Adil Najam
The two videos attached below – one of a student speaking at a student convention presided over by Gen. Pervez Musharraf and the second of an MNA speaking in the National Assembly during the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz – have recently been floating around over email on Pakistani lists.
[Thanks to Eidee Man for alerting us to this new version of the first video which includes Gen. Musharraf’s Response to the student’s speech. Even if you have seen the student’s speech already, the response is worth listening to.]
While the remarks from Muslim League (N) MNA Khawaja Asif is less surprising (especially since it came right after Nawab Akbar Bugti’s death and during a no-confidence motion) the speech from the student (Syed Adnan Kakakhel) is much more of a surprise. Gen. Musharraf listens intently, takes notes, and seems engaged. Indeed, as you can now see from his response (later in the video) the speech certainly got to Gen. Musharraf. He responds at length – including on the military rule and Balochistan issues.
I should also add that this event was organized by the government itself and also note that Adnan Kakakhel was awarded the second prize in the speech contest and also that this was telecast over Pakistan Television.
Whether you are a government opponent (i.e., this shows the depth of people’s frustration with the current order), a cynic (i.e., such talk is tolerated because everyone knows it will make no difference), or a government supporter (i.e., this proves that this government has given people real democracy and freedom of speech), you should celebrate these videos for what they are: a demonstration that political thought is alive and well in Pakistan (irrespective of whether you believe its content to be righteous or misguided).
Coming from the bol ke lab aazad hain tairay school of democracy, to me the space for dissent is itself important to the democratic polity; for that reason alone I beleive that these are important articulations.
[quote comment=”4476″]”Where is this guy an MNA from?” [/quote]
Samdani,
Khawaja Asif, the MNA in the video, is from Sialkot. He is a Nawaz Sharif loyalist and was chairman of the Privatization Commission. Even though he acted as a bully on the block during Nawaz Sharif’s rule, two things must be said in his favor: He was among the first few people who were nabbed by NAB and was put through a wringer, but came out clean without making any deal with the government. Even the then Chairman of NAB apologized for arresting him wrongly. That says something about a politician in Pakistan. And second, he didn’t turn into a Lota like the bald character in the first video who used to sing Nawaz Sharif’s songs, even comparing him at one time to Harry Truman, and is now singing a different tune.
Yahya: Thief/terrorist? How did you reach this conclusion? esp about the student? If his dress made you reach that conclusion, then I can only find that reaction pitiful. If you had more information than that, then please elaborate for the rest of us.
I found the interaction to be frank and enocuraging. I cannot vouch for facts on either side, but civil discourse enables the general population to be better aware of decision making that goes on in the corridors of power. Whenever Gen. Musharraf has come out honestly, he has made a few friends. It is when the political mafiaso around him try to isolate him (in the name of political strategy) that he suffers terribly.
[quote comment=”4483″]Thanks Adil. These are excellent. In fact, I would volunteer – with some help – to create a transcription of the two; for wider dissemination.
Let me know if anyone can help out.[/quote]
Why? What pearls of wisdom have you noticed? One thief/terrorist calling other thief/terrorist a thief/terrorist. How many times have we not seen this before? No wonder they are still there. They are able to fool us every time. Perhaps its our own low standard that makes little things look big to us.
Thanks Adil. These are excellent. In fact, I would volunteer – with some help – to create a transcription of the two; for wider dissemination.
Let me know if anyone can help out.
PatExpat, you missed the questionmark in the title. Purposely?
Interesting – actually sad – how this has become about mullah-non-mullah. Why should that matter. You are as wrong to condemn a so-called ‘mullah’ just because you think he is a ‘mullah’ as you woudl be to condemn a so-called ‘liberal’ just because you consider them to be a ‘liberal’. In each case shouldn’t we focus instead of the message rather than teh message.
By the way, I find the second video and its portion about Punjabis and Balochistan very interesting. Also the heckling between MNAs. Where is this guy an MNA from?