March 28, 2013

Veteran journalist Najam Sethi adds another feather to his cap when takes oath as the caretaker Chief Minister of the most significantprovince of Punjab to supervise the forthcoming elections. Earlier, to utmost surprise of many, the provincial parliamentary committee resolved the deadlock and named Najam Sethi as the caretaker Chief Minister Punjab, about two hours before the deadline on Tuesday -- the third and last day for the committee to reach a consensus on the matter. The consensus-- amongst arch political rivals furiously vying for supremacy over the largest electoral in the country—is itself a rich tribute to the strong character of the seasoned journalists. Born in 1948, Najam Sethi has become 16thcaretaker Chief Minister of Punjab.

Apart from the rich knowledge of the political affairs of the country, the owner of the Vanguard Books turned journalist Najam Sethi received a master degree in Economics from the Cambridge University. He was one a few non-Balochi political activists who said to have participated in the popular Baloch uprising in 70s—a tag he had to pay for more often than not. Being ‘too notorious an offender’, Najam had to fight for his rights. In 1984, he was imprisoned on trumped-up copyright charges and then again in 1991, he was arrested following an interview with BBC on government corruption, detained for a month without charges. Sethi won the International Press Freedom Award in 1999 and again in 2009, he won World Association of Newspapers’ Golden Pen of Freedom Award. The outspoken and upright Najam Sethi was subject to extremists’threat in 2008 and 2009. Yet nothing deterred him from rising to the prominence. Today he stands tall amongst his contemporaries.

On Tuesday, the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly--the Pakistan People’s Party—presented his name for the appointment of the caretaker Chief Minister Punjab to supervise the elections, and after long discussion, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz agreed on it. After being nominated as the caretaker Chief Minister Punjab, visionary Najam Sethi has vowed that his cabinet’s role will be confined to conducting transparent elections in the province. The man, known for his political forecasts and predictions, has trusted with the responsibility of holding free, fair and transparent elections, maintaining a highest degree of impartiality and honesty in a politically volatile province. In an atmosphere of extreme political divide, the task is difficult but not impossible. A country widely known for controversies and accusations of all sorts ranging from corruption to riggings of elections, with the courage and convictions that he has, Najam Sethi, for sure, will stand up and deliver without much of a trouble or any mess in the caretaker days. Testing time begins for Najam Sethi to prove his mettle, character and nerves in leading the province from the front. Najam Sethi will, hopefully, come out with his head held high, leaving an unprecedented example for others to follow suit in years to come

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/article/214111/

March 28, 2013

Unprecedented bad governance and failure of the rulers in the Centre to halt the economic meltdown in the last five years coupled with the absence of a party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the President Asif Ali Zardari, who is barred from visiting any constituency or polling station, the PPP has lost considerable popular support and the face in the country. Thus, the hope is building around Nawaz Sharif rather he is being treated like a government in the making.
Relatively quite in the outgoing term, the boosted-up PML-N chief Nawaz has kick-started his election campaign from Mansehra to demonstrate a matching show of strength to that of PTI’s in Lahore. Initially, both PML-N and PTI have drawn a considerable attention from the masses that has led the political pundits to believe that the real fight for supremacy especially over Punjab will be between these two parties. At this point in time, it is difficult to pick the winner of the next election. However, a large number of electable feudal lords, from unstable Sindh, restive Balochistan and equally war-torn KPK, are rallying around PML-N.

Hence Nawaz Sharif holds an upper hand in the run-up of the elections. Yet the PTI challenge to PML-N and a subsequent intense rivalry between the two political parties has generated a serious debate on the real economic issues of the country as a part of electioneering activities. In his political rhetoric, Nawaz equates the development of the country with progress of Sindh but he did not mention how he will retrieve law and order situation in Karachi. The need-based outbursts are certainly growing a sense of deprivation amongst the people of far-flung areas of the Balochistan and KPK—the provinces lagging far behind in education and health sectors—notwithstanding the long ignored development projects there. Irony of the ironies is: Even today Chitral remains virtually inaccessible in the winter. The people of Chitral travel to Pakistan via Afghanistan during the winter as Lowari top is closed for traffic for most part of the year.

