Mullen’s warning

S R H Hashmi

As reported in the newspapers, the Chairman, US Joints Chief of Staff Committee, Admiral Mike Mullen said “ Of all the challenges and potential problems the United States faces, Pakistan tops Secretary Robert Gates priority list.” “It‘s a conversation I‘ve had many times—not just with military leadership, but also with political leadership—that any president of the United States would respond to an attack on US citizens,” Mike Mullen added “They understand that very clearly, and they don‘t disagree with that” “I think you‘re at the heart of dealing with the most difficult part of the problems we have there, where we have this safe haven in a sovereign country that is threatening and plotting against Americans and other Western countries, and it must be eliminated,” Mullen added. “Ideally, that would come through the pressure that the Pakistanis bring to eliminate that threat.” We know very well that only a few years back, they were making similar, baseless and totally false accusations against Iraq on the basis of which they invaded and destroyed the country, causing the death, wounding and displacement of a few million innocent Iraqis. Now, they are trying the same trick with Pakistan. I feel American public and lawmakers should find a way to restrain these hawks to spare the world as well as their own country from the disasters that such ‘warriors’ create. By their costly pastimes of fighting, unnecessary wars, apart from spreading death and misery, these people brought a financial disaster to the world, including America, near about the end of Bush’s rule, and the next one could be just around the corner. A Russian gentleman has already predicted the collapse of the United States by July, 2010 and the US leaders, civilian and military, seem to be busy, doing all they can to bring it about. Remember, the USSR collapsed due to over-expansion and over-spending, more than anything else. —Karachi

Unwarranted remarks

M S Hasan

A strong reaction and flak from the ‘bloody civilians’ who seem to be strongly disapproving of the retired commodore’s disdain and contempt of civilians, as profusely expressed by him in his letter. One hopes that this ex-gentleman cadet, despite all his unsavoury expressions, made in poor taste, the uncalled-for characterisation of the civilians and degrading utterances, is still a retired ‘gentleman officer’ of the armed forces, with the requisite civility intact and still retaining the impeccable ‘clean habits’ inculcated and imparted to him as a ‘gentleman cadet’.

Suffice to say that the letter is reflective of the mindset that retired officers of the armed forces have for ‘bloody civilians’. Lastly, to the most relevant part of the said letter, where the retired commodore makes the startling disclosure that “out of 170 million people, 169 million cannot swim”, my benign advice to him is to kindly let us know out of over ‘half a million’ men serving in the armed forces, what percentage of this elite class can think straight, logically, rationally and prudently? I am asking because we civilians are stupid and obviously do not know the answer to this very vexing question.

We civilians, till today, have not been able to understand the logic of the 1965 and 1971 wars—both wars that we lost—how we lost ground at Siachen and how and why we beat a retreat at Kargil. Finally, with all the humility, reverence, esteem and due respect, may I address a member of the armed forces, in a good-hearted, reciprocal phrase, strictly as a figure of speech, ‘a bloody soldier’, as an expression of utmost endearment and without an iota of malice? Rest assured, sir, no offence is intended here, too! If what the commodore is saying is true, may I ask why this poor country—which for most of its life has been directly or indirectly governed by non-civilians—is perhaps the most wretched, disliked unfortunate nation on this globe? Why is it that after eating up most of the budget the military still couldn’t protect the country’s geographical frontiers? Telling civilians that they are unable to nurture civility and values is a good joke. Give the poor masses better education, a nice cantonment-like environment to live in and see how they improve.

I think the most important ingredient of civility is for a person to have the courage to see and speak the truth. Long live the shuhadah of the Pakistan army but not the senior military junta who after retirement live in palatial mansions and drive around in luxury cars. We, the ‘bloody civilians’, are not fools—we can see these retired military officers living in such expensive houses and using such expensive cars, and we know that an army pension and salary cannot possibly pay for them. As the saying goes, ‘is hammam mein hum sub nangay hain’. God save this country. With the passage of time the guard instead of guarding your gates starts running your family affairs off and on by intruding your system of governing your house. Later on he starts living in the best area of your house and enjoys all those facilities that were never meant for him. A time comes when you can’t even question him for his actions. This is clearly the situation we ‘bloody civilians’ find ourselves in our house—i.e. our country and no marks for guessing who the ‘guard’ is in this case.—Karachi
 

Whither Quaid’s principles?

Muhammad Zahid Rifat

Unity, Faith and Discipline were inscribed in the government offices and public offices to remind the people of what the Father of the Nation expected from them in order to make a stronger, united, integrated and progressive Pakistan. Even, the huge portraits were displayed essentially at the President’s House, the Prime Minister’s House, government offices and elsewhere. As long as the golden principles of the great leader were being followed by and large, things seemed to be moving in the right direction more or less. Then, somehow, the golden principles started disappearing and regretfully though replaced gradually by disunity, ill-faith and indiscipline in every sphere of life . The result was quite obvious, imperative and imminent.

