Sharif brothers declared ineligible

[Omar1984]

Can Sharif brothers fight this "declaration" made by the Supreme Court?

 

[Zovc]

About the GDP read the IMF report of Pakistan of 91-2 and the basic question was an ethnic one.

My opinion on the PPP is that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was brilliant, a fantastic orator and a very effective mass leader, but he was lusty of personal power, arrogant, impulsive and intolerant of dissidents. Some of his policy choices, expressing his understanding of the public interest, were misconceived and ended up hurting the country. His daughter Benazir was an elegant woman, bright, a good public speaker with excellent rapport with the masses. But as prime minister she turned out to be inefficient as a manager of public affairs.

They have given good to Pak and are a democratic party but I personally like PML(N) better so I am not anti PPPP I agree they have done for Pakistan

You are right, i just checked, 1992 GDP growth rate was 7.7%.

About the question being ethnic one, then Punjab is home to Punjabi's mostly. Hence he worked for them 10 times more the he did for other Pakitani's.

 

[ejaz007]

Can Sharif brothers fight this "declaration" made by the Supreme Court?

They can appeal against this decision in Supreme Court but since they do not recognize the court they perhaps won't.

 

[ejaz007]

Crackdown on media proposed Sherry threatens resignation; govt terms report baseless
Friday, February 27, 2009
By Hamid Mir

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani are being strongly urged by some members of the federal cabinet to launch an immediate crackdown on the print media and some TV channels, but Information Minister Sherry Rehman is believed to have indicated to resign if this was done.

An adviser to the prime minister is among those who have repeatedly suggested to President Zardari and PM Gilani to contain the media in the larger national interest. According to highly reliable sources in the PM House, the adviser has asked that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) be used to ban the coverage of anti-government protest rallies of lawyers and PML-N on television channels.

Sources close to the adviser deny that he has made any such request. When some relevant officials were contacted they expressed their ignorance about any proposal to crack down on the media.

A minister even termed the report about the proposal fabricated and without foundation. He said the PPP and its leadership holds the media in great respect. He said the PPP has a history of giving freedom to the media and not strangulating it. Information Minister Sherry Rehman is said to be opposed to the use of Pemra against some television channels.

Insiders say some hawks around the president have proposed to use the secretary information and principal information officer (PIO) for controlling the print media in the same way as Musharraf did.

Sherry Rehman made it clear to Prime Minister Gilani on Thursday in a meeting that if she was by-passed by someone to twist the arms of the media then she will have no other option but to resign from the ministry because this is not what the late Benazir Bhutto promised to the people of Pakistan before her assassination.

Ms Rehman was not prepared to offer any comments on the record on this subject. PPP government insiders say after dismissing the government in Punjab and imposing Governor’s rule, the next target of the government is the media as it was fanning the protests and creating problems for the government.

Governor Punjab Salman Taseer said just a few months ago that some television anchors must be chained because they are destabilising the country. Now he has all the powers in the biggest province of the Pakistan to do so. He can arrest any journalist, he can ban any television channel in Punjab and he can book any lawyer in any case.

His powers in Punjab are not different from the powers of General Musharraf after the infamous emergency rule imposed on November 3, 2007. The government sources and some informed members of the Parliament say a hit list of some senior journalists, including some media house owners, is already under discussion in the top echelons of the government in Islamabad.

PML-Q member of the National Assembly Nausheen Saeed hinted the names of some “marked journalists” in a lunch meeting at SAFMA Secretariat in Islamabad the other day. I was discussing peace in Swat valley with famous Indian filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt in the afternoon of February 25 at a lunch by SAFMA.

He was in Islamabad as part of a 12-member Indian peace delegation, led by veteran Indian journalist Kuldip Nayyer. Mahesh Bhatt was trying to understand why Pakistani government was forced to make a peace deal with the Taliban militants? I told him that war against terror never produced positive results for bringing stability to the country and now our new government is trying to test peace initiative for stabilising Pakistan.