A project like Lowari Tunnel, conceived in 1956 will connect and facilitate all-weather transportation. Alas! No words so far have been heard from horses’ mouth. The PML-N chief, though, takes pride for conducting nuclear bomb explosions and now has promised to go for economic blasts yet he is non-committal over restarting of Kohlu gas exploration project which was declared force de majeure since Musharraf era. The Kohlu field carries gas reservoirs of 35 trillion cubic feet which is sufficient enough to meet the energy needs of the country for decades, apart from providing jobs to thousands of the unemployed youth and billions of dollars royalty to fund-starved Balochistan. The residents of FATA, under the siege of terrorism, are itching to participate in the first party-based elections yet none of the parties has given roadmap for holding election there. Merely banking on the performance in the Punjab or political statements in the election rallies may attract clapping or sloganeering there in venues of the rallies. But these are not sufficient enough to satisfy the starved people of Pakistan. PML-N think-tank needs a complete homework and proper research on the disturbing ground realities particularly in smaller provinces.

The PML-N seems to be riding on a bumpy road. As for the Pakistan People’s Party, President Asif Ali Zardari, confined to the presidency, Bilawal Bhutto gone abroad after reportedly refusing to lead the party, reshuffled the hierarchy in the PPP has, so far, failed to initiate its political campaign. The political arena, indeed, is left open for the PML-N versus the PTI political bout that might have rung alarming bells for President Zardari-- as for him-- the prospects for retaining presidency for the second term in August are diminishing fast. On the other hand, the Election Commission of Pakistan has again been directed to initiate proceedings against parliamentarians holding fake degrees. Previously, it was perceivably the rulers ran amok to extend their rule to the last-- now they are history. Thus the Commission must ensure that each and every direction of the apex court is implemented in letter and spirit instead of relying on ‘ifs and buts.’ Notwithstanding any hidden mala fide from any quarter, for the first time, a stage is set in Pakistan and conditions are perfect and the best suited to hold free, fair and impartial elections, paving way for popular will to prevail in the country.

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/article/214110/

The frenzy

Kamila Hyat

Talk now is firmly focused on the election, which is less than two months away. So far, the PPP and the PML-N remain the two most potent forces in the country – with many expecting that the real contest will be between them.

But there is a broth being cooked up, with many ingredients added to it, as if by a cook who has entered some state of frenzy as he grabs what he can from left, right and centre and chucks them into the pot. And more ingredients continue to be added to the frothing mixture with each passing minute. We have Pervez Musharraf dropping in on the scene after many years, still talking as he did five years ago. The role he is to play, with his All Pakistan Muslim League, is unclear. Certainly, the former dictator has no genuine ground support of his own, and it is unclear how much help the MQM can offer him. His return also re-ignites ugly memories, with the ex-commando being blamed for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

One theory goes that the shadowy, unnamed players who are accused of manipulating events on the political scene wish to cram the field, hoping for a split in the vote, coalition forming and a weaker government that is easier to tackle. The ‘Great Game’ in Afghanistan, after 2014 when the Americans pull out, is the trophy these players eye and wish no force – such as elected civilians – to hold them back. These factors cannot be ignored, considering our electoral history, the revelations made of ISI involvement in the process in the recently concluded Asghar Khan case, the astonishingly inflated total votes cast in 1997 and apparent efforts in 2008 to bolster the score for selected candidates.

The ‘divided vote’ point could also become a crucial issue. PML-N stalwarts are already scratching their heads, considering the extent to which Imran Khan may divide their vote in Punjab, thereby giving the PPP an edge. The PML-N and the PTI appeal to a similar faction of voters. While the PTI may not quite create the tsunami it predicts, going little beyond the lightening storm that cut short its March 23 rally in Lahore, this could still inflict some damage on the PML-N in its home province – where every survey shows a rise in popularity. How much damage the PTI can inflict is as yet difficult to predict, though it seems voters in many parts of Punjab still see this poll as a tussle between the two larger parties. Some are savvy enough to point out that tsunamis do not occur away from the sea anyway.

