peers. But for the brave fight being put up by the legal fraternity -, things would have all been over by now.

The CJP tread on too many toes, and took on one too many. How dare he question the "transparency" of the privatisation process, how dare he question functionaries about police excesses, how dare he interfere in the conversion of a public park into a Mini Golf Course, and of the Doongi Ground into a IMax Cinema Complex, how dare he put a brake on the despoilation of the Patriata forests, how dare he order the cancellation of allotments to influentials of hundreds of plots in Gwadar, how dare he summon the mighty Secretaries and Inspectors General to appear before his Court, how dare he direct prompt and proper investigation of abductions, rapes, forced marriages, question Jirga verdicts, unseat politicians, muse about examining again the holding of dual office, and contemplate overseeing the forthcoming elections or examine the eligibility of the aspirant for high public office. Such a CJP had to be put in place, and all possibilities nipped in the bud. But what was not factored in, was that the man may resist. And the man caught hold of the fleeting moment and much against all expectations, resisted. The powers that be, were unprepared and confounded, and in panic committed the infamous deeds that boomeranged on them. Their haughtiness and blunders ignited the lawyers protest and their provocative conduct continuously keeps on feeding the flames.

The man who caught the fleeting moment is now, regardless of all accusations, perceived to be a symbol of courage and an upholder of the Constitution, and the rule of law, and rightly so too…”

Pakistan


Supreme Court of Pakistan

Censored, Censored, Censored and Censored

Along with innumerable other Pakistanis your Blogger was watching the progress of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s journey to the emotional heartland of the Establishment – Lahore.

Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was heralded by thousands at Gujar Khan, showered with rose petals in Jhelum as his ever expanding cavalcade headed for Lahore. And then all our TV screens went blank.

Confronted by the sight of thousands of Punjabis hailing the arrival of the Chief Justice apparently proved to be too much for the Establishment – Aaj, both channels of ARY and all three channels of Geo suddenly disappeared off our screens.

Hang on a minute, Geo’s third channel is sports related - but then panicked reactions are often devoid of all logic.

So along with countless other Pakistanis your Blogger switched onto BBC Urdu Service’s 8 pm news broadcast. Listening to BBC I learnt that Iftikhar Chaudhry’s descent into Punjab is proving to be quite a winner. And it is not just lawyers and political parties; according to BBC the Grand Trunk Road was lined with thousands of ordinary Pakistanis waiting under a swelteringly hot sun just to greet their passing chief justice.

We were also informed that PML(Q)’s attempt at organizing a pro-Musharraf demonstration in Lahore fizzled out completely . In the words of BBC’s man on the spot: patha nahin laga kay kub shuroo hua aur kub khatam hua (translation: couldn’t really work out when it began or when it finished). BBC also said that most – if not all – of the pro-Musharraf demonstrators were government employees, some of whom admitted that they had been kept in locked lodgings until they were released and instructed to ‘do their thing’.

What an unbelievable disaster for Musharraf.

With the sudden blocking of the TV News Channels all I can fall back on is that familiar Urdu expression: ‘Jo dar giya, wo mar gaya’.


Pakistan

Supreme Court of Pakistan

Press Censorship

Some Silly Statements of the day

As the high temperature in the weather and the political climate increases, so does the profusion of silly utterances. Here are three examples from today:

Daily Times - Pervez Musharraf: I enjoy cordial relations with Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad

Okay, you detain and harass the man in your office for five hours, then ‘dismiss’ him from his job and lock him up in his house for a week, after which you get your goons to physically assault him on the streets of Islamabad, and yet you ask us to believe that you are still on good terms with him?

What planet is this general living on?


Daily Times - Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain : Benazir Bhutto will have to join the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) if she wants to work with General Pervez Musharraf.

I reckon Chaudhry sahib should send the lady a PML(Q) application form forthwith!


Washington Post - Pervez Musharraf: "I ask lawyers to shun politics."

Around the world there are dozens of current and former presidents and prime ministers who are from the legal profession (Bill Clinton for one). Not many generals though, excepting Burma and Pakistan that is.

In reply most people in Pakistan would instead ask all their generals to shun politics - immediately!
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Latest News: 4pm (PST) 5th May 2007 Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s procession has been remarkably successful so far despite the regime’s blockade of all highways flowing into the Grand Trunk Road.

