Individual Counts

Just finished reading Mohammad Hanif’s book A Case of Exploding Mangoes. After Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke ( didn’t enjoy the Reluctant Fundamentalism as much) this is one book that we thoroughly enjoyed as like Moth Smoke Exploding Mangoes flows. The narration is engrossing and the way Hanif has succeeded in weaving the story line is great. Particularly love the passage:

As they approach the red carpet that leads to the Pak One staircase, you can immediately tell that I am the only one in the frame smiling but when I salute and start walking towards the aero plane, my smile vanishes .I know I am saluting a bunch of dead men. But if you are in uniform, you salute. That’s all there is to it. “This para captures the military’s mindset to the T. Standard SOPs need to be followed even if one is conspiring murder. “That’s all there is to it”

The book also mentions the sly Ray Ban wearing General Beg (of the Midnight Jackal operation and MehranBank scandal but who now champions democracy still wearing his Ray Bans though! ) General Akhtar ( father of former federal Minister Humayun Akhtar who was bought shares in Pepsi Pakistan in cash in the 80s ) Brig TM ( who all of us grew up watching on Pakistan Day) and of course the regressive and oppressive General Zia. The book ridicules all these characters and the reader enjoys it. At least we did. Perhaps because as a friend said ,“ All of us hate them and the beauty of the book is that for our generation, it is the equivalent of creating voodoo dolls of all these characters. ”

All in all a must read . Also leaves one to ask : mangoes anyone?

Everyday, in the words of columnist Shafqat Mehmood, we wake up to a new rumor. We are told that planes are coming in to take a “significant family of Rawalpindi” abroad. Then there is talk of the Constitutional package that will clip Presidential wings or perhaps not. Another rumour is about Zardari-Nawaz strategizing not to impeach the President but to pressurize him so that he resigns on his own and then Zardari to become the President for ` greater national good .”

The news about the Constitutional package and Zardari thinking of becoming the President just does not gel, in our opinion. Are we expected to believe that Zardari through the Constitutional package will curtail the Presidential Office powers and then become the President? Either news about the Zardari Presidential aspirations is incorrect or the proposed Constitutional packages will not clip the Presidential wings.

Speaking of packages, Senator Raza Rabbani has proposed a package. The package proposes that the Governor of a Province must be a “permanent resident ” This is essential and good news for Balochistan as the Province has had Governors who are not even from the Province. Balochistanis express their confusion as to why the other Provinces are not blessed with such “foreign governors”

The package , upholds freedom of speech, when it proposes that “fair comment” after the expiry of period of limitation of appeal on a court’s sentence , be allowed.

The package also proposes that individuals with dual nationalities should be barred from becoming members of the Parliament. This, in our opinion, should be re-visited because it violates the political rights of such individuals. If the Pakistani state allows for holding dual nationalities then how can it bar those individuals from exercising their political rights of contesting elections ?

As citizens of Pakistan, we are extremely perturbed over Mr. Mahmood Zeb’s complete disregard to public interest. Mr. Mahmood Zeb Khan of the PPP is not happy at the way the Revenue portfolio has been taken away from him .It is to be note that in order to please the PPP-Sherpao breakaway faction led by Mr. Pervaiz Khattak , the Revenue portfolio has been awarded to them by the NWFP government.

Mr. Mahmood Zeb has declared publicly, “ I will not accept any other ministry except the Revenue. I will take up the issue with Asif Ali Zardari. If he asked me to continue as a minister, I will but even then I will not take an interest in the Ministry .

This statement of his is extremely perturbing for citizens because (a) it shows the complete disregard that he has for public interest and (b) indicates that he will waste public resources by occupying a Ministry where he will not work thus damaging the public interest.

Sources have revealed that the overwhelming interest of Mr. Mahmood Zeb in the Revenue Ministry is that he and his family have a number of land disputes including land in the main Bazar Timergara, the District head quarter, currently in use for Govt General Bus stand and a public play ground. He needs to take possession of that land and is hoping to use the Ministry for this end. In addition to this land, he and his family have other land disputes.

