I was surprised to read that Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has been
declared 6th among 38 world powerful persons by US Magazine Forbes.
My surprise is genuine because he is the only weak PM who can’t take
any decision on his own. Whenever he is interviewed he says
Parliament is supreme but Parliament is under the pressure of PPP
Govt and President Zardari. I would accept the PM powerful when he
performs practical tasks in Parliament eg 58 (2-B) and Charter of
Democracy implementation and punishment to all who have utilised the
benefits of NRO. —Peshawar
Obama’s most exacting justice
Salim Ahmed
This is apropos of the news item abaout Gitmo detainees to stand
trial in New York. Though the news and its rhetorics of US
President, Attorney General on face value may be heartening for a
few but the truth is that it reflects the covert designs of US
administration regarding the fate of alleged five accused terrorists
who have already been persecuted, inflicted and tortured physically
and mentally to extract confessions by the US military and
intelligence agencies. And this inhuman and unlawful exercise was
undertaken at the most notorious Guantanamo Bay prison.
Mr Obama’s statement: “Khalid Sheikh Muhammad will be subject to the
most exacting demands of justice” implies that he (Mr. Sheikh) is
not going to get justice from US Government. Further, justice has
always been and is simply “justice” nothing more nothing less. The
term “most exacting justice” therefore, affords a lot to be read
between the lines. I also dare to submit to Mr. Obama with due
respect that if he himself would have been subjected to the physical
and mental torture meted out to Mr. Khalid he himself would have
confessed as master mind of the 9/11 event. An American lady author
Ms Petra Bartosiewicz in her recent article on Dr. Aafia Siddiqi in
the well read Harper’s Magazine of New York, has indicated that
“During his initial months of detention, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad was
‘Water boarded’ 183 times”. Water boarding is simulated drowning.
She also reports that Khalid Sheikh Muhammad has later said “I gave
a lot of false information in order to satisfy what I believed the
interrogators wished to hear”. Petra further adds: “Our demand for
intelligence far outstrips the supply of prisoners. We outsource the
work to countries, like Pakistan, whose political circumstances
allow them to produce prisoners with far greater efficiency”.
—Islamabad
Kashmir issue and UN
Saba Nisar
The Kashmir dispute is the oldest unresolved international conflict
in the world today. Pakistan considers Kashmir as its core political
dispute with India. So does the international community, except
India. India’s forcible occupation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir
in 1947 is the main cause of the dispute. India claims to have
‘signed’ a controversial document, the Instrument of Accession, on
26 October 1947 with the Maharaja of Kashmir, in which the Maharaja
obtained India’s military help against popular insurgency. The
people of Kashmir and Pakistan do not accept the Indian claim. There
are doubts about the very existence of the Instrument of Accession.
The United Nations also does not consider Indian claim as legally
valid: it recognizes Kashmir as a disputed territory. With the
exception of India, the entire world community recognizes Kashmir as
a disputed territory. The fact is that all the principles on the
basis of which the Indian subcontinent was partitioned by the
British in 1947 justify Kashmir becoming a part of Pakistan: the
State had majority Muslim population, and it not only enjoyed
geographical proximity with Pakistan but also had essential economic
linkages with the territories constituting Pakistan.
The Security Council has rejected the Indian contention that the
people of Kashmir have exercised their right of self-determination
by participating in the “election” which India has from time to time
organized in the Held Kashmir. The 0.2% turn out during the 1989
“elections” was the most recent clear repudiation of the Indian
claim. Pakistan continues to adhere to the UN resolutions. These are
binding also on India. The Simla Agreement of 2 July 1972, to which
Pakistan also continues to adhere, did not alter the status of Jammu
and Kashmir as a disputed territory: Para 6 of the Agreement lists
“a final settlement of Jammu and Kashmir” as one of the outstanding
questions awaiting a settlement. Talks of a “Line of Control” as
distinguished from an international border. Furthermore, it
explicitly protects “the recognized position of either side.” The
recognized position of Pakistan is the one, which is recognized by
the United Nations and the World Community in general.—Rawalpindi
Two sides of the same coin
Abdul Mustafa
I just heard excerpts from Mr Nawaz Sharif interview given to
Messers Hamid Mir and Wariach of Geo. Though complete interview
would be aired later but the answers aired were most disappointing,
lacked statesmanship, sagacity and political acumen. Though the
government may miserably fail,he would oppose any change: minus one
formula: he would keep his support to government even if it acts
against the interests of nation and in all haughtiness he wanted SCP
to bear in mind that President is immunized even though he acts
detrimental to national interests etcetc. I got the impression from
N.Sharifs’ answers that Zardari spoke through him.
However, it amply proved Nawaz Sharif and Mr Zardari are the chips
of same block, two sides of the same coin but with no head but only
tails. Nawaz Sharif is captive of Musharraf phobia to the extent of
insanity; his ouster in 1999 seizes him and he cannot see beyond it.
Peoples miseries, highest ever prices ruining poor, rampant
corruption, loot, plunder, scams of PIA, PSML, commodities, sugar,
atta, worst misgovernance in all sectors, country going slave to IMF,
UK, USA, etc is of no concern to him no matter ninety poor are
ruined. Perhaps Sheikh Rashid is right that Nawaz Sharif cannot even
win his seat in Lahore and manipulating postponement of by-elections
in Lahore and Rawalpindi. Nawaz Sharif may merge ML-N with PPP-Z,
perhaps after his next meeting plus dinner with Asif Zardari.
Nawaz Sharif is destined for doom if he remains disconnected from
masses and blindly supports failed, flawed policies of PPP-Z to
satisfy his vested, myopic beliefs and self centrism.—Peshawar
Taliban can never beat us
Dr Fareeha Khanum
This is with reference to the Taliban barbaric terrorist activities
against the people of Pakistan, I want to give them the message on
behalf of people of Pakistan. You cannot defeat 180 million people
of Pakistan. How many you can kill, one thousand, ten thousand or
one million or more but this nation is ready to give sacrifices but
will not let you rule our beloved country.
Even the children of this nation have given their lives. I want to
give you history of the world that never ever in the history of
mankind terrorists were able to capture a country and rule. They are
subsequently got annihilated. You would be defeated like We would
continue to support our brave Army to eliminate you even whatsoever
sacrifice we have to give but will save this pure land from your
menace.—Mardan