Pakistan

Punjab in the spotlight

The support for the Chief Justice of Pakistan, in one branch of the legal fraternity, is overwhelmingly apparent. The ‘Black Coats’ – bless them - have managed to shake this military regime to its blundering core.

Once the entire community of lawyers came out in the streets to protest against Musharraf’s brutal assault on the office of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the spotlight shifted onto the other branch of legal fraternity - the judiciary.

During Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s visit to the Sukkur and Hyderabad Bar associations 17 judges of the Sindh High Court came to hear him, in so doing they openly expressed their solidarity with the Chief Justice.

Similarly when the Chief Justice of Pakistan addressed the Peshawar Bar association fifteen judges - and many retired judges - of the NWFP High Court openly displayed their support for the regime-besieged head of Pakistan’s judiciary by warmly welcoming him to their city.

With the senior judiciary of Sindh and NWFP having manifestly discharged their duties, the focus has now shifted to their brethren of the Punjab High Court. Especially so, as tomorrow, 5 May, is day the Chief Justice is scheduled to visit Lahore.

Here is what two columnists (both from the Punjab) had to say on this subject today:

In a rousingly titled op-ed Stand up and be counted! Dr Ijaz Ahsan writes:

In the past judges from Punjab provided the doctrine of necessity. They went so far as to allow a military ruler to amend the Constitution, a power he had not even asked for. Even during the present crisis, Punjab has been the only province where a civil judge was suspended for listening to the CJ's speech at a bar association.

…It is said that over the millennia, due to Punjab being repeatedly over-run by invaders on the way to Delhi, the Punjabis developed the habit of submitting to their conquerors as a means of survival, and that with the passage of time this behaviour became ingrained in their psyche. Be that as it may, this is an occasion where Punjab can prove its critics wrong.

… Such an opportunity does not come every day. If we miss the bus, the judiciary will always be subservient to the executive, paving the way for perpetual autocratic rule making us another Burma, and we the Punjabis will be the only ones to be blamed. So let the Punjab judges stand up and be counted!

I have always felt that our top people in every profession are willing to enjoy all the privileges, the perks and the prestige of their high offices, yet when a situation arises where they are called upon to take a stand, they run away. The Chief Justice has broken with this tradition and has taken a stand. All the judges from Punjab should stand with the Chief Justice and with their brethren from the other provinces.

I am confident that a large number of people including lawyers, judges of lower courts, and ordinary citizens will try to convince the members of Punjab's senior judiciary to do their bit in an effort to restore the dignity and independence of the judiciary. At the same time, every man, woman and child should turn out to receive the CJ. Let it not be said: Yeh naadan gir gae sajde main jab waqte qayam aya.

And in Dawn Ayaz Amir uses the occasion to have a go at - what he trenchantly calls - the ‘bootlicking’ Punjabi elite. Here are some excerpts from ‘Thy turn, beloved Punjab’:

“Puts Punjab in a spot, doesn’t it? If their Punjabi lordships, choosing discretion over valour, keep away from the Chief Justice’s address to the Lahore Bar on May 5, they risk inviting national censure, with people accusing Punjab of being Punjab. If they show up, as they should and as their brethren in Sindh and the Frontier already have, they risk courting the displeasure of their chief justice, Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain, who is said to be not on good terms with the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

Iftikhar Hussain’s brother, Shahbaz Hussain, is a federal minister (for social welfare). His nephew, Farrukh Altaf, is District Nazim, Jhelum. We know what nazims are to this dispensation: its foremost bodyguards. For these and other reasons, lawyers representing the Chief Justice in the Supreme Judicial Council – which is hearing the reference against him – have accused the junior Iftikhar of bias, contending that he shouldn’t therefore sit in the Council.

All eyes are on their Punjab lordships. What will it be, the call of conscience or the triumph of expediency?

We should be aware of the deadweight of Punjabi tradition, bootlicking being a constant of Punjab’s history and politics. The Q League is the name not of a party but a phenomenon.

Whenever a military saviour, and we have had many, rides into the political arena, there is always s a Q League ready at hand to welcome him, comprising elements from the Punjab squirearchy and now even the urban elite.

It doesn’t matter who the saviour is. He only has to be in command for Punjab’s comic artists to perform around him.

Woe to the saviour, however, whose foot slips or in whose hands the reins of power slacken for on the entire planet there is scarcely anything as quick-changing as the Punjabi elite. It worships the rising not the setting sun.