It is always worth remembering that the voters themselves are a potent, active, lively force – aware of their own power. This gift to them, bestowed in 1970 by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and a then very different PPP, is an extremely significant one. They speak with intelligence and sagacity as well as the wry sense of humour required to survive the situation they face. We can only lament the fact that their leaders do not match up to them.

These leaders need to rise to the occasion. So far we have before us only a set of rather lame manifestos. The one by the PML-N for instance makes only fleeting mention of the militancy issue, which has been identified by the army – and every sensible citizen – as the biggest threat to our security. Certainly it is the most acute problem we face. The razed homes of tribespeople in the Tirah Valley of the Khyber Agency come as the latest proof of this. It is astonishing that the terrible images from the intensified war being fought in this area have not figured more prominently in the mainstream media. The process of ‘agenda setting’ as far as the news goes is always something worth looking at very closely.

The PPP has discussed extremism in greater depth in its manifesto and states it must be eradicated, but of course given the record of the past five years, it is hard to believe what the PPP says. We also need to explore exactly why leaders are saying so little anyway. Is it that they have no real solutions to offer? Are the crises our country faces too grave to solve?

It is perfectly true that Imran Khan was not able to present his manifesto at his March 23 rally because of intervention by the weather. However, what he said before this should also make us think. Imran promised to always speak the truth, a hard task for any politician in any country, but one we hope he will stick to. He also, according to reports by the media and those who followed his speech, referred to the Almighty at least 25 times during his address, emphasising also that Allah “loved” him. This may of course be perfectly correct, but it does not suggest how the people of the country will benefit. To be fair to Imran, we might have known more had Allah been kind and allowed him to complete his rally rather than bringing the rains pouring down on him.

On his arrival at Karachi airport, Pervez Musharraf continued the incoherence he had acquired in greater degrees during his final days in power, making repeated references to his religiosity and the fact that the doors of holy places in Saudi Arabia were open to him when he visited them. Again, we have no argument with any leader doing as he chooses in his private life, or being treated like a VIP. But we would, as citizens, like to know what these persons intend to do for those of us who do not have so many favours bestowed on them from above.

All the political parties at this point need to spell out – in clear terms – their plans for the next five years. This is the basis on which votes should be cast. We badly need the compass to be used so that the path into the future can be set along safe routes and away from dangerous winds.

The writer is a freelance columnist and former newspaper editor.

__________________
If you tremble with indignation at every injustice then you are a comrade of mine.(Che Guevara)

March 28, 2013

Finally Punjab too has a Caretaker Chief Minister, Najam Sethi selected after days of long discussions by the PPP and the PML-N. Since this is a common choice, all the parties concerned ought to be happy over it and support him in holding free polls. Earlier, the deadlock was pushing both the parties to the ECP’s camp, the final arbiter in such matters empowered to nominate the CM of its choice. Although, in that case, there would have been no reason to question ECP’s judgement over the matter, the very lack of consensus among political parties would have reflected poorly on their mutual trust.

It surely is a crumb of comfort that Mr Sethi enjoys respect as a journalist, and also for a previous clean stint as caretaker federal minister which explains why he made it to the coveted slot. While the non-partisan character of Sethi’s office is apparent from his resolve to conduct fair elections, that job is surely going to be fraught with challenge; Punjab being a major scene of the battle between the two parties, where they have been for decades confronting each other in the elections invariably amid charges of rigging almost in every poll, it is only if the entire exercise is carried out transparently that the parties would accept their fate.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...ons/editorials

March 28, 2013 2



The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified a ban on caretakers and other public officials from visiting the constituencies. Whereas the caretakers are only there for the elections, and not only do they not contest the polls they supervise, but also their relatives cannot contest. However, to make sure that they are the honest brokers they are supposed to be, the ECP has notified thus.According to an ECP notification issued on Tuesday, the president, caretaker prime minister, chairman, deputy chairman Senate, federal ministers, ministers of state, governors, chief ministers, provincial ministers and advisor to the prime minister and the chief ministers and other public office-bearers, after the issuance of the election schedule, will not visit the area of any constituency. The ECP has also threatened legal action against all violators. The notification also says the executive authorities in the federation and in the provinces shall not use state resources anywhere in Pakistan for unfair advantage of a particular candidate or political party nor exercise undue influence.

