Credits for photos belong to Pervaiz Munir Alvi saheb. He took the photos on his recent trip to Pakistan and graciously shared them with me. The location is the Grand Trunk (now called highway N5) in Punjab.
While we have discussed Declaration of Emergency, Chronology of a Meltdown, mis-treatment of Imran Khan in recent past, one topic that got missed is what’s Benazir Bhutto up to these days? We would like to hear from our readers. Today, on my drive back from office, I was listening to Imran Khan’s interview on National Public Radio (NPR). On a question of joining forces with Benazir, Imran Khan replied:
“We would love to join Benazir, except we don’t know whose side she is on today….There is a big mistrust of each other among opposition parties these days”.
I agree. What do you think? Above photos are in no way ATP’s endorsement to Benazir. They simply reflect a glimpse of our society. In addition to that, I personally enjoyed reading the slogan: “faisla zameer da….”
@Viqar Minai:
I have said before and I would say it again that I am no supporter of BB or even ZAB for that matter.
Also what could be negative logic to one, might be positive logic to some one else. There is no universal logic and no body must start thinking that only his/her logic is the best.
@Shahid:
I understand all about the ups and down, and weaknesses of nation. I also know, ke:
“hae jurm’e za’IfI ki sazA marg-e mafAjAt”
What I am not getting is how the only “darmAN” of all this “dard” is to support Benazir Bhutto to the hilt? And that too, in the absence of any compelling justification.
All I have seen from any of you is negative logic, imagined accusations, and name calling. Whenever I rebut a point, I just get more of the same.
@ViqarMinai,
Sorry, if I misunderstood you to be supportive of NS (or any other anti-BB force). But I don’t think I have accused you of that above. Have I? Then please copy/paste it!
But if you are disqualify so many forces then you better have some concrete suggestions too! No longer can we afford to say ‘all politicians are corrupt’ because, in the end, anyone who rules a country is either a professional politician or becomes professional politician!
Also, please don’t be offended if I say this: You have clearly implied above that in your posts that the main legimitacy for BB is American support. I strongly counter this. I think BB, being a ‘pragmatic’ politician, has realized that this is not 1977 and that power does not come through ‘people’’s voice and that Pakistan is, sadly, too much trapped in American game. If she was really that American puppet then she would NOT be denied access to American power corridors for most of last 8 years.
Viqar Minai says:
“@Shahid, Meengla:
Where and when did I say that BB should be denied power if she is elected in a free and fair election?”
I never referred to any of your statements nor I intend to do that, so I wonder why have you mentioned my name!
@Shahid, Meengla:
Where and when did I say that BB should be denied power if she is elected in a free and fair election?
Perhaps you are assuming that the definition of “free and fair election” is one in which BB gets to be elected to power. Can we wait to count the chicken until the eggs hatch?
Viqar Minai:
What needs to be understood is that every nation is in a particular mode at a particular time, or over some period of time. The most powerful of ancient nations, China, had become so weak in the late and early 20th century that Japan and Russia would fight over its land and it wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. It didn’t gain soveireignity in a day or two. It took till the end of the world war and a four years civil war that finally restored sovereignity to the largest nation in the world. Pakistan is currently in a particular state of affairs, where US, UK, KSA, UAE and a few other nations have become too involved in its internal matters. It didn’t take a year or two for Pakistan to reach this state of affairs, and it won’t take a “free and fair” election to take it out of it, though it would certainly help. It needs time so I don’t see any drastic change in Pakistan’s current position viz-a-viz other powers in a few years. May be in next 10 years we might get some spine.
@Meengla,
I hope you don’t have a problem with English comprehension. Read my posts carefully. The
following is from the first post:
“God, she is as counterfiet as they come. To be fair to her, though, she isn’t the only one in Pakistan”.
And this from the second:
“In BB, we have a politican (and I will admit that she may not be the only one) who openly flouts all of the above principles”.
If you still can’t get it then let me clearly state, for the record, that I am as anti-NS as I am anti-Musharraf and anti-BB. But this thread is not about either of them.
@Shahid
“Under present circumstances I don’t think that decisions can be taken by the Assembly, which has no spine in it”.
Firstly, I wasn’t speaking w.r.t “this” assembly, but the future elected assembly in a free and fair election. I am sure it will have plenty of “spine”.
More importantly, the excuse that you offer is lame. In Pakistan, the circumstances never seems to be “right” to do the right thing. Just ask General Pakistan.
And what of the “ground realities”? Hasn’t the most militarily powerful alliance in the world been conducting the W.O.T in Iraq, Afghanistan, and have not 80K+ Pak soldiers been deployed in the tribal area fighting the same war? What do all these brave stalwarts have to show for their impeccable cognizance of the “ground realities” that BB, and her equally clueless supporters, now expect to show us in the coming years?
How about forgetting the “ground realities”, and developing some “spine” for a change?