Adil Najam and Owais Mughal
(Also see our second Year in Review Poll on “Predictions for 2009.” Image from Flickr by Mirjee.)
We had ended the year 2007 at ATP by calling it the “Year of Angst and Anger.” We had begun the year 2008 with a wishlist of seven prayers: Prayers for Human Dignity, for Living Livelihoods and Wellbeing, for Peace, for Tolerance, for Justice, for Democracy and for Jurat-i-Tehkik.
The year 2008 has been as angry and as angst-ridden as its predecesssor. Our prayers for 2009 remain the same, even more so. There is little one can add there.
Since past is prologue to the present, we wish to look beyond both past and present, into the future. Just as the demons of 2007 continued to haunt us in 2008, the events of 2008 will define Pakistan’s 2009 - for good or for bad. But which of the many - too many - momentous events of 2008 will have the greatest impact on defining what happens in Pakistan in 2009? That is the question for this ATP Poll, the first of two New Year’s Polls (the second one will follow soon).
We have selected ten key events of 2008 for you to choose from. But since some are related and the list is long, you can vote for multiple choices (we would recommend and suggest that you vote for around three only). The choices include:
- The political rise of Asif Ali Zardari at the helm of the PPP and as President.
- The resignation of Gen. Pervez Musharraf as President and his departure from the political scene.
- Pakistan’s lingering judicial crisis and its impacts on the judiciary as an institution.
- Rising political and military tensions with India following the Mumbai blasts.
- The international impacts of the global financial and economic crisis.
- Pakistan’s own economic, energy and food crises (in addition or separately from to the global economic crisis).
- Continuing acts of terrorism, civil violence and militancy all over Pakistan.
- Military action in Pakistan’s Northern areas by the government of Pakistan.
- The rise of Talibanization, extremism and deep social divisions in society.
- Barack Obama’s victory as US President and the likely changes it will bring to US policy on Pakistan, including on the global war on terror (GWOT).
Through your vote in this ATP Poll and through your comments, do plesae help us understand the implications of what has happened this year, and chart the contours of that which might happen next year.
(Also see our second Year in Review Poll on “Predictions for 2009“. Image from Flickr by Mirjee.)
It is also things like this news item which will define our 2009.
Minister reveals media-bashing plans of government, says Dr Shahid
The News, Wednesday, December 31, 2008
By Muhammad Ahmad Noorani
ISLAMABAD: Senior anchor person and former MD PTV Dr Shahid Masood has said that he has been told by a federal minister that Ansar Abbasi, Editor Investigations, The News, was on the government hit list and once he is “dismantled” the next target will be Shaheen Sehbai, the Group Editor of the newspaper.
Dr Shahid explained that he was clearly told by a PPP government federal minister that he (Dr Shahid) has already been ‘dismantled.’ “Ansar Abbasi is being dismantled right now while Shaheen Sehbai will be dismantled in the near future,” he said.
Dr Shahid Masood told The News that the message was conveyed to him in the last 48 hours through a federal minister. Shahid said that the minister was not threatening him directly but was conveying a message. “The establishment has decided to do this dismantling of senior journalists of the country (all incidentally belonging to the Jang Group of newspapers),” Dr Shahid quoted the federal minister as saying. Dr Shahid said that everything was being done by the government but the minister used the word “establishment”. It is important to mention here that the term establishment is generally used for the military authorities and intelligence agencies.
According to Dr Shahid Masood, the minister told him that first he (Dr Shahid) had been ‘dismantled’ successfully. “Now a character assassination campaign against the Editor Investigations, The News Ansar Abbasi is under way, and after completely dismantling him (Ansar) a similar campaign will be launched against Group Editor, The News, Shaheen Sehbai.
Dr Shahid, who hosts the Geo News programme “Meray Mutabiq,” which is recorded in Dubai, recently resigned as the chairman/MD PTV and as special assistant to the prime minister. Dr Shahid told this scribe that he responded to the minister by saying that it was unfortunate that the secret funds of the information ministry are being misused by bribing some mercenary journalists.
Dr Shahid said that he told the minister that during his stay in a government department and later in government the use of this secret fund was confirmed. “However, it is very unfortunate that the secret fund of the information ministry, which was first used to bribe journalists to get support for government policies, is now being used to tarnish the image of some leading and independent journalists for the first time in the country’s history.”
Dr Shahid said that he made it clear to the federal minister that government’s policy to tarnish the image of independent journalists by bribing other journalists through secret funds of the information ministry is going to fail and it will ultimately tarnish the image of politicians, democracy and the country.
A major twist , change and major review in Internal & Foriegn Policy is required, with positive approach of implementation.
We need to strive and bank on our own natural reserves more.
Access to Free education, free health , provision of basic amneties a must.
I must say that the list itself is quite depressing. But it is good to see that most people do recognize the terrorism and extremism as the major challenges facing us and our future.
Lets pray (sincerely) to Allah that Pakistan benefits a lot in this new Islamic year…Ameen.
We have to be positive and not negative - as ordered by Allah.
I agree with Durrani. The ongoing judicial crisis also provides an opportunity for the civil society to get strength. I am also hopeful that the military operation in tribal areas will check the spread of Taliban and hopefully start to roll it back.
The list is a little negative. I realize that things are bleak right now, but this website always talks about taking inspiration from ordinary people. I hope they will reassert themselves. For example, you could see new political forces rising as they did with the justice movement. Also, the global financial crisis may provide new economic opportunities. If only we can get the terrorism in check, and maybe with Obama coming in and new policies in the US that will happen, then things could start becoming better.
An important factor missing from the list is the alliance between PPP, PML-N, ANP, and others that make up the current provincial and national governments. Already, we are hearing rumors that Nawaz Sharif is in contact with the Chaudries of the PML-Q; this can cause major shake-ups in the current setup.
More than anything else, acts of terrorism, militancy and military action in FATA will continue to define Pakistan’s 2009.
A good article from BBC on this very subject:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7750542.stm