While I was telling him that peace and stability is coming back to Swat Valley, I received a message on my cell phone that Governor’s Rule will be imposed in Punjab after the Supreme Court of Pakistan decision to disqualify former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif. I immediately stopped talking. Mahesh Bhatt noticed my sudden silence and asked me what had happened? I told him that instability is once again coming back to my homeland and this time not through Taliban or al-Qaeda but through a Supreme Court decision and by a clean shaved politician.

Swami Agniwash, another member of the Indian peace delegation, was listening to my conversation with Mahesh Bhatt. He smilingly said don’t worry, it will be good for your country, now more people will come on the roads against the puppet judiciary and lawyers long march planned on March 12 will become a big success and you will have a free and independent judiciary very soon.

I looked towards the orange turban and orange kurta pajama of Swami Ji and asked him: “Is it your prediction as a palmist or your analysis?” He responded that it was his political analysis. Mahesh Bhatt agreed with him and asked me that what is the biggest problem of Pakistan today, restoration of deposed judges or terrorism? I quickly said: “rule of law”.

Nausheen Saeed is a close confidant of PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. President Zardari is trying to win the support of PML-Q in Punjab against Sharif brothers. In one of the party meetings Nausheen advised her leaders not to become part of this dirty game.

She is not the only one fearing some more court decisions and new criminal cases against defiant journalists. A federal minister had also cautioned me on February 25 saying: “Your media group is going too fast and will meet an accident very soon.”

The group faced an accident just few days back in Swat where Musa Khankhel was assassinated. But as peace was coming back to Swat, President Zardari had opened a new front in Punjab.

What is amusing is that a peace deal with Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah in Swat can be reached but President Zardari cannot make peace with Nawaz Sharif who supported his party’s rule at the Centre. He is also unhappy with those lawyers and journalists who were disliked by Musharraf. Like the former military ruler, Zardari also thinks that some journalists are “TV terrorists” and they are the biggest threat to the security of Pakistan just because they support independence of judiciary.

Crackdown on media proposed Sherry threatens resignation; govt terms report baseless

 

[Bane Blade]

They will wait until they can get justice because a Dogar court is going to win them nothing not even an insurance claim.

 

[Omar1984]

You are right, i just checked, 1992 GDP growth rate was 7.7%.

About the question being ethnic one, then Punjab is home to Punjabi's mostly. Hence he worked for them 10 times more the he did for other Pakitani's.

The most populated province in Pakistan is Punjab so if he worked harder in the most populated province than the less populated provinces..there's nothing wrong with that. Most populated areas need most attention.

Nawaz Sharif's record GDP growth rate of 7.7% is far better than the current GDP growth rate of 1% Zardari gave us today. Pakistan is the laughing stock of the entire international community because of Zardari.

The PPP of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is nothing like the PPP of Asif Ali Zardari.

 

[ejaz007]

Mr. Zardari has the potential to become mikhail gorbachev of PPPP.

 

[Bane Blade]

If democracy is given the chance to run then PPPP has no future for the next elections they will have to clearly change their faces and this leaves the door open for PML(N).

 

[SamJarwar]

Well Zardari has not done well with Sharif brothers ... Now Sharif Brothers are Heroes Nationwide... Next Election is with PML(N)

 

[Omar1984]

Well Zardari has not done well with Sharif brothers ... Now Sharif Brothers are Heroes Nationwide... Next Election is with PML(N)

Next election is when?

 

[Omar1984]

City protests disqualification

Friday, February 27, 2009
By By Jawwad Rizvi

LAHORE

THE traders of the provincial metropolis observed complete shutter down on Thursday after the first day of the court decision against Sharif brothers’ disqualifications.

Though All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran has given strike call across the province, going on strike by themselves the traders of the province showed their solidarity with PML-N.

