Pakistan Independence Day Video

[roadrunner]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&refer=india&sid=axKRvRw2UEgM

"Worsening Security" is a legitimate concern for Pakistan's economy, and as long as those concerns remain, we wont be able to attract investment from the West in droves like China, India and the South East Asian countries have done. But that is a seperate issue and the downgrade does not reflect any "figure fudging" on Musharraf's part.

This is really the irony isn't it? It's probably related to the Lal Majid types and the calls of the foreign extremists to make war on the Pakistani government and therefore on Pakistan. Far from helping Pakistan in a productive way, their primary aim is to rid the place of all vice, at the expense of economic strength and properity, that would in time give Pakistan the means to become completely self sufficient and a centre of learning like it used to be a long time ago. Eradication of vice through brute force and threats won't solve the problem anyway, it's a societal problem that noone in the history of the world has managed to solve. It's difficult to reason with extremists of any religion, but to do this all at the expense of the economy is really too much, one can hardly describe them as loyal Pakistani patriots, unlike the people who they are targetting. Irony upon irony.

Having said all that, the situation was bound to come to a head, and the sooner it's tackled the better so that investment can continue. I don't think the actual figure has been downgraded it's still B isn't it? So long as it continues upwards that would be the main thing.

 

[Contrarian]

Was this the downgrade you were referring to?


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&refer=india&sid=axKRvRw2UEgM

"Worsening Security" is a legitimate concern for Pakistan's economy, and as long as those concerns remain, we wont be able to attract investment from the West in droves like China, India and the South East Asian countries have done. But that is a seperate issue and the downgrade does not reflect any "figure fudging" on Musharraf's part.

Yeah thats the one. It doesnt reflect any figure fudging but it does give you a sense of the situation.

Everything is relative Mishra sahib. Relative to what previous regimes have done with respect to media freedom, crackdowns and victimization, Musharraf is a Saint. I also disagree that the crackdown was as severe as you suggest. If he really wanted to he could have just yanked all the private channel licenses and shut them down. The fact that he didn't, the rapidity with which he backed out of the confrontation with the media, how he accepted the verdict of the SC, all differentiate him from his predecessors arrogance and intolerance, both military and political.

Yeah, thats true.

With respect to the Dawn issue, did you know that the group has recently been granted a license to operate a full fledged news channel? This decision benefits the group more than any government advertising in their newspaper ever could. They will now be able to diversify their source of revenues as well as minimize the impact of GoP advertising on their print business, if not become completely independent of it. Denying them a TV license would have been an easy, low profile way to continue to hurt the group. The fact that he didn't, so far, reflects positively upon him.

Yeah, Musharraf backed out of the confrontation, not real soon though. Not before the offices were raided, heck that was given round the clock coverage in almost all the news channels here with the owners and producers and editors from the news channels and analysts from Pakistan speaking with videofone and sats.

One act does not condone what he has done and has actually tried. I am sorry, but it does not reflect good on Musharraf. It was not him who stopped the confrontation with the media out of goodwill or respect for it. It was because he realised that the people of Pakistan will be dead pi$$ed at him if he continued it. The fact that he started it just showed his real intent.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Yeah, Musharraf backed out of the confrontation, not real soon though. Not before the offices were raided, heck that was given round the clock coverage in almost all the news channels here with the owners and producers and editors from the news channels and analysts from Pakistan speaking with videofone and sats.

One act does not condone what he has done and has actually tried. I am sorry, but it does not reflect good on Musharraf. It was not him who stopped the confrontation with the media out of goodwill or respect for it. It was because he realised that the people of Pakistan will be dead pi$$ed at him if he continued it. The fact that he started it just showed his real intent.

I am not denying that he has his faults. I believe that it was an extremely ill advised move to initiate the crackdown in the first place. But from the context of precedence and the evolution of a culture of institutional respect and tolerance, I still see a silver lining in this whole episode; which is that he actually backed down and chose not to completely dismantle one of the more remarkable achievements of his tenure. He is after all a "dictator", and dictators are not supposed to care much for the "court of public opinion". His actions will hopefully make it much harder for any future government, especially a political one, to tread roughshod over those institutions.

Small steps I know, but Pakistan has had so little that even this seems gigantic. We really are not used to our rulers "backing down" or caring about public opinion at all.

 

[Chrome9]

Yes the downgrading was about foreign investment potemtial, it was downgraded from "good" to "stable". It had nothing to do with figure smudging and NGO's and various news agencies don't doubt the economic growth by Pakistan. It had to do with the worsening law and order situation which started after the LAl masjid operation.

 

[waz]

Not a flame, but it looks to me that the great irony is that nearing Pakistan's Independence Day, Pakistan is on the verge of martial law and there is instability in the country with the talk of the President being removed, to top it all, the President is still a dictator.

Don’t make me laugh and at least be honest you meant it entirely as a flame. Please see to the problems in your own nation first you can start with the Maoists.

 

[waz]

Anyway happy Independence Day to my brothers and sisters may Allah protect our fatherland.

 

[genmirajborgza786]

happy 60th independence day to Pakistan