The Young Benazir Bhutto.

Benazir Bhutto , the clear foreign policy  leader.

Benazir Bhutto was a  political leader of Pakistan whose charm and charisma swept the people's vote towards Pakistan Peoples Party in elections all over the country. From Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's dynamic, populist political legacy  to Benazir Bhutto's determined thrust towards democratic people's rule we see how this young, Oxford educated leader in Pakistan transformed the consciousness of the Pakistan political man and woman, into the mainstream electoral politics. The crown of glory for Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was raising the consciousness of the worker and farmer, the ordinary AWAM to face the rich and making the industrialist families lose power and influence but the crown of glory for this daughter of the east  was making each and every individual conscious of the power of his and her vote. her legacy is definitely the superiority of the people that is the parliament over all other institutions and authoritarian forces in the country. Young Benazir at the age of 25 wrote a book buy the name of Foreign Policy Perspective  which reflects the clear vision and leadership qualities that  were present in her even at that young age.she was  under detention in Lahore at this time between December 18, 1977 and January 14, 1978.
In her first chapter  "The most allied ally" she takes a bold , individual and seminal stance on the US -Pakistan relationship. She laments the attitude of Pakistan towards the US as a love affair , all or none relationship. She says that this does not prepare Pakistan for a  "rainy day". Pakistan's opposition or silent status at China's  membership at UN etc and its "sub-normal" relationship with socialist states is criticized.She says  that Pakistan builds one sided bridges which do not exist in politics and diplomacy. How true and prophetic this perspective seems in the context of the difficult diplomatic relationship that is now existing between Pakistan and the US.
Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto did lean towards China and that was the starting point in his foreign policy perspective and Benazir built up this perspective on that foundation. She did strengthen the Sino-Pakistan relationship and bonding  much more than any previous leader and her legacy holds. This has been utilized even by the armed forces and other allied industries despite their leanings towards the US.
Another very interesting and almost prophetic perspective statement is about the independence of Tunisia and Morocco.She writes that General Ayub Khan called the US a "natural friend of Pakistan". The independence of the two states was vigorously supported by Pakistan because it was not  opposed by the US. How ironic that at present her party government is being criticized as a supporter of the US although pragmatism requires this stance in foreign policy at this critical times and stage of history.
This chapter shows clearly her leanings towards a strong, bold and independent foreign policy. Her accusers and enemies in Pakistan are clear liars against her today as her writings can be seen by all.
In the chapter USA she asks the US government that was it necessary to destabilize Pakistan in 1977? This question pre-Taleban Alqaeda emergence gives the basic insight into the politics of the region that are now eating away at the very foundations and existence of Pakistan. Says she that the acquisition of the "Reprocessing plant " by Pakistan was the basis on which US punished the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It is ironic that the generation that carries the legacy of  that US supported militant, founding memebers of the Afghan Jihad have finally killed this leader and their political supporters in Pakistan use the name of Islam to carry out the agenda that the US set for them in the 1980s/ It seems that her book clearly gives the perspective in which Mr. Bhutto's  judicial murder was clandestinely handled by the military cum jihadi supporters of the US.
In writing about who is Pakistan's closest friend she maintains Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's stance that Pakistan's closest friend will be the country with whom she shares her common interest.The degree of the relationship changes with the degree of common interest.She emphasizes maintenance of good relationship with all the great powers . She emphasizes that the deterioration of US-Pakistan relations during Zulfikar  Ali Bhutto was not his doing because "For a leader of the people can never compromise on a central national issue".
Her book clearly shows the political and foreign policy blunders that the establishment and military junta of 1977 and later years has done that have brought Pakistan to this stage of socio-economic collapse. It also gives  insight into the "Tsunami" politics that are now blaming the incumbent government for all the evils that the US backed militant-jihadi-psuedo-political players did.
It is sad that Pakistanis forget and distort historical facts. It is sad that Benazir Bhutto was killed for her clear perspectives on foreign policy for Pakistan.It is sad that Pakistan remains, illiterate, unhealthy and unloved by its own elite be it military or civilian. It is sad that leaders like her were silenced so that Pakistan remians failed, corrupt and poor. It is sad that there will never be any justice supreme in Pakistan despite the populist, verbal Tsunami by the "New Emperor" pushed suddenly forward by the establishment.
Writer of this post Dr Meher Zaidi. (Ref: Forign Policy Perspective, Agha Amir Hussain, Classic, 42, Shahrahe Qauid e Azam , Lahore, Pakistan)

The Memogate Conspiracy:The Emperor's New Clothes!