It should be noted that the notification was issued after the caretaker Prime Minister and all four chief ministers were decided, but before the process of forming all the Cabinets was completed. It is also to be noted that the Speakers, who continue in office, have not been included, becasuse some, and perhaps all, will again be candidates, none having indicated a desire to retire. The notification is thus considerate of the genuine requirements of the function of these officials, and if it is objected that the President and the governors are not caretakers, but are political persons, if any desires to take part in what is admittedly a major political event, they are free to resign. An example immediately apparent is that of the Punjab Governor, whose sons are likely to be candidates. He cannot campaign for them in their constituencies, where they are likely to be PPP candidates. It also applies to the President, who cannot lead the PPP campaign, which might explain why the outgoing Information Minister announced that the PPP campaign would be led by Mr Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The ECP notification must be observed in letter and in spirit by all stakeholders. The purpose is to have free and fair elections, and not to ensure the victory of any party or individual. The caretakers must make sure that not only do they follow the regulations, but that others do too.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...ons/editorials

Leadership vacuum haunts the party’s campaign

Bilawal Bhutto has left Pakistan at a crucial moment for the PPP. The party will now have to conduct its election campaign in the absence of the most charismatic figure in its leadership. For the common PPP worker Bilawal represented Benazir and was a reincarnation of the party founder, Z.A Bhutto. The departure of the young Bhutto was sudden and entirely unexpected. He was being prepared to lead the party since he settled in the country after completing his education, When he delivered his speech at Garhi Khuda Bux in December last year it was presumed that he would lead the party in the elections. Last week when Zardari resigned as co-chairman of the party, Bilawal was tasked to lead the PPP. There were reports about plans to get him elected in a by- election soon after he attained the required age limit. All this is now in doubt.

Did Bilawal leave on account of threats to his life? Maybe the story is correct. But knowing the way he disregarded the dangers of the sort all this while he must have been prevailed upon to go out of Pakistan. Another story doing the rounds hints at differences with his father and aunt over stands taken by the party leadership on militancy, sectarianism and award of party tickets cannot however be dismissed out of hand. The statement he made after the killing of Salman Taseer and the assurances of support to the minorities was the boldest from any PPP leader. Surrounded by a hardboiled and worldly-wise team practicing realpolitik, a bold and liberal idealist like Bilawal was a square peg in a round hole.


Even if the sole reason behind Bilawal’s departure were security concerns, these are likely to persist during the entire election campaign. His absence from the country may not therefore be for days or weeks but for a much longer period. Under the circumstances, the elections would pose a challenging task to the PPP leadership. In 2008 the PPP rode to power on the sympathy wave caused by the unfortunate assassination of Benazir Bhutto. The party had never before contested any election without a Bhutto figure leading it. While Bilawal’s absence will be noted by the PPP voters all over the country, the biggest impact of the departure is likely to be felt in Sindh. Inside the PPP Bilawal’s departure has created a leadership vacuum. With Zardari already having resigned as co-chairman the party is left with no chief in the field. While Faryal Talpur has displayed enough energy during the last couple of years, it remains to be seen if she can acquire the mantle of a Bhutto scion. As things stand, deprived of its strongest asset, the PPP will have to enter the electoral battlefield without a rallying figure.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/editorials/

March 29, 2013
Malik Muhammad Ashraf 0



For the political forces that have been eager to see democracy taking root in the country and power transferred through the ballot, the dream has come true with the nomination of caretaker Prime Minister by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

A new tradition would have been set if the political leaders themselves had nominated him. Nevertheless, it is encouraging to note that the process has culminated without any hiccup.