The News has surveyed various markets of the city and found that all the major business centres of the city had observed complete shutter down while the residential areas shops were opened. Interestingly, Qaumi Tajir Ittehad remained silent in this issue. Nevertheless, the markets where QTI have hold also observed strike. The PML-N leadership has not asked the traders community to observe strike. The traders themselves went on strike to show solidarity and keep themselves alive in the market. Shabbir Ahmed, an owner of a cloth shop in Azam Cloth Market said in such a scenario when the market union had decided to observe strike, no one could open shop as the union heads were the representative of the shopkeepers. However, the country is not in a condition of strikes and shutter downs in the ongoing economic crisis, he added.

In some areas, the administration also tried to open market forcefully. The traders of Walton and Defence areas markets said that the police officials asked them to open shops. Gulbaz Ahmed, a trader of Walton road said some traders came to the market and gathered at a place to chalk out the future strategy. However, the police officials asked them to open shops and no one would hurt them.

Abdul Razzaq Babar of Anjuman-e-Tajiran said the traders had observed strike on the Anjuman’s call. The shutter down shows the people have no trust in courts after its decision of Sharif brothers’ disqualification, he added.

Khamis Saeed Butt, a trader of Urdu Bazaar said the traders were with the PML-N and today’s strike showed that they had rejected Zardari’s decision. Business activities were halted in the city soon after the apex court verdict of Sharif brothers’ disqualification.

President All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran Haji Maqsood said the Thursday’s successful strike was enough to make it clear upon the government that it could not take such decisions anymore. He said that this decision was against the wishes of the people. He also said that this was a conspiracy against the mandate of the people. He said that this was the conspiracy for the disintegration of the country, adding that traders will not let any conspiracy to be successful against Pakistan.

Meanwhile, markets including Azam Cloth Market, Pakistan Cloth Market, Kashmiri Bazaar, Bara Market, Rangmehal, Circular Road, Neela Gumbad, Gunpat Road, Dabi Bazaar, Rehman Galian Market, Lytton Road, Multan Road, Yateem Khana, Scheme Morr, Lohari’s medicine market, Brandrath Road, Amin Park’s main market, Ravi Road, Madina Electric Market, Bottle Bazaar and Paper Mandi, Sarafa Bazaar, Moti Bazaar (wholesale shoe market), Shah Alam Market, Akbari Mandi, Lunda Bazaar Steel Market, Badami Bagh spare parts market, Badami Bagh Steel Market, Bilal Gang, Anarkali Bazaar, Urdu Bazaar, Patiala Ground, Hall Road, Beadon Road, Montgomery Road, McLeod Road motor cycle and spare parts market, Tyre Market (railway station and Neelam Gumbad), Jail Road, The Mall, Abid Market, Ferozepur Road, Wahdat Road, Allama Iqbal Town, Civic Centre Garden Town, Ichhra, Baghbanpura, Shalimar Link Road, Islampura’s Main Bazaar, Dil Muhammad Road, Bansaanwala Bazaar, Nisbat Road, Camera Market, Paints Market and other small markets situated in the adjacent areas were found almost 90 per cent closed.

City protests disqualification


Zardari wants to bring the GDP growth rate from 1% to .01%

 

[RabzonKhan]

So what else did anyone expect?

Islamabad diary

Friday, February 27, 2009
by Ayaz Amir

The Pakistani nation has been guilty of many follies. We’ve made wrong decisions and have had to live with the consequences. But Asif Ali Zardari was not a choice the Pakistani nation made or that, in its right senses, it could ever make. But through a train of circumstances no fortune-teller could have foretold we first saw Zardari becoming leader of the PPP and then, to the no small horror of many Pakistanis, president of the Islamic Republic.

Zardari of legendary fame, who could never live down the deadly sobriquet ‘Ten Per cent’; Zardari who on meeting George Bush for the first time flabbergasted him with his syntax – flabbergasting Bush in the matter of syntax not being an easy task; who with his effusive and ill-judged gallantry threw Governor Sarah Palin into a state of confusion, again no mean feat given that Ms Palin is not the kind of lady who is easily ruffled. This then is the person whose portrait adorns government offices as the president of Pakistan.

And then sceptics (rationalists?) say there is no such thing as fate. If events in Pakistan over the last one year show not the Moving Finger in action, writing and moved on, no other explanation accounts for the phenomenon of Zardari as president.

There was a certain Mr Pinyar, a Sindhi, made DIG police by Mr Bhutto. Legend has it that on his elevation Mr Pinyar, pointing to the names of previous DIGs inscribed on the board behind his chair, told his visitors that it was not he who had risen to the dignity of his office. The office had fallen and fallen and reached his level. Honest man who for this candid admission should have had the gates of paradise opened for him.

The late Justice Munir (he of the Doctrine of Necessity fame who, as chief justice of Pakistan, validated Ayub Khan’s martial law in the celebrated Dossa case) wrote a book in his later years entitled ‘From Jinnah to Zia’ – by which title he probably meant to show the decline of Pakistan’s fortunes. But what if someone were to write another book, ‘From Jinnah to Zardari’? The title would say it all.

As Benazir Bhutto’s husband, Asif Zardari took full advantage of his position and during her two stints as prime minister proved himself a skilful mover and shaker from the sidelines. He also proved himself a remarkably successful entrepreneur, trading political influence for deals and arrangements which, allegedly, brought him an immense fortune. Only a clever and intelligent person could have done this. But even when his behind-the-scenes influence was at its height no one in his wildest dreams could have imagined him leading the PPP and one day becoming President of Pakistan.

Although he cultivated a macho image of himself, he always walked in his wife’s shadow and made it to the National Assembly and later the Senate only because he was Benazir Bhutto’s husband. Two years before his marriage when he contested the 1985 elections from Nawabshah as an independent candidate he lost ignominiously, managing only a few thousand votes.

So here we have a clever and intelligent person with an abiding interest in politics (his father, Hakim Ali Zardari, got elected to the National Assembly in 1970 on a PPP ticket), but whose political clout, which grew as the years passed, depended solely on the provenance of his marriage. Beware the complexes and insecurities of a man – especially one cultivating a macho image and fantasizing about his Baloch bloodline – living under the shadow of a wife far superior to him in every respect.

Would not such a man be out to prove himself all the time, be at pains to emphasise that he is greater and more gifted than what is commonly supposed about him? When his wife was tragically killed and he was catapulted into the position of party leader, Zardari didn’t have to prove his financial acumen. That was well known. But he had to dispel the misgivings about him and prove that fate apart he was a political figure, if not a titan, in his own right.

So while others may take the breaking of public pledges as an affront to one’s dignity, he has considered it a higher form of politics, even going to the extent of saying that he would teach the Sharifs a thing or two about politics. In his climb up the greasy pole, and it has been quite a climb, he twice committed himself in writing to the restoration of the judges ousted by Musharraf. On both occasions, with a smoothness that left observers speechless, Zardari went back on those promises, probably meant not to be kept from day one.

In the matter of General Pervez Musharraf’s supposed impeachment – a drama Zardari played to perfection – he got the Sharifs on board (without whose help the drama could not have been staged) only to ditch them when Musharraf, unable to withstand the huge pressure mounted on him from all sides, agreed to leave office voluntarily. This cleared Zardari’s path to the presidency. With hindsight we can say that this was the prize his heart was set on all along. But he kept his emotions in check and until the moment he filed his papers there were not many people ready to bet on his candidacy.

But with the Sharifs’ disqualification by a bench of the Supreme Court – headed by a chief justice whose close links to Zardari are well known – followed by the ouster of the PML-N government in Punjab and the imposition of governor’s rule, Zardari has let slip the mask from his face by revealing his naked ambition: this time to extend his power and wrest control of Pakistan’s largest province.

This is a dangerous gambit with unpredictable consequences because it remains to be seen whether he is able to master the crisis he has sparked or whether it becomes too big for him. In which case he would have over-reached himself. It’s not safe to make predictions but one thing about a crisis we should know: you either master it or it devours you, as Pervez Musharraf discovered to his cost when his action against Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry triggered the lawyers’ movement, leading to a series of events over which he had less and less control.

Even so, Zardari’s audacity – or is it heedlessness? – has to be admired. At a time when Pakistan is still trying to figure out how to deal with the insurgency in FATA and Swat, he has thought fit to open another front in Punjab. Will the army thank him for this or are eyebrows already raised in GHQ? The strategic purpose of the Mumbai attacks was to divert the attention of the Pakistan Army from the war in FATA to the Indian border. They failed in their purpose because the United States helped calm tensions between India and Pakistan.

But Zardari may yet succeed where the Mumbai gunmen failed. With Punjab on the boil, and the political temperature set to rise, and the lawyers’ long march just ahead, FATA, Swat and the war in Afghanistan take a back seat in Pakistani minds as attention turns to the home front and the witches’ brew concocted in the Presidency. Baitullah Mehsud, Maulana Fazlullah et al recede into the background. Forgive the Taliban a half-repressed smile of glee.

For much of Pakistan’s history its judiciary has been more a political instrument than a fount of justice. Most Pakistanis see Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s death sentence as judicial murder. It would be most surprising if they don’t see the verdict in the Sharif case a political coup dressed up in the colours of a judicial verdict. Whatever the technicalities on which the Sharifs have been disqualified most Pakistanis are aware of the politics behind this move.

But we are dealing with the dark recesses of the human mind. Insecure people who also happen to be intelligent are the biggest disasters of all if power comes into their hands and goes to their heads. In its all too turbulent history time and again Pakistan has paid the price for the folly of its rulers. From Governor General Ghulam Muhammad onwards put them together and they seem like portraits in a rogue’s gallery. Now we confront unchecked folly made complicated by gnawing insecurity. What price will the nation have to pay for this?

 

[Awesome]

Zardari has literally taken on the Punjabis head on. This is quickly becoming an ethnic issue. The Punjabis aren't like the other provinces to threaten breakup of the federation. But they wield enough power to take over the entire federation

People have blamed that Nawaz's government only favors Punjab. But here in a Sindhi man's government, Punjab was still prospering under Shahbaz Sharif. Kicking him out forcibly is going to be nothing short of Musharraf's stunt with Iftikhar Chowdhary. I do not see this row coming to an end till the Zardari government is removed somehow.

 

[Awesome]

It is indeed a fair decisin. The problem is that the yard sticks used to deal with BB and Shareef brothers have been different . Whereas the former has had the NRO the latter has alwys had this spectre hanging over their heads. What also is wrong is the statements by taseer prior to the judgement and also promulgation of Governor rule. If the sharif broters were disqualified, someone else from PML(N) sould have been aske d to form a government.
Araz

PPP doesn't have the numbers for putting a CM on their own. Q - League is going to think twice before supporting PPP, since right now they are the public enemy #1. Salman Taseer the drunk sharabi kababi is given Punjab to rule indefinitely.

PML-N can't get a new CM in since the alliance has been broken (in fact hostilities have begun) so PML-N doesn't even have the numbers. At some point PPP's arms would be twisted into holding provincial re-elections and therein would lie the rise of PML-N. Zardari is being given enough rope to hang himself.

 

[Bane Blade]

PML(N) still holds a simple Majority in the Punjab government what will happen is horse traidng PML(Q) might ending up deciding the vot if they field their own candidate then they will play for the PML(N) if they support PPP their days as an independant party are over and if they shake hands with PML(N) then we will have a new government being sworn in in a few months time.