The Pakistan Update

By Sadanand Dhume – Wall Street Journal

Monday night’s arrest of Faisal Shahzad, a 30-year-old Pakistani-American accused of planting a car bomb in Times Square on Saturday, will undoubtedly stoke the usual debate about how best to keep America safe in the age of Islamic terrorism. But this should not deflect us from another, equally pressing, question. Why do Pakistan and the Pakistani diaspora churn out such a high proportion of the world’s terrorists?

Indonesia has more Muslims than Pakistan. Turkey is geographically closer to the troubles of the Middle East. The governments of Iran and Syria are immeasurably more hostile to America and the West. Yet it is Pakistan, or its diaspora, that produced the CIA shooter Mir Aimal Kasi; the 1993 World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef (more…)

Tags: Democracy, Faisal Shahzad, Featured, ISI, Military, New York, North Waziristan, NY, Pakistan, Terror attack, Time Square, Waziristan

Posted in Blog, News | 1,179 Comments »

By Wajid Shamsul Hasan

Why Pakistan needs strong institutions is amply demonstrated in recent events of monumental importance. However, these events did not get enough attention either because of indifference from analysts or their lack of comprehension about these issues. It is a tribute to democracy that, despite the challenges of security and economic downturn due to the fight against extremism and terrorism, the government of Pakistan has succeeded in meeting major challenges. Of course, in doing so it enjoyed the support of the masses and the major political forces in the country.

Let us talk about those monumental events at an international and national level, events that have been taking place ever since the democratic government came to power in March 2008. Seven such major events and developments are discernable. (more…)

Tags: Afghanistan, Asif Zardari, Democracy, Hamid Karzai, Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa, Martial Law, Military, musharraf, nfc, Security, Taliban, War on Terror

Posted in Blog | 2,491 Comments »

By George Bruno/ Star-Ledger Guest Columnist

As the NATO military offensive against the revitalized Taliban progresses in Afghanistan, the political situation in neighboring Pakistan remains tense in a way that can directly impact U.S. military and political objectives in the region.
I have long believed that the pacification of the extremist threat in South Asia and around the world can only be accomplished in an environment of democracy and the rule of law. Any assault on these values fuels the fires of fanaticism.

As one who has devoted my life to the international human rights agenda and democratization of former autocratic nations, I am growing increasingly concerned that the historic progress that was made in Pakistan in 2008, reversing a decade of military dictatorship, is now threatened by an unexpected source — the politicization of the Pakistani judiciary and the stark political ambitions of a formerly respected chief justice.

In two Supreme Court decisions, the chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, has unveiled an agenda that is antithetical to democracy and seems fueled by self-aggrandizement and political opportunism. Most recently, (more…)

Tags: Asif Zardari, Chief Justice, CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry, Democracy, Featured, Judiciary, Pakistan Update

Posted in Blog | 2,257 Comments »

By Yasir Jahangiri

Seeing two news articles hailing from two different parts of the world got me thinking. Is it time our renowned leaders took a crash course on humanity and consideration from Barak Obama?

It was just simple act of humanity. An act to prove that the leader of a country cares for his people.

It’s not unusual and certainly not the first time that someone’s gotten detained in traffic because some official was driving through. In case of Pakistan, people living in the twin cities of Islamabad/Rawalpindi experience this on a daily bases whilst Lahore and Karachi see their fare share of official motorcades. You hear ambulances and sirens for hour on ends because not even a bird is allowed to flap its wings near the motorcade. Let alone opening the traffic for medical emergencies. (more…)

Tags: Asif Zardari, Barack Obama, Democracy, Featured, President Motorcade, Quetta, Security, White House

Posted in Blog | 749 Comments »

By David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey

When U.S. President Barack Obama sharply challenged a recent Supreme Court decision in his State of the Union address, prompting a soto voce rejoinder from Justice Samuel Alito, nobody was concerned that the contretemps would spark a blood feud between the judiciary and the executive. The notion that judges could or would work to undermine a sitting U.S. president is fundamentally alien to America’s constitutional system and political culture. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Pakistan.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, the country’s erstwhile hero, is the leading culprit in an unfolding constitutional drama. It was Mr. Chaudhry’s dismissal by then-President Pervez Musharraf in 2007 that triggered street protests by lawyers and judges under the twin banners of democracy and judicial independence. This effort eventually led to Mr. Musharraf’s resignation in 2008. Yet it is now Mr. Chaudhry himself who is violating those principles, having evidently embarked on a campaign to undermine and perhaps even oust President Asif Ali Zardari. (more…)