…Times have changed. Once upon a time the best darbaris (courtiers) were from Lucknow, Bhopal, Hyderabad Deccan, and Delhi. The banner is now in Punjab’s hands.

Or rather in the hands of the Punjabi elite, because the people of Punjab sway to a different beat."

Your Blogger could not agree more. Sadly, it has always been the Punjab elite that has propped up every benighted dictatorship that has wrecked this country.

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Historical reality tells us that during the anti-Ayub unrest of the 60s and the anti-Bhutto riots of the 70s, large numbers of protesters were shot in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta and it made little difference to the occupiers in Islamabad. It was only when the protest movements reached the streets and byways of Lahore and Rawalpindi did proper panic set in.

Amusingly, after detaining and physically manhandling Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry last month, the authorities have announced a sudden ‘concern’ for his welfare and requested him not to travel by road to Lahore to attend the Bar association function.

The thought of hordes of people lining the Grand Trunk Road showering petals on the Chief Justice has obviously frightened the PML(Q) out of its wits.

As Reuters reported today:

The authorities on Friday showed their fear of the support suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry is drawing, by detaining opposition activists across Punjab province ahead of his visit to the provincial capital.

Lahore police said they had taken nearly 400 people into custody as a “preventive measure”.

Earlier on Friday, the government urged Chaudhry to travel by air rather than road because of “credible threats” of Islamist bomb attacks in the wake of an April 28 suicide attack on Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao.

…“In view of the hazardous security situation in the country, we have requested the chief justice to travel by air instead of road,” Syed Kamal Shah, permanent secretary at the Interior Ministry, told Reuters.

The judge’s lawyers, however, suspected the warning was an attempt to disrupt Chaudhry’s campaign to assert the independence of the judiciary in the fight against misconduct charges levelled by Musharraf two months ago.

“The chief justice will be going by road along with a large number of lawyers,” said Aitzaz Ahsan, Chaudhry’s top lawyer.

“It is the government’s duty to take adequate measures for the security of the chief justice ... the government is nervous and itself has designs to disturb the journey but we will not change our schedule.”

Chaudhry has already travelled to several cities and addressed bar councils since his suspension, but observers attach great importance to the Lahore visit.

The city is Pakistan’s political nerve centre, and a substantial turnout there in support of Chaudhry could give fresh impetus to the anti-Musharraf drive, observers say.

Meanwhile according to the Daily Times the leaders of PML (Q) plan a counter pro-Musharraf rally in Lahore on the very same day:

Under pressure to counter the May 5 reception planned by lawyers and opposition parties for Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the Punjab government has decided to take out its own rally on the day.

… Sources said that apart from routine arrests of opposition workers, high alert would be declared in the city and on GT Road, which is the route of the chief justice’s convoy. They said reserve police had been ordered in the city and intelligence and other agencies had been told to be on duty on May 5. Sources said Elahi had also ordered for the chief justice’s security in the city and on GT Road.

A senior government official said they were trying to create rifts between the lawyers so that their planned reception would fizzle out. “We have it tough at the moment. The government also managed to get a few lawyers together to protest the LHCBA’s invitation to the CJ. But that didn’t go too well either,” another official said.

Pakistan

Supreme Court of Pakistan

Addicted to Games

While the state of governance under Musharraf leaves much to be desired, in Balochistan - which is caught in the grip of a festering insurgency - has reached its own level of absurdity.

A recent news article revealed that the Musharraf-appointed chief minister Jam Yousaf is obsessed by adolescent pastimes. The Chief Minister of Balochistan, it appears, is addicted computer games and playing with his mobile phone.

The News tells us that

Official sources have confirmed that usually meetings convened in the Chief Minister House, Quetta, are delayed because Jam has to finish his computer game first.

“Everyone in the Balochistan government knows this. Our chief minister has got hundreds of computer game CDs,” a source said, revealing that Jam Yousaf also has a keen interest in the mobile phone sets. According to a provincial secretary, on more than one occasion he saw the chief minister taking photos with his cellphone during official meetings.

And then he is also absent from his post most of the time:

There are also many in the province who are not comfortable with the chief minister’s outstation visits. “Most of the time you will find him out of the province,” a source said, adding that he (the chief minister) goes for a meeting to Islamabad or Karachi but does not return for many days.