Honour is purchas'd by the deeds we do
So says Christopher Marlowe. 
As all hell seemingly broke lose in Pakistan in the Hussain Haqqani "Memogate" affair many a clothed people appeared nude. Bereft of the clothes of modesty and fairplay, their ugly inner selves showing grotesquely.Whither honor, whither shame. We in Pakistan as a society appear to be paranoid, delusional, amnesic. We forget the recurring dramas and theatrical albeit tragic plays that destabilise the fledgling democratic governments.Kamran Khan , a top rated anchor seems to have lost his fair reporting and seems to be flowing in with the tide of his television channel.The Pakistan Peoples Party is once again being burdened by the Zardari baggage. And all the king making devils are smiling. So Mr Nawaz Sharif wants Mr Zardari hanged by the 6th amendment?How convenient. Amnesia runs amok. Himself could not change a jail bulb. forgetting the dictator's treatment Mr Nawaz Sharif? How convenient. But then history has a bad habit of repeating itself.
We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves. Goethe.
So poor Mr Hussain Haqqani standing alone for freedom, democracy, polity. He shall however be not sacrificed alone. The emperor has been selected. The new emperor shall wear the new clothes. So the sages will predict. A coup, a change of guards. A few heads rolling. But who will pay the price? The ordinary people? The elite?or Pakistan?
A grim, dim future awaits us. The Ides of March have come to December.Now is the winter of our discontent"http://shakespeare.mit.edu/richardiii/richardiii.1.1.html
Are you call'd forth from out a world of men
To slay the innocent? What is my offence?
Where are the evidence that do accuse me?
What lawful quest have given their verdict up
Unto the frowning judge? or who pronounced
The bitter sentence of poor Clarence' death?
Before I be convict by course of law,
To threaten me with death is most unlawful.
I charge you, as you hope to have redemption
By Christ's dear blood shed for our grievous sins,
That you depart and lay no hands on me
The deed you undertake is damnable.

Pakistan Happenings..Attacks In Autumn.

Pakistan Happenings..Attacks In Autumn.

Twenty four jawans and officers killed tragically in morning attacks on 25^th November, 2011 by NATO forces from across the border. The commander says it is being investigated. No submission of guilt or regrets . The female anchor Sana Buccha grills the commander again and again as to what punishment will be given if it was an individual act. The layman will be confused. How can the NATO US forces attack and kill so many in a Pakistan flag hoisted check post. The truth is too bitter to be discussed threadbare on Pakistan television channels.BBC World airs a documentary on 27^th which gives a clear perspective on what the UK/NATO/US forces think about Pakistan forces. I deduce  the result of what actually may have happened as my hunch was.

The BBC documentary showed that the British and US forces believed that after 2005 when the US attacked Iraq ,the Afghan insurgency got a boost and the Afghan Taleban started consolidating their forces by training, ammunition and increased suicide and other IED attacks. The generals openly said that all this was provided by Pakistani forces. This  same thing was also stated in another manner by Pakistan television experts commentators that every time the Haqqani  network attacks or bombs a target in Afghanistan, the US blames Pakistan. The last sentence in the program was that this support is being done to this day. They went as far to say that all the British troops that lost their lives were killed by this Pakistan support.

The border area is very porous and there is no clear demarcation. The US forces which form a large part of NATO have very sophisticated night vision equipment and other  gadgetry. They have very sophisticated command and control strategy even in hand to hand fighting situation. Their attack at this level cannot be a mistake. It seems deliberate and well planned. It was successfully executed. This happened because they actually believe at the local command level at that time that these check post personnel were helping the insurgents physically. This is the reason that they called in fighter planes and not just helicopters. This is the sad truth that  seems so obvious. The US pushing for eliminating the Haqqani network and Pakistan resisting any more operation against this wily group of militants. It seems Pakistan wants to have the cake and eat it too.

The immediate solution in Afghanistan is not possible. This friction will continue till 2014 when larger part of US forces will withdraw. The US wants to strengthen Kabul’s defense. This may not come to fruitition as planned as Taleban will continue to assert. They may succeed in strengthening their hold in larger areas again. The NATO forces want to clear the Eastern provinces to make the insurgency invalid or lessen its fatality in Pakistan areas in the near future.