Tags: Asif Zardari, Chief Justice, CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry, Democracy, Featured, Judiciary, Lawyers Movement, NRO, Pakistan Update, Pervaiz Musharraf, Politics, President Zardari, Supreme Court, Ziaul Haq

Posted in News | 2,254 Comments »

By Dr Manzur Ejaz

One of our reputable progressive historians asserted in one of his recently published column that chanting Sufi songs cannot change the situation: one needs a modern theory or model to address contemporary problems. I agree with the main assertion but strongly disagree with the intent he has put forth in his argument. His formulation lacks historical perspective of which he is supposed to be an expert.

I do not know who he is referring to when he claims that a change in the contemporary situation cannot be brought about by merely chanting Sufi songs. What is wrong if certain groups study Punjabi or other classical poetry, make musical compositions and sing? Did they make a public bid for revolution that we are requiring of them? Do they come in the way of those who want to bring socio-economic change applying ‘modern’ theories or models? Obviously they do not. However, in the absence of activist groups or individuals, (more…)

Tags: Democracy, Featured, MKP, political parties, PPP, religious parties, religious schools, Sufi schools

Posted in Blog | 878 Comments »

There’s a special genre of publication that caters exclusively to excitable, starstruck young women. “Tiger Beat”, “Bop” and “16″ are fluffy magazines tailored to satisfy the swoony dreams of adolescents as they fantasize about the teen idol de jour.

The packaging of a fantasy is an art in and of itself cleverly crafted by publicists, ambitious stage parents and cynical editors. The formula is fairly simple.  The performer must always be portrayed as single and wholesome. Marriage, homosexuality, bizarre personality quirks, poor grooming, violent tendencies, psychological issues, consumption of alcohol and/or drugs and smoking must be concealed at all costs lest the fantasy, and possibly a career, go up in smoke. Chastity rings a la Jonas Brothers are a big plus.  The star has to be accessible but always slightly out of reach, cute but never sexual, perfectly behaved….and rather bland.  Attracting and keeping the attention of young female fans, who tend to be fickle when it comes to the cuties they admire, is easier said than done.

But it’s impossible to put off the inevitable.  The girls realize they’re at a puppet show when they see the strings. The star turns out to be a regular guy. (more…)

Tags: Barack Obama, bill clinton, Campaign 2012, Democracy, democrats, Election campaign 2008, Featured, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Newspapers, Presidential Candidates, Republicans, TV channels, us media, Votes

Posted in The Ballot Box | 2,304 Comments »

A Republican political consultant and spin doctor once gave a young reporter a piece of advice.  ”When dealing with a politician think like a lion tamer.  Have you ever asked yourself why a lion tamer goes into the ring with a loaded gun at his side? That’s because he knows that even though he’s been around the same lion day after day – and may even have raised the creature since it was a cub – he realizes that at the end of the day the lion is still a lion.”

No doubt working with and around politicians is a risky business.  Consider the tawdry, never-ending saga of John Edwards and his merry band of enablers, chief among whom is former Edwards aide Andrew Young, now out baying for blood.

Young and his wife appeared on ABC’s 20/20 recently to empty the X-rated clown car. (more…)

Tags: bill clinton, Democracy, Featured, Hillary Clinton, john edwards, national enquirer, Obama, sarah palin, US, us media

Posted in The Ballot Box | 2,499 Comments »

By Dr. Kamran Iqbal

Absence of democracy is a significant prelude to violence in society and opens up space for foreign interventionism as proponents of autocratic regime buy their security either on the basis of fear or interest from external sources and this brings about bullying of nascent democratic regimes by matured democracies. Most commonly nascent democracies are bullied by matured democracy in terms of enforcement of democracy rather than protection of democracy.

Liberal and democratic states are less likely to suffer intervention by other states. But nascent democracies are exception to this rule as these have instable leadership regimes which tend to distract masses by promoting diversionary behavior and tactics to cover their instabilities. This, in turn generates a vicious cycle of further instability setting young nations war or violence prone. (more…)

Tags: Afghanistan, AfPak, Democracy, History of relations, Nationalism, Pak US relations, Pakistan, President Obama, Terrorism, US

Posted in Around | 1,036 Comments »

By Raza Rumi

Many decades ago, our Governor General-President Iskander Mirza had rather contemptuously stated that democracy does not suit the genius of Pakistani people. Immediately after these words of wisdom were uttered, direct military rule not only exiled Mirza but also became