The source said the official record of the Balochistan government would amply show this trend of the chief minister. A weeklong absence, it is said, is a routine.

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On a more serious note it is believed over 80% of the development funds provided to Balochistan end up in the pockets of these Islamabad-picked politicians and bureaucrats. There is so much money to be made that ministers – many of them JUI Maulanas – cling on to their posts with fervent passion, making a complete mockery of their leader Fazlur Rehman’s threats to resign from the assemblies.

One semi-literate Maulvi-cum-Minister, for instance, is rumoured to have recently purchased two luxury flats in London. Just what our 'religious politician' plans to do in that capital of Western 'iniquity' is a question no one has dared yet ask him.

The News report gloomily continues:

Although governance is a problem throughout Pakistan, Balochistan is said to be one province where the government is extremely weak. Generally, postings and transfers against lucrative posts at all levels, it is said, are made by the concerned authorities only after the right palms are greased. The JUI Maulanas are also more interested in postings/transfers than the development of the province or to address the real problems of Balochistan.

Rules, regulations and policies remain irrelevant while making appointments. Average field tenure of officers is said to be eight months. Citing a few examples of strange appointments, a source said the incumbent chairman of the Balochistan Development Authority is a BS-19 officer whereas it is a BS-21 post. The DCO Quetta is also a BS-21 post but the incumbent is in BS-18. Balochistan is also unique to have a DCO on contract whereas in the chief minister’s home district – Lasbela — the DCO is a corporation employee, who neither belongs to the federal civil service nor the provincial civil service. DCO Gwadar is a rare example for the reason that he has not only completed his three-year tenure but has overstayed for at least one more year and is still continuing.

According to a source from Quetta the richest beneficiary of Balochistan’s provincial windfall is by convention the chief minister.

And so, as the Chief Minister plays his PC games, the crores must surely be falling into his lap.

In the meantime Balochistan burns…


Balochistan
Pakistan

Missing Persons Case: ‘Playing Hell with the Citizens of Pakistan'

It is a sign of the times that supercilious, self-important public servants are finally being made to trudge to the Supreme Court and make an appearance.

Yesterday in the Missing Persons Case, Defence Secretary Kamran Rasool and National Crisis Management Cell director-general Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema both showed up before the three-member Supreme Court investigating the ‘mysterious’ disappearance of scores of Pakistani citizens. The Secretary for the Interior excused himself from appearing on grounds of ill-health and the Attorney General, playing true to form, remained missing as has now become routine.

The regime officials informed the court that 56 individuals on the HRCP list of 136 had been traced. Of them, 45 had been freed, three were under trial, five under custody, one detained under the Security of Pakistan Act, one was an army deserter and one had been convicted. However, according to Brigadier Cheema, 80 people were still ‘untraced’.

Not true said the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), as The Nation reported:

The HRCP lawyers Fakhruddin G Ibrahim and Asma Jahangir doubted the claims made by Brig Cheema about the 45 ‘free persons’ as according to HRCP’s information, these people were still missing.

The Nation then continued:

…Brig Cheema informed the court that rest of the people mentioned in the list could not be traced since the list provided by the HRCP “is very scanty and deficient of details, like parentage and addresses of the missing persons.”

Human Rights Activist, lawyers Asma Jahangir argued before the court that the addresses of those persons were intentionally not provided, since the families of those missing individuals had secretly contacted them (HRCP) and were afraid of being harassed by the “powerful intelligence agencies.”

…Defence Secretary Kamran Rasool, while defending the intelligence agencies told the court, “agencies denied that people have been picked up unlawfully.”

Justice Javed Iqbal asked the Defence Secretary about the procedure that intelligence agencies follow. “How are they (agencies) answerable to you and at what point they inform you about any individual being picked up. Where is that law according to which people have been picked up,” Justice Javed Iqbal questioned.

Defence Secretary informed the court that Defence Ministry is unaware of the operational activities of the intelligence agencies and was only controlling the administrative side of them.

…Advocate Ikram Chaudhry told the court that the persons who had been released were constantly threatened by the agencies, and that they could again be abducted if they tried to reveal any such information about their unconstitutional detention.

While denouncing Brig Cheema, Advocate Ikram Chaudhry said, “They are not as innocent and straight as they are portraying before you. They have played hell with the citizens of Pakistan.”