As soon as the nomination of Mir Hazar Khan Khoso as caretaker Prime Minister was announced by the ECP, the PPP, PML-N, PML-Q, MQM and JUI rightly hailed the decision and expressed confidence in his ability to hold impartial elections in Pakistan. But it was really disappointing to see that these parties, except PPP and ANP, did not attend his oath-taking ceremony, which would have set yet another healthy democratic tradition in the country.
Political pundits assume that they, probably, did not attend the ceremony because of their grievances against the PPP. That behaviour is regrettable and unbecoming of the political entities practicing the art of politics at the national level.

The PML-N did not participate because the oath was being administered by President Asif Ali Zardari that is even more reproachable.

Whether someone likes it or not, Zardari is the President and it was in this capacity that he was administering the oath.

If the PML-N leadership had any personal grudge against him, it should not have been allowed to cast its shadow on matters of national importance.
The President deserves the protocol and respect that is attached to his august office and our political leaders must learn from the leaders of other democratic countries to rise above narrow political or personal considerations.
For democracy to function on healthy lines, it is imperative that politicians exhibit democratic behaviour. It would be unreasonable on anybody’s part to expect high standards of morality and political behaviour by our politicians like in the established democracies, but one can surely gravitate to see them making an auspicious beginning by doing small things like showing tolerance towards each other and participating in events of national importance.

Nonetheless, it is gratifying to note that the caretaker PM enjoys the confidence of all major political players on the chessboard of Pakistani politics. Justice Khoso has had an impeccable career as a judge and enjoys good reputation.

Another positive factor is that he belongs to Balochistan that might help in placating the Baloch nationalists and tempt them to join the mainstream of national politics by participating in the ensuing elections.

The caretaker PM, immediately after his nomination, told the media that his first and foremost priority would be to help the ECP ensure the holding of free and fair elections and that he would treat all the political parties equally. That, indeed, is very reassuring. The words of a savant like him can be safely taken at their face value.

He also made it clear that the President did not have any role in the elections; an implied reference to the often repeated allegations by a political party that free and fair elections could not be held while Zardari was in office.
He is right because the elections will be held by the ECP with the support of the Chief Executive and the President does not figure in the scheme of things in this regard.

With a neutral and honest man heading the Executive, assertive ECP, pro-active judiciary and the ever vigilant media, it would almost be impossible for any entity or individual to influence the outcome of the elections in any unconstitutional manner taking advantage of his position.

Much will also depend on the way the political parties conduct themselves, in regard to the efforts of the ECP and the caretaker setup in the holding of elections in a transparent manner.

They need to behave in a responsible manner and focus more on their election campaigns, instead of mudslinging and launching personal attacks on their rivals because ultimately it is on the basis of their performance, or the programmes for the future, that the people have to make their choices.
For the polls to be free, fair and transparent, it is essential that they are held in a convivial atmosphere, and traditional hostility and animosity among the political parties gives way to a healthy and productive competition.

Now that all is set to translate the dream of transition of power and consolidate the gains of democracy, all stakeholders, especially the political parties, owe it to the masses not to do anything that shatters their faith in the democratic process or provides any excuse to the forces inimical to the democratic dispensation to make their move and drag once again the country back into the dark alley.

The political parties and their leaders must also desist from statements or actions that could make the role of ECP or the caretaker government controversial.

They should keep faith in the impartiality and the capability of these institutions to make the 2013 elections a significant milestone in our march towards a political polity envisioned by the Founding Father.

Another very important factor in this respect would be the acceptance of election results with an open heart, the lack of which has been the bane of democracy in this country.

The nation has suffered the consequences of this kind of behaviour and we surely need a break from this dreadful experience of the past. Merely paying lip service and making tall claims about their love for democracy is not enough.

Political parties will have to show their commitment through their actions. That is the only way forward. Any digression from this path may produce negative results.

The media and intelligentsia also have a great responsibility in guiding the people to understand what is at stake, and reporting the unfolding events in an objective and impartial manner to play their contributory role in strengthening democracy.

