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….”
meengla says:
“2) BB does not need American support to be the next PM. All PPP wants is free and fair elections. It is a kind of Fascism to deny her power if the people of Pakistan elect her.”
You have identified the actual problem. Pakistan is a stratified society with the few “Brahmins” amongst us, which include “Overseas Pakistanis”, the faujis, the rich, the upper middle class people and the educated lot. In their eyes everyone else is “shudra”, the untouchable, who are born to serve them. They don’t think that they have the right to speak or vote, and thus would keep telling us that whomsoever they vote for are not worth leading Pakistan. What a pathetic lot they are.
@ViqarMinai,
1) In today’s world, does it make any difference to ‘make statements’ in different settings. While BB’s statements are certainly not ‘politically correct’ I do think that they are inconsequential because she (or any other civilian leader) is not going to have enough powers to implement security/foreign policy related matters. By the way, NS, too (in England, IMHO) recently came out and assured Washington of his utility to wage an effective war in the Tribal Area. I guess, unless you are one of those pathological anti-Bhutto, you may have a few words for him too?
2) BB does not need American support to be the next PM. All PPP wants is free and fair elections. It is a kind of Fascism to deny her power if the people of Pakistan elect her.
3) BB’s rule was certainly tainted by charges of corruption but ‘dictatorship’ is a label usually not applied to her. Unlike NS, BB did not pick fights with COAS, CJP, AND the President of Pakistan. So choose your words carefully!
4) Why do you anti-Bhutto people are so hung up on giving more weight to the inconsequential statements of BB then to the actual deeds of many other rulers since 1977. Sorry, unless you are going to be more fair and hold everyone else accountable your opinions cannot escape the label of being prejudiced.
Viqar Minai:
Under present circumstances I don’t think that decisions can be taken by the Assembly, which has no spine in it. We can’t just wish away the influence of US, UK, KSA and others in the internal affairs of the country. I think we have to work given the circumstances and realities on grounds rather than based on idealism.
Mush apologists have gone berserk:)
@Meengla, Ar. Shahid:
Regardless of how BB and her supporters feel, certain issues are national issues; as such they must be discussed and debated in the national assembly of Pakistan. BB, or anyone else, does not have the right to spout their unsolicited opinions on these matters, especially in the power corridors of Washington.
The people of Pakistan have the right to determine the “national interest” of Pakistan. They don’t need to get rid of one dictator to be saddled with another, particularly when she is good for little else other than making cheap statements.
http://tinyurl.com/3y6tge