The truth be told is that it is widely suspected that for the past few years the state has been managed by Musharraf by means of his ‘secret agencies’. And, the people that run these agencies are not accustomed to being answerable to anyone but the army chief.

Just take the latest example.

On Thursday Dato Param Cumaraswamy, head of the International Commission of Jurists’ (ICJ) mission to Pakistan, informed the press that on 9 March, after the Chief Justice’s release from his prolonged incarceration at the Army Camp and subsequent denial of access to his office at the Supreme Court, the ICJ has learnt:

“that when the Chief Justice reached his residence, 18 intelligence agents were reportedly inside the house, his housekeepers had been sent home and his phone and cable lines were disconnected. His cars were also fork lifted and taken away.”

While the Supreme Court has now:

- hinted at giving a ruling in the missing persons’ case which would not only punish the guilty but also guide parliament to frame a law to rein in intelligence agencies.

- indicated that whosoever was found responsible for disappearances would have to answer for each day of confinement of the missing persons.

It is obviously going to be a tough call for the judges. These agencies, having run unchecked for thirty odd years, are unlikely to cede their ‘sovereignty’ so easily.

However, we should all back our Courts to the hilt, with the sincere hope that one day Pakistan will return to the care of its 'uniformless' citizens.

Pakistan

Supreme Court of Pakistan

missing persons case

A Polite Rejoinder to a Judge

According to a newspaper two days ago, Supreme Court Justice Javed Iqbal took the opportunity to criticise journalists for discussing the constitution without possessing much knowledge about it.

With all due respect to the honourable judge I think he has got it badly wrong.
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Lest anyone accuse me of contempt let me quote the highly regarded Lord Salmon in my defence.

In 1968 Salmon LJ, dismissing an application for contempt of court went to the extent of recognizing that writers must be permitted to make criticisms that may be inaccurate, unfair, off the mark, rumbustious or in poor taste.

"It is the inalienable right of everyone to comment fairly upon any matter of public importance. This right is one of the pillars of individual liberty - freedom of speech, which our courts have always unfailingly upheld.

"It follows that no criticism of a judgment, however vigorous, can amount to contempt of court, provided it keeps within the limits of reasonable courtesy and good faith.”

Anyhow I am not venturing to comment on a judicial judgement, but simply making an observation on an aside uttered by Justice Javed Iqbal.
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Here is my respectful address to Justice Javed Iqbal.

Respected Judge Sahib,

As you should be well aware, the Constitution of Pakistan is not the property of the Executive, the Parliament or the Judiciary. It is the property of the people of Pakistan.

Simply put, the Executive is legally commanded to follow it and the Parliament empowered to amend it, the Judiciary’s role is limited to interpreting it – and no more.

As the Constitution is a property of the people they are perfectly entitled to discuss it, comment upon it, praise it and even criticize it. Judge sahib, whether their comments are informed or not, is completely and utterly irrelevant.

In fact it is high time the Constitution was discussed and debated on television, radio, chaikhanas and in the streets. The more it is discussed, the more people will become conscious of their so-called ‘sacred rights’ guaranteed by the Constitution - which sadly have been regularly watered down by a feeble judiciary following the instructions of dictators since days of Justice Munir in 1955.

It is widely accepted by many citizens of Pakistan, that along with the military, the judiciary is equally culpable in destroying their freedoms and human rights for over fifty years.

In the past month we have witnessed an extraordinary revival in the defence of our Constitution – thankfully it is no longer considered ‘a simple booklet of ten to twelve pages which can be torn up’ by any tin pot dictator with the support of a servile judiciary.

People are now calling for an independent judiciary as stipulated in the Constitution of 1973; others are calling for provincial autonomy as envisaged in 1973 when the constitution came into existence. Importantly, many citizens are demanding their guaranteed rights of free expression, an unshackled press and liberty from unlawful oppression and illegal detention as encompassed in this most important of all national documents.

One of the few admirable aspects of the modern Americans is the reverence they display for their constitution.

Judge Sahib, I respectfully suggest that it is high time we did the same.



Pakistan


Supreme Court of Pakistan

Gen. Hamid Gul on ‘Bottle Friends’

Sometime ago in the capital city, I called at someone’s place. A small group of visitors had already gathered there and they were all busy discussing – what else? – the CJ crisis.

And then who should drop in for a visit?

The grandfather of jihadism himself, General Hamid Gul.