State properties are being claimed by the minister’s family and a number of cases are sub-judice in various courts. But importantly, he has obtained some court decrees relating to lands which are commercial properties situated in Timergara and taking possession of these is his main concern. Sources have also revealed that he was arrested by local police in an offence under illegal dispossession act.

Individualland would like to launch a protest against this seeking an apology from the Mr. Mahmood Zeb. We would also like to call upon the PPP to probe the matter and question Mr. Mahmood Zeb over this statement.

Minus One , Plus one etc formulas have been discussed threadbare. Aitzaz Ahsan has decided not to contest the by-elections. At every nook and corner the restoration of the judges issue is being discussed. Amidst all this, we happened to attend a discussion on the current political scenario over the weekend.

The participants , all leading members of the media and non profit organizations were of the opinion that ,“ The judges issue has held the country hostage. ” One or two media experts declared ,“ The judges have paid a heavy price for their stand but given the history of Pakistan, they are asking for too big a compensation for their activism. Political parties and leaders have sacrificed much more for the cause of democracy than the year long struggle of the judges . However, the political parties contribution has been dismissed in an unfair manner.”

Is this what a significant percentage of the Pakistani intellectuals now think? However, can we compare the judges activism with that of the political parties and leaders? In terms of duration , the political parties have struggled much more. In fact ever since the creation of Pakistan whereas the judicial activism per se is but a year old. However, have the political parties actually struggled for democracy and supremacy of institutions? Or perhaps the political parties are also part of the problem?

Please note that here a distinction needs to be made between political workers and parties. Individual political workers have even laid down their lives for democracy. But what is the track record of the parties?

Perhaps it might that comparing the two struggles is like comparing apples and oranges. For the judicial activism is really the struggle for separation of powers and independence of judiciary whereas political parties struggle only for one thing: power.

He says that he is only interested in “serving the nation.” Yet he declares,“ I will not accept any other ministry except the Revenue. I will take up the issue with Asif Zardari. If he asked me to continue as a minister, I will but even then I will not take an interest in the Ministry.” states Mr. Nawabzada Mahmood Zeb Khan.

Scion of the royal family of Dir, Mr. Mahmood Zeb Khan of the PPP is not happy at the way the Revenue portfolio has been taken away from him . In order to please the PPP-Sherpao breakaway faction led by Mr. Pervaiz Khattak , the Revenue portfolio has been awarded to them by the NWFP government.

Keeping the discussion of whether one should “reward” people like Pervaiz Khattak who ditch their parties aside, it is interesting that Mr. Mahmood can afford to openly declare that although he will consent to be a Minster if Mr. Zardari asks him to be one but he will not “take an interest ” in the Ministry.

Thus, he will serve the nation in this manner……. With leaders like these is it any wonder that we are where we are today?

Asif Zardari while talking to Geo’s Dr. Shahid Masood said “ The judiciary is responsible for de-railing democracy in Pakistan.” He declared that all political leaders including Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto and of course he himself were the victims of an incompetent judiciary.

While the PPP’s stance on the restoration of the judges is a separate issue, there is weight in his basic argument. However, he expressed it in a very clumsy way. The judiciary previously has legalized dictatorship through the doctrine of necessity. True. But to say that only the judiciary is responsible for de-railing democracy is very incorrect. He could have said that in the past judiciary was ALSO responsible. Mr. Zardari needs a Political Communication 101 course it seems. Are Farhatullah Babar and Sherry Rehman listening?

Haven’t blogged for a long time as anyone can see given that the last entry was in Feb ! No particular reason…. guess was confronted with an online writer’s block. Felt the urge to blog after months today and thus here we are.

Just got back from Balochistan. Quetta and Karachi witnessed us arranging the Provincial Dialogue for developing a Citizens’ agenda for Democratic Reform. The exercise , already done at the district level all over the country, is now at the Provincial stage but more on that some other time.

Presently, the mind is occupied with Balochistan. Amidst announcements of holding an All Party Conference by the ruling coalition, the people in Balochistan are asking: who will attend?