Leadership started failing to deliver the goods, the government was changed frequently and indiscipline and disunity being demonstrated amply in the central and provincial legislatures quite frequently. The democratic civilian set up started whithering away much sooner than expected and just after eleven years of Pakistan coming into being and about a decade after the demise of the Father of the Nation, the civilian government of Prime Minister Malik Feroze Khan Noon was toppled in October 1958 by then Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army General Muhammad Ayub Khan, National Assembly was dissolved and the 1956 Constitution scrapped. This was just the beginning. In less than quarter of a century existence, Pakistan was dismembered and East Pakistan became Bangladesh after India-backed war was imposed and great tragedy of Fall of Dacca was enacted due to the factors which are yet to be identified and determined despite two volumes fact finding report of Justice Hamoodur Rahman Commission.

And, over the years, the golden principles of the Quaid-I-Azam have either been forgotten or placed in the dust filled store rooms and godowns here, there and every where. So much so, the portraits of the Quaid-I-Azam are seldom seen in the pictorial coverage of the President, the Prime Minister, the Governors and the Chief Ministers. They prefer to have the photographs of their own leaders rather that the Father of the Nation around when they are talking to some visiting dignitary from abroad or within the country. If the portraits of the Quaid-I-Azam have started disappearing then what to talk about his golden principles of Unity, Faith and Discipline which, as a matter of bitter fact, are most needed now than ever before.—Via email

Illegal Israeli settlements

Dr Abdul Ruff Colachal

The Jewish settlements in Palestine are illegal under international law, but as a terror ally of the West and terror India, Israel ignores all international laws and kills Palestinians illegally as sheep and crows. Already, thousands and thousands of Innocent Palestinian have been slaughtered by the Zionist regime and about 500,000 Jews live illegally in more than 100 settlements built since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem complicating any purposeful peace talks. By taking undue advantage of the ongoing US-led NATO terror wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Zionist regime, almost calling the Obama administration a spade, has resumed the illegal settlement constructions in West Bank where the PLO Fatah rules.

As the first new government-approved construction project in the West Bank since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhyahu came to power in March, Israel has officially approved the construction of more than 450 new homes in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli Defence ministry has announced. It says the decision to build 455 housing units has been authorised by Defence Minister Ehud Barak -a former hawkish turned dovish PM. It comes despite a US pressure to halt building at settlements. Israel cares damn that Palestinians have ruled out resumption of peace talks with Israel until a complete freeze to the settlements.

A State liar, Israel does not talk about illegal settlement expansions in all parts of the occupied Palestine by the arrogant Jews shielded by the Zionist regime. The official freeze, if it is implemented, would apply mostly to settlements inside the security fence. Beyond the fence, on the right of the mountain range, the government has let the Jews do whatever they want. There settlers do as they wish and are expanding settlements by proliferating illegal outposts. The population of West Bank settlements has been growing at a rate of 5-6% since 2001. Some 2,500 housing units are currently under construction. Subsequently, the Palestinians have refused to re-enter peace negotiations unless Israel completely halts all settlement activity. Palestinians know Israel only a fascist state and as such they can recognize the Zionist state as a zone of international terrorist state or a fascist nation. Israeli Prime Minister said he was seeking a formula to enable renewed talks with the Palestinians while permitting Jewish settlers to “live normal lives. —Via email

Saving national airline

Shahzad Khalil

PIA was once amongst the leading airlines of South East Asia, today mismanagement, corruption and pilferages have driven it to a state of technical bankruptcy. How else can those who matter explain, the writing on the wall, and their continued state of denial. The past 16 months have seen the airlines losses plummet up, revenues nose dive and a mad rush to hire more employees. As if this was not enough, PIA with losses to the tune of over Rs142 Billion, has embarked upon plans to buy 27 new aircrafts at a cost of $2b, with its present fleet of Boeing 777s having the lowest utilization in Asia Pacific region. PIA has lost its once loyal Pakistani expatriate clients, thanks to appointment of incompetent and inexperienced cronies to key foreign stations in Gulf, Saudi Arabia, UK, Canada, USA, Oslo, Frankfurt etc. There seems to be an unending dispute between the pilots and the MD, who is also a pilot.

PIA faces gigantic problems, which are beyond the capability of an experienced pilot, with minimal management experience and no qualifications to handle the task. The controversies surrounding key members of PIA management, are further compounded with reports of massive irregularities in appointments, promotions, change of GSAs, pilferages and kickbacks in technical procurement. Nepotism has achieved new heights with appointments of inexperienced relatives of key executives to Frankfurt and Canada. Long flight delays and cancellations have become a norm. A top heavy management has been further burdened with more appointments. The airlines marketing division has a new Senior General Manager, who has absolutely no experience in marketing and has only served in the airline as an engineer. The question arises, why this deliberate inaction on the part of federal government to take urgent corrective surgical measures to rid the airline of controversial nominees, who have caused immense damage to the airline.—Sialkot

Quetta

Muzaffarabad

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