Needless to add, social decorum was properly maintained and the retired general was accorded the requisite degree of respect for his “age and stage” in life - that is no discourteous comments were made nor were any blunt queries directed at him.

Nevertheless taking advantage of the presence of a once extremely powerful (and still influential) Khaki, he was asked some pertinent questions by those present.

Here are some of his replies:

Musharraf, as one of his juniors in command, proved to be ‘a good subordinate but was of decidedly average intelligence.’

The present lot of his handpicked generals are much junior to Musharraf in rank, tenure and experience. They were probably brigadiers, or even junior, at the time he took over as chief of army staff with the rank of full general. More importantly, ‘Musharraf does not take the trouble to sound out any of them on important policy matters.’

‘Neither does Musharraf bother to consult his own group of handpicked politicians.’

So who does the Commando General consult when making important ‘decisions of state’ – like fixing a ‘pesky’ Chief Justice?

Well, according to the ex-ISI chief, regime policies are discussed and decided at Musharraf’s late evening sessions with - what Hamid Gul refers to in English as - his ‘bottle friends’ (hum payalas in local idiom).
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Now I was not overly surprised by Hamid Gul’s revelation; I had been hearing the same thing from various sources for a lengthy period of time.

To me the actual confirmation came when Musharraf was interviewed by the Washington Post in September 2005.

When questioned by US journalists about the rape victim Mukhtaran Mai he gave what he thought was a well considered reply:

"A lot of people say that if you want to go abroad and get a visa from Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped"

I t was obvious who these “a lot of people” were.

I could easily imagine a bunch of inebriated pals – endowed with an uncommon dose of ‘macho’ irrationality - giving that kind of message to their leader in the early hours of the morning. And given the type of man Musharraf is, he took it as a given reality.

When his blundering remark drew outrage around the world, he denied ever making it. However the Washington Post then posted an audio of the interview on the internet establishing the general, not only as a macho dipstick, but a fibber as well. .
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It is therefore quite feasible that at one these sessions not so long ago, some members of this select company may have suggested that getting rid of a troublesome chief justice would be a piece of cake – just put on the uniform, glower at him and the guy would automatically crumble to pieces.

Well it did not quite happen as planned, but I would dearly love to know more about these ‘bottle friends’.

Does any one know who they are?

Pakistan

The Creepy Reichsleiter

Yesterday Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain made a decidedly creepy statement while addressing an assembled crowd of PML(Q) ‘toughs’ outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad.

The Daily Times quotes him as saying:

“those criticising the army should be gunned down.”

While I realize the Chaudhry owes his present social (his father was a humble constable), financial (he is a rupee billionaire many time over) and political (as a former-prime minister and a current Reichslieter of Punjab) positions to the patronage of a long list of army generals (from Ayub Khan to Musharraf), even such pathetic loyalty has to have its limits.

By publicly advocating these ‘summary executions’, he is in breech of every norm of civilized behaviour.
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In my book perhaps the only American worthy of admiration was Abraham Lincoln – one of history’s greatest democrats. He once said:

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

Sadly in Pakistan, the gift of power has done nothing but produce a lengthy line of authority-addicted mediocrities.

Pakistan

Stratfor : Expect Violence in Islamabad Today

Strategic Forecasting Inc., more commonly known as Stratfor, a private intelligence agency (once referred to as "The Shadow CIA") has made the following forecast:

- "Pakistani opposition forces prepared for a large demonstration outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad on April 24 to protest the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and his aides have made plans to instigate clashes between the opposition and government supporters to justify a police crackdown in the Pakistani capital."

- "To counter the opposition's April 24 demonstrations, the Pakistani government has organized a 2,000-strong pro-government procession from Punjab to Islamabad, led by supporters of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League. Two notable figures that helped plan this march were Punjabi Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja and Salman Shah, financial adviser to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz."

- "The pro-government march planners also have arranged for several delinquents, party strongmen and government agents to take part and set off a confrontation between the chief justice supporters and the pro-government demonstrators. The anticipated clashes are intended to justify a government crackdown against the opposition protesters and demonstrate how the government is going on the offensive. Musharraf hopes to kill two birds with one stone by using this police crackdown to send a message to the Red Mosque mullahs, who have taken advantage of the Chaudhry debacle to advance their own aggressive Talibanization campaign."