The nationalist political forces they ask? But they have lost the popular mandate to speak on the issue as they are being viewed locally as “Pakistan establishment friendly” and called traitors. The nationalist parties are saying that they are not interested in the APC. Even if they were, they don’t have the mandate.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) enjoys popular support. The BLA might not have many members but it certainly has a lot of supporters with even people in Quetta city giving the BLA members protection in their homes.

A new phenomenon is also being seen. According to one analyst, “ previously armed political struggle was for men. Now it is for women” Women have organized themselves into a network called the Khwateen Balochistan. These women whose male members are “missing” are organizing themselves independently. They are not affiliated with any nationalist party nor with the BLA although they are sympathetic to the latter and adversaries of the former. In such a situation, the question is are the nationalist parties in a position to enter into any agreement with the federal government at the APC or any other forum? What will be the future action of the Khwateen Blaochistan and the BLA?

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan National Assembly seats from the Punjab 1003 candidates are in the run while 2311 are trying their for 297 Provincial Assembly seats. In 2002 elections, 926 candidates contested while the 148 National Assembly seats and the 297 Provincial Assembly seats were contested between 2,362 candidates.

In Sindh, 627 candidates are in the run for 61 NA seats from Sindh while 1468 will fight over 130 Provincial Assembly seats. In 2002,603 candidates contested the 61 National Assembly seats and the 1431 candidates ran for the 130 Provincial Assembly seats. Of these, 559 belonged to political parties while 717 were independent candidates.

For the 14 National Assembly seats from Balochistan, 141 candidates are in the run while 537 are trying their luck for 51 Provincial Assembly seats. In 2002,127 candidates contested the 14 National Assembly seats and the 51 Provincial Assembly seats witnessed contests between 480 candidates.

For the 47 National Assembly seats of NWFP , 451 candidates are in the run while 1580 are trying their luck on the 99 Provincial Assembly seats. In 2002,234 candidates contested the 47 National Assembly seats and the 99 Provincial Assembly seats witnessed contests between 628 candidates.

Passing through Sindh and thought would share some of the thoughts/conversations that we’ve been having with the people here . For the people of Sindh the choice in the 2008 elections is which feudal to support?

In Jacobabad and Kashmore the PPP candidates belong to the Jakhrani and Bijarani families and they face the scions of the Soomoro and the Mazari clans.In Shikarpur Bhayos Aghas and Meeranis fielded by the PPP stand against the Jatois and Mahars.In Ghotki the PPP has fielded Fayyaz Khan Lund against the former Chief Minister of Sindh Ali Mohammad Khan Mahar.Mirpurkhas will witness a contest between the PPPs Mir Munawwar Ali Talpur and the two scions of the Shah family.

So rather than voting for change/ reform etc it is essentially a choice between feudals.

The prologue of Benazir Bhutto ’s new book ‘Reconciliation: Islam Democracy and the West” declares that BB remained devoted to this inspite of her hectic schedule.The reason for this was ‘ that she was convinced that the battles between democracy and dictatorship and between extremism and moderation were the two central forces of the new millennium.‘Through this book BB wanted to advocate reconciliation between the two.”This book was meant to present some reconciliation measures.

Given that this was the stated objective of the book it is disappointing.In the three hundred some pages of the book BB has essentially done a copy paste job of reproducing portions of Islamic history and Hadiths [saying of Prophet Muhammad.] Anyone having preliminary knowledge of Islamic history would find most of the pages of the book repetitive and certainly not worth the fourteen hundred rupees that the book is selling for.

At the end of a long drawn book some measures for reconciliation have been proposed but they are half baked.BB oscillates from proposing empowering women to having educational reforms to having a middle class as reconciliatory measures.How in her opinion it will lead to reconciliation between extremism and moderation is unclear.

On the whole apart from personal reflections on her return which form about ten pages of the book there is nothing worth reading in the book.Except ofcourse her remark about the PML Q as the party ‘that can’t gather a hundred people voluntarily at a rally even at lunchtime.”