The writer is a freelance columnist. Email: ashpak10@gmail.com

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...inions/columns

March 29, 2013
Azam Khalil 0



“Let all things be done decently and in order.”
– Corinthians

As expected, the burden to nominate caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab had been shifted to PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif. This has once again highlighted the extreme polarisation that exists in our political culture.
When the PML-N expressed serious reservations over the PPP nominated candidate, Shaukat Basra, it was evident that both parties would pursue a hard line, making it extremely difficult for them to reach a consensus on the matter.

It would have been better if the leaders of the house and the opposition in the Punjab Assembly themselves had succeeded in nominating the caretaker Chief Minister. Unfortunately, they failed to do so, thus indicating little chance of the Parliamentary Committee’s to succeed too. However, Nawaz Sharif’s intervention, though quite late, helped resolve the issue and Najam Sethi was appointed as the caretaker Chief Minister Punjab.

Having said that, the next most important challenge confronting not just Punjab, but all other provinces in Pakistan is: will it be possible to hold impartial elections in a peaceful environment? Apparently, the law enforcement agencies, it seems, are not well prepared to handle the situation, which leads to the fact that the coming elections may be a bloody affair.

It is not merely the rivalry between different political parties and their candidates that will boil over, but the role of those who seem determined to create conditions to derail democracy. While the security agencies are planning to ensure that the electoral process remains peaceful, there are signs that undemocratic forces may succeed in case things tend to go out of hand. Thus, it is important that they take preventive measures to stop any mischief in its tracks.

Besides the law enforcement agencies, it is hoped that political parties will promote tolerance ahead of the polls and educate their workers about the peaceful and orderly transition of power. It must be remembered that the people’s will must prevail and no excuse, however strong, should be accepted that may result in an early demise of democracy.

Add to this, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal’s return from Dubai to participate in the elections is a positive sign. It would be in the fitness of things if the federal and provincial caretakers encourage such politicians, who are the true representatives of people.

They also need to send out a loud and clear message that unruly conduct will not be tolerated during the elections and those found guilty will be punished severely. However, some political analysts believe that they have been slow on this issue.

More so, they failed to move swiftly to have the highly politicised civil bureaucracy replaced from their current positions. In case this is not done, the whole exercise of conducting free and fair elections would remain an illusion.

None of the caretakers have so far announced their cabinets that will take care of the day-to-day work in the areas of their jurisdiction. Also, reportedly, the newly-inducted caretakers have shown no keenness to attend the briefing sessions arranged for them by senior bureaucrats.

Sethi’s nomination as PPP and PML-Q candidate in Punjab, however, will have many detractors, as he was a close friend of ex-President Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari - a man disliked by many PPP jiyalas. This has, indeed, surprised many, especially those who believed that he was backed by the establishment and, therefore, ineligible as caretaker Chief Minister Punjab. But generally with a limited mandate that the caretakers enjoy, it is not possible for them to influence the election outcome in a significant manner.

Hopefully, the interim governments will succeed in maintaining peace in the country. Otherwise, all their good intentions and efforts will go in vain, while the dream of conducting transparent elections will remain elusive.

The writer has been associated with various newspapers as editor and columnist. At present, he hosts a political programme on Pakistan Television. Email: zarnatta@hotmail.com