- "In line with this plan, Musharraf is temporarily escaping the heat from the Chaudhry protests by going on a tour to Poland, Spain, Bosnia and Turkey to enhance Pakistan's trade ties. By leaving the country during a political imbroglio, Musharraf is indicating that he has things under control and his government is still in the driver's seat."

- "Musharraf realizes the need to sustain Pakistan's relevance in Washington's eyes and has thus tacitly allowed Islamist militants to use Pakistan as a launchpad for attacks in neighboring Afghanistan, much to the ire of the Afghan government… Musharraf is likely to exhibit a marked change of attitude during the Turkey visit. Already fearing the growing Talibanization in his own country, Musharraf will assure Karzai that Pakistan will do more to rein in the Taliban along the border."

- "Meanwhile, rumors abound that Musharraf has finally cut a deal with his primary political opponent, Benazir Bhutto of the Pakistan People's Party-Parliamentarians (PPP-P). The two are ready to cut a deal, but there is no assurance that either side will uphold its part of the bargain without backstabbing the other."

- "The talk of Musharraf-Bhutto deal-making has also given the Pakistani government enough fodder to keep the Pakistani opposition front divided."

- "More important -- and contrary to public statements -- Bhutto sees Musharraf, who shares with the PPP-P a common secular ideology, as a medium through which her party could stage a political comeback. Should Musharraf lose his power, all bets are off. This is why, unlike Sharif, Bhutto does not favor using the Chaudhry crisis to oust Musharraf. She wants to use the crisis to pressure Musharraf into negotiating with her."

- "For any real deal to come from the Bhutto-Musharraf talks, the Pakistani president needs to devise some way to ensure he remains president without making the PPP-P look like it has sold out."

- "One thing for certain is that the general has not run out of options, and officials in Washington are just as eager to see how Musharraf manages to work his way out of this political fracas to ensure U.S. interests in combating al Qaeda and Taliban militants do not get tangled up in Musharraf's mess."

Pakistan

Supreme Court of Pakistan

Regime Clamps Down on the Press Yet Again

According to BBC Aaj TV and Geo are currently the most popular news channels in Pakistan. Having largely muzzled Geo TV, the regime Media authority PEMRA is now whacking Aaj with its customary big stick

Dawn reported this morning that Aaj TV is once more under the gun “for airing news, talk shows and other programmes on the current judicial crisis”.

Pemra has also warned all private TV channels not to air programmes casting aspersions on the judiciary and “integrity of the armed forces of Pakistan,” besides contents which were likely to encourage and incite violence or contained anything against maintenance of law and order or which promoted anti-national or anti-state attitudes

Thanks to Reuters this piece of news has been given a wide coverage in the international press:

Aaj Television described the show-cause notice served on it by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) as an "assault on freedom of press".

The notice said Aaj, which means Today, had violated an order of the Supreme Judicial Council, which is hearing a case against suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, by telecasting news, talkshows and other programmes on the sub-judice case.

The notice, signed by a serving senior police officer inducted into PEMRA, said the media watchdog could cancel the channel's short term uplinking license if it failed to respond within three days.

Syed Talat Hussain, Aaj Television's director news and current affairs, accused the Government of pressurising his channel "to take the chief justice case off air completely".

"Everything is facade in this country. Democracy is a facade, judicial independence is a facade, and today we discovered that press freedom is a facade," Mr Hussain said.

PEMRA's spokesman, Mohammad Saleem, said the action was legal.

"It has nothing to do with freedom of expression. We did what regulatory bodies all over the world have been doing," he said.

What a load of rubbish!

Imagine claiming that they are only doing what “regulatory bodies all over the world have been doing”. Could someone ask these goons to name any other similar regulatory authority that has ‘a serving senior police officer’ issuing such draconian notices to the press? (Okay, Burma, Zimbabwe and North Korea excepted).

I enjoy watching Talat Hussain. He seems to a better job than most of his rivals put together. All power to Aaj TV and him!

Press Censorship

Pakistan

Press Freedom

Aaj TV

Musharraf phones Benazir himself

Newsweek comes out this week revealing how anxious Musharraf has really become.

Quoting sources from both sides of the political divide, Newsweek reports that a frantic Musharraf has telephoned Benazir Bhutto at least three times. Apparently this time desperation has made him seek her out directly rather than relying on his aides.

