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.
Perhaps someone can volunteer to sub-title this video in english and post it back up on video sites as well as news aggregate sites. Unfortunately my Urdu is no where near good enough to translate the student’s speech.
I don’t remember any American presidents inviting elequent opposition to speak against them in a televised event. Watching this video of Mush. reminds me of Benazir getting grilled by a young man on a TV talk show back in the day.
To all the people at ATP, I want to apologise if I gave the wrong impression of starting a sectarian based arguement. That was not my intention at all.
I had a reservation and I expressed it. Its that simple. In future I shall choose my words with more care. And I remain anchored with my opinion of keeping the state and the mosque seperate.
Bhindigosht,
I am sure you are talking about the bald character in the video and not the MNA speaking in the parliament.
Mr. Kakakhel (the madrassa student) was good! Even though his Junaid-Jamshed looks turned me off in the beginning, but I was impressed the way he articulated his points. One could see Musharraf’s smile tightening whenever young Kakakhel drove a point home. But Musharraf, too, made a good point when he pointed out the contradiction between what Muslims say and what they do. I don’t know what was the occasion but he looked out of place in his uniform. I mean Musharraf, not Kakakhel.
I’d like to write something in detail about all this.
But quickly, Bilal, give a Pakistani the benefit of the doubt, here, will ya? The name “Yahya” isn’t Boston Irish, ya know.
MQ, this same character who used to talk endlessly about Nawaz Sharif’ doctrine, and now plays the role of one of the chief darbaris of Mush, also compared himself to (God forbid!) Nelson Mandela. Why? because he was was placed under house arrest for 3 months or so after the fall of the Sharifs. Go figure.
BTW, though I am personally not one for facial hair, shalwars above the thaknas and most madrassahs (Binori and non-Binori), I must say this student was articulate and spoke well. Now if only the so-called liberal types could string together an entire sentence in Urdu…….