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...inions/columns

Default-degree dilemmas

March 29, 2013 1



Alarming, though not so surprising, information that has come to public knowledge about the default the hundreds of the outgoing people’s representatives have committed in clearing their dues for the use of electricity and telephone facilities would have remained hidden had the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) not made their candidature for the general elections contingent upon their clearance. It is most unfortunate that the list also includes the names of former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, several of his cabinet colleagues, some party heads and top ranking leaders of political parties. The total amount of default runs into tens of millions of rupees that they have to clear by April 4, just a day before the scrutiny of nomination papers is due to be completed. No further comments are, perhaps, called for to describe the pathetic situation of the polity – the disregard of law and sheer bad governance by these democratically elected lawmakers – after the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Justice (r) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim, has politely but so succinctly remarked, “I really wonder if they deserve to be part of the Parliament with this kind of conduct.”The question of the disqualification of fake degree holders, the grant of voting rights to the expatriates and several other election-related matters are also heating up in the current state of election frenzy and form part of the everyday fare of the media. The Supreme Court has reportedly issued guidelines about some of these issues for the benefit of the ECP. It has, for example, asked the ECP to dispose of the cases of fake degree holders by April 4. Obviously, the question of fake degrees is no longer relevant for the coming elections because of the change in law, but those who have cheated the ECP in the past when graduation was a prerequisite to contesting the polls must be taken to task. To recall, when the issue of the fake degrees of parliamentarians came to light and they began to be unseated, almost all political parties found that they were losing electable members and, thus, rushed into passing legislation to remove the condition of graduation in the future.Similarly, in the case of expatriates, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry directed that the government can issue an ordinance to sort out the hitches in letting them exercise their right to vote. He was perturbed at the ECP’s plea that in case the matter of their voting was now decided it might jeopardise the electoral prospects and maintained that the court orders to that effect were passed as far back as 2011. The ECP could get help from other official agencies, Foreign Office, Nadra, etc.No doubt, the task appears to be stupendous, made more daunting by the outgoing political setup that cared little for judicial verdicts.

Nevertheless, the whole nation expects that the combined efforts of the ECP, the judiciary and the guarantors of security like the police and the army that would be providing 50,000 of its men to keep peace during the polls would bear fruit. And free and fair general elections carrying the stamp of articles 62 and 63 are held.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...inions/columns

By:Kunwar Khuldune Shahid


The Naya Pakistan (NP) came into being on May 11, 2013 after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – formerly a political party, now an authoritative group consisting of Sahaba-e-Imran – swept the elections in the then democratic Purana Pakistan. The PTI in collaboration with Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) abolished the democratic setup and established a caliphate with Ameer-ul-Momineen, Sardaar-ul-Jihadeen, Umeed-ul-Muslimeen,Dilbar-ul-Khwateen, Imran bin Ikramullah Niazi (R.A) elected as the khalifaby Shura. The idea of Naya Pakistan is said to be conceived by Habeeb-ul-Mujahideen Zia-ul-Haq bin Muhammad Akbar (R.A), however, the general consensus is that it was given birth in the slip cordon at Lord’s in the summer of 1982. Even so, a few academics also believe that the Naya Pakistan is actually named after Naya Rivera, the star of Glee.

The NP is geographically located in South Asia, where Purana Pakistan existed, but its spiritual location is said to be in the Arabian Peninsula. The movement for Naya Pakistan – dubbed Khilafat Movement 2.0 by historians – was carried out by a group of revolutionaries hailed as the ‘Sand Storm’ – formerly called Tsunami, but renamed in synchrony with the spiritual centre’s geography. The revolutionaries tweeted, liked, shared, commented on, trolled and barricaded opposing viral campaigns en route to getting the homeland of their choice. “Uuper Allah, neechay balla” was the revolutionary chant as the Tsunami brigade smashed the heads of their doubters on social media with proverbial (and sometimes actual) bats.

Among the founding fathers of Naya Pakistan, Ameer-ul-JI, Minister of Women Enslavement & Rape Apology, Munawar bin Hasan (R.A) and Ameer-ul-TTP, Minister of Terror & Militaristic Extremism, Hakimullah bin Mesud (R.A), are considered to be the most influential. The former created a new state at a time when his brethren were being sidelined in Bangladesh (formerly Bohat Purana Pakistan), while the latter established Naya Pakistan’s military and security mechanism at a time when there was no bigger threat to any kind of security than the man himself. Both, Waalid-ul-Apologisteen Munwar bin Hasan and Daddy-ul-Mujahideen Hakimullah bin Mesud are considered to be the ideological founding fathers of Naya Pakistan.