Here is an excerpt:

_________________________________

April 30, 2007, Newsweek, U.S. Edition

Musharraf's Secret Deal
By Zahid Hussain and Ron Moreau

One of America's most crucial allies against Al Qaeda is bargaining for his political life. Public opposition to Pakistan's autocratic leader, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has grown so fierce that he's secretly reaching out to a longtime enemy of his military rule: exiled former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. According to sources close to both sides who cannot be named because of the sensitivity of the ongoing talks, Musharraf has telephoned Bhutto at least three times.

Benazir Bhutto
Pakistan
Musharraf

Desperately Seeking Succour

The anxieties of Pakistani political/military leadership vis-à-vis Washington, can be extremely embarrassing at the best of times. They seem desperately keen at all times to be in the good books of the US Administration.

Recently we had to suffer Benazir Bhutto extolling US’s beneficial impact in Iraq on BBC, now we have a besieged Musharraf suddenly offering his services to help resolve the sixty year old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In the interview aired late Friday on Dubai-based Al-Arabya television, Musharraf said he was "enthusiastic" to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and would go to Israel if his offer to mediate was accepted.

"It will be an honor if I can contribute in any way," said Musharraf. "If there was a role that I can play, and both sides accept that role, yes, indeed, I would like to play that role."

The Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post had this to say:

Israel has rejected the surprise offer by Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

An official in the Prime Minister's Office described the offer as "a little ridiculous," noting that there are no diplomatic relations between Islamabad and Jerusalem.

"We have an Arab initiative. Why would we need a Pakistani initiative?" the official asked, adding that mediation efforts would be welcomed from any state that had ties with Israel.

Sources in Jerusalem said that although Prime Minister Ehud Olmert welcomed the possibility of dialogue with Saudi Arabia, which also has no diplomatic ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia cannot be compared with Pakistan. Saudi Arabia, together with Egypt, is one of the leaders of the Arab and Muslim world, and is on a different level, as far as Israel is concerned, than Pakistan.

A more conciliatory note was sounded by Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev who said Pakistan's involvement would be welcomed, but that Musharraf's effectiveness would likely be limited.

Pakistan

Bob Woolmer: His Murder Nearly Solved?

OK, I admit The Sun is the rubbishiest of newspapers, but…but for a brief moment imagine if what yesterday’s news item hints at, just turns out to be true.

I have never heard of Aconite. Has it really been used ‘in several high-profile assassinations in Pakistan’ as this piece asserts or is this wretched paper making it up to sell more copies.

Only time will tell.

And yes, the other piece of news in The Sun is that Jamaican detectives have identified a suspect on the newly cleaned and enhanced CCTV footage.

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Potter drug did kill Woolmer

The Sun, April 20, 2007

CRICKET coach Bob Woolmer WAS poisoned by the “Harry Potter” drug aconite.

Toxicology tests have confirmed “significant” traces of it in the Pakistan coach’s body.

The tests were ordered following an anonymous tip to Jamaican police — eight days after Woolmer died — that aconite had been used.

Aconite, which paralyses the nerves, normally takes only 30 minutes to kill. Victims suffer vomiting and diarrhoea before collapsing unable to breathe, to die in agony.

Experts say the drug causes a sensation like ants crawling over the body.

A neck injury — which caused police to say Woolmer had been strangled — is now thought to have followed a fall when he collapsed.

Detectives believe the drug, in the form of white powder, could have been tipped into whisky Woolmer was drinking in his room — or sprinkled over sleeping tablets and diabetes pills he was taking.

The ancient poison, also known as wolfsbane, is said to be perfect for concealing murder and has been used in several high-profile assassinations in Pakistan.

… One senior police source said last night: “The toxicology tests show that he had significant traces of aconite.

“We are now entirely convinced he was poisoned. The fact that aconite has also previously been used in Pakistan may also be highly relevant.”

Another source added: “This murder proves that truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction. It is now an international inquiry and could ultimately involve high-level diplomatic discussions.”

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'Suspect' over Bob Woolmer

The Sun, April 21, 2007

AN inquest into the death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has been postponed — due to “significant developments” in the murder inquiry, it was revealed last night.

Detectives are believed to have identified a suspect on enhanced CCTV footage from his hotel in Jamaica. Sources say images cleaned up by Scotland Yard show a man of “considerable interest”.

They added: “The time of the footage and its location mean that this individual must be considered a suspect.”

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Bob Woolmer
Pakistan
Pakistan Cricket