What the US wants will not be really the solution in the near future. The Pakistan and Afghan Taleban are not separate and the solution adopted by the Pakistan army may be the most acceptable in the near future. Too much war has ravaged Afghanistan and it has now crippled the frontier region of Pakistan. Imran Khan is right when he says we must negotiate with the Pakistan Taleban and bring peace to the region. But not by lying down and giving up everything. We must negotiate in stronger terms asking for assurance of Pakistan government writ and also removing the Frontier regulation act and bringing Pakistan law in FATA. Imran Khan is wrong when he says this is not our war that we are fighting. We are definitely fighting our own war but peace must come to the region soon.

The future of this region depends on immediate end to hostilities and a return to negotiated peace. This is the only solution in  short term that may reach out for a larger peace in long term. 

The State Of Violence Against Women In Pakistan...December2011.

An Interactive article by Dr Meher Zaidi
The violence perpetrated against the nurses in Punjab who were peacefully demonstrating for their demands by urban middle class traders of the Mall Road, Lahore and the police who teargassed them speaks volumes of the mindset which encourages violence against women in Pakistan.Instead of negotiating a change in venue and letting the demonstration reach a peaceful end, the traders showed their attitude by violence. This is rampant in the Punjab where beating women, burning, killing, maiming and other forms of physical violence is considered a normal part of family life and where all members of society encourage this despiscable behaviour This attitude is encouraged by all sections of society whether rural, middle class , feudal or urban.It is considered male to beat the wife and female progeny.Religious people also do not discourage violence against women although the Prophet of Islam strongly encouraged gentleness and kindness to women.

Strategies and Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Domestic Violence against Women in Pakistanhttp://jpma.org.pk/full_article_text.php?article_id=1042 http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/mother-of-two-girls-burnt-alive.html

The issue of domestic violence shows the clear picture of the state of  violence against women in Pakistan Despite of the passage of the bill entitled Domestic Violence protection Act 2009 in national assembly it was not duly ratified by the senate http://archives.dawn.com/archives/69404 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/29119  . The undauntable Yasmin Rehman had tabled this bill.After the passing of the 18th amendment, this act is now ready to be devolved to the provinces. 

Humera Alwani pushing for women's rights in Sindh.

Humera Alwani, a courageous women parliamentarian of the Sindh assembly who is very proactive in women's rights issues is trying to get it passed in the Sindh assembly  but till to date she has not been successful. The state of domestic violence in Sindh is very grim indeed. Here Karo-kari a form of death by murder after accusations against women and men is almost an epidemic form.http://www.dawn.com/tag/karo-kari.

Pakistan has a population of above 180 million , out of which more than 51% are women.To exist as a modern state and be prosperous Pakistan urgently needs to address these issues and bring women's rights as mainstream political issues. The development and economic progress of Pakistan depends on the egalitarian treatment of all its people.It is high time that all the bills are passed and devolved to bring progress to its poor people which are men and women both.

Women In Pakistan; The Pro-Women Bill and its implementation Issues.

The Pro-Women Bill &Implementation Issues In Pakistan.
Interactive Article  by Dr Meher Zaidi.

Pakistan has a population of almost 51% women and its youth bulge in women is also very large. The practices of early marriages including Child Marraige is very common. http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/detail/117281.html
http://asiapacific.amnesty.org/apro/aproweb.nsf/pages/svaw_childMarriages
http://youtu.be/m43_WyiRZyI
http://crlc.info/ CHILD'S RIGHTS DESK PAKISTAN.

Practices such as Vani http://www.islamawareness.net/Marriage/Child/childmarriages.html hinder the education and development of girls in Pakistan to actually become fully productive, contributing citizens of this over populous country.In Pakistan  a custom known as Swara hangs like a cursed sword over millions of  females who are unable to access any rights or justice.http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=34896

A country beleaguered by issues of poverty and corruption, the future blackout of millions of women seems almost a Biblical Sin. The Islamist parties like the Jamaat e Islami do not understand either the socio-political or the future economic impact of opposing gender friendly laws in Muslim societies like Pakistan. They are way back in understanding the modern ethno-religious impact of gender discrimination in the future existence of the societies and its effect on the environment and politics of the planet. They are doing a dis-service to Islam by not addressing these repulsive and destructive customs and a hindrance to progress of more than half of  Pakistan's population. The issues of education and employment for women are almost like a small outside issue in Pakistani politics.

Imran Khan should bring these issues into mainstream politics.

 The Pakistan Tehrike Insaaf of Imran Khan fame is also not addressing these issues in a clear and cogent way either. This seems to reflect the long set feudal and primitive patriarchal mindset in Pakistan.This must change  . It is a major challenge that the Tehrike Insaaf needs to address. It needs to bring these issues in mainstream politics.It seems that presently it will be difficult for this party to do this as it needs to increase its vote bank for which it is tapping into the same feudal, patriarchal mindset people but if he creates a women friendly cell in his think tank with a very proactive woman heading it or person like IA Rehman, he may be doing the YOUTH in Pakistan a great favour.According to Harvard business review way back in 1997 it was realised that women factor in US businesses will be very important. With the Pakistani workforce of more than 50% women, why is this a small issue? Also female child worker in Pakistan contributes to a large part of our formal and informal economy.
The only ray of light is shown by the present parliament which passed the bill named Anti-Women Parctices (Criminal Law Amendment) unanimously which safeguards the rights of women against practices such as marraige to the Quran etc.http://blog.naseeb.com/2009/09/married-to-the-quran/ http://www.islamawareness.net/Marriage/Quran/

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/17/anti-women-customs.html
The issues of female education and economic progress and contribution to the national economy are directly linked to this bill implementation. If passed by the Senate (and not allowed to be lapsed as in the case of Domestic Violence bill) this will do a great service to the nation and also the Muslim society in Pakistan.
There is a dire need for the young politicians and aspirants to assemblies to understand and address these issues as mainstream political issues.A great deal of education of media, masses, young politicians needs to be undertaken. Gone are the times if female gender activist bashing and dehumanising and criticism of the gender friendly NGOs . Gone is the time for treating these issues as a "Western" or "Foreign interference" in our innocent population. This is now an issue of progress, future prosperity, and EXISTENCE as a respectable country on this planet.Patriarchial and suppressive practices must end and let Pakistan enter its BRIGHT, YOUNG FUTURE.

Dr Meher Zaidi with her Masjid patients.

Iqbal's Universal Message To Muslims...Relevant This "ARAB SPRING" ?

Imran Khan's Great Game of Sorts.

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. William Shakespeare.

His rally was much awaited , well, as he is so attractive to the media.So I was not surprised when his coolly "choreographed" well orchestrated rally came as a television show with the right songs being played between pauses and all the singers and bands for youth. Then there was the stage finessed flag and scene changing. The Pakistan flag coming up as the nouveau leader comes to the podium. His speech was also well "choreographed" with the right amount of time to lambast the "old" politicians and then he gave some time to the program that he claims will change and save Pakistan. Some salient features like Thar Coal, Getting money back from Swiss and foreign accounts and land reforms seemed attractive .But are they enough? The answer is no. He even asked the USA to help them withdraw from Afghanistan. How was he going to do that? Is he in links with Afghan Taleban? And how?  He keeps his hand on the anti-American pulse of some people of Pakistan and says that we will after coming into power be friends with all the world including USA but will not take dictation from them. What is he talking about? When in power? Or are the elections being rigged this time  to bring him into power? From the Pakistan flag coming up the stage background and the Pakistan Bachao Rally being organized at Minar e Pakistan despite the Nawaz League's strong opposition it seems that some third force is backing Mr. Imran Khan. This is too obvious. The azme Alishan campaign on a tv channel is part of the same game. Pictures of allama Iqbal in the background, Minare Pakistan as the venue, give the clues of the choreographer. The only positive side is that the corrupt may now be under some pressure.  After the hopeless display by the Pakistan Tehrike Insaaf in Sindh in last years floods, the Sindhi people will never vote for this wolf in a sheep's clothing(simily) especially as he so despises and hates the other large urban party leadership.It seems that for the time bieng Mr. Imran Khan's rally will remain an entertaining focus on some issues like corruption, negotiating with the Taleban and a third force inspirational populist hero presentation despite the Washington Post's claims of large crowds http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistani-cricket-hero-imran-khans-rally-against-government-draws-large-turnout/2011/10/30/gIQAfbLIWM_story.html and The Sidney Morning Herald's same claims http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistani-cricket-hero-imran-khans-rally-against-government-draws-large-turnout/2011/10/30/gIQAfbLIWM_story.html