Other noteworthy leaders of Khilafat Movement 2.0 include Rahnuma-ul-Sabiqeen Shah Mahmood bin Qureshi (R.A) Minister of Diplomat Scanning, Rehbar-ul-Baghi’een Javed bin Hashmi (R.A) Minister of Rebellion, Sufi-ul-Munafiqeen Salman bin Ahmad (R.A) Minister of Lip-synching on Someone Else’s Vocals and Harasser-ul-Majajaneen Abrar-ul-Haq (R.A) Minister of Eve Teasing.

The NP is a caliphate with Wahabbi Islam as the only state religion. The first and only constitution of NP was written by the Arabs in 7th century AD. The percentage of non-Muslims living in the NP is nada per cent, with the definition of a Muslim clearly defined by Shaamat-ul-Kafireen Ehsanullah bin Ehsan (R.A) in his pamphlet “Now or Never”. Non-Muslims are not allowed to set foot, or any other part of their anatomy for that matter, inside the NP.

The NP’s female suppression, child abuse and human rights violation is in synchrony with Saudi Arabia. It’s obsession with religion, extremism and terrorism is said to have actually surpassed the level of its Arabian godfathers. It is being said that the Naya Pakistan is basically Purana Saudi Arabia minus the fairytales.

The NP’s economy took a nosedive after the Sharaee economists failed to factor in the minor detail, that the deity has not bestowed upon their country the same volume of oil as Saudi Arabia. That and the multi-billion-dollar projects to convert the rivers into oases have taken its toll on agriculture and in turn on the national GDP, which is measured in number of dates per capita. Furthermore, considering the fact that the Naya Pakistan only engages in trading relations with ‘true Muslim’ states who have all been given the MFN (Muslim Favourite Nation) status, the fiscal deficit is rising and foreign reserves are depleting. In a bid to follow the footsteps of their godfathers after years of labour, toil and date splurge, the NP finally resembles the desert landscape that its founding fathers envisaged.

Despite the fatwa against load shedding and corruption, declaring them to be haram, the Naya Pakistan’s energy crisis doesn’t seem like easing any time soon. The NP’s refusal to take kafir gas through IPP (Iran-Purana Pakistan) Pipeline has also exacerbated the fiscal dilemma in the country. And hence, International economists have dubbed the NP as the poor momin’s Saudi Arabia.

The NP’s school curriculum declares Hazrat Adam (AS) as the first Naya Pakistani, who fought off Zionist conspiracies and Hindu nationalist movements to safely land on earth. The textbooks also highlight how the US created deviants and in turn formulated the Shia-Sunni divide 812 years before Christopher Columbus actually discovered America. The books also reveal how every Naya Pakistani is of Arabic ethnicity and how Indus Valley Civilization is a myth created by the US, Zionists and India (formerly Intehai Purana Pakistan) who are all jealous of the greatness of Naya Pakistan.

Some of NP’s cultural sites include: the site on Makran coast where Muhammad bin Qasim’s first footprint in Naya Pakistan is preserved; Mahmoud Ghaznavi’s monument in Multan to celebrate the massacre of Ismaeli Shias back in 1005; and the Arabian sea, because well, the name has ‘Arab’ in it. Adjacent to most of these sites are Saudi bases, which are used by the US to launch halal drone attacks in the neighbouring zones and to protect the cultural heritage of Naya Pakistan.

Before the inception of Naya Pakistan, Imran bin Ikramullah Niazi (RA) and his Tsunami had their detractors. The sceptics called Naya Pakistan “a movement carried out by a bunch of self-important people who believe that the only prerequisite for change is wanting it.” But the Caliph and the Tsunami in collaboration with JI proved everyone wrong by conjuring 15 centuries’ worth of change in no time. It was a small tweak in the form of revolution that did the trick for NP. While revolution leading up to the creation of Purana Pakistan was based on driving out the imperialists, the revolution for Naya Pakistan was based on negotiating with terrorists.

The writer is a financial journalist and a cultural critic. Email: khulduneshahid@gmail.com, Twitter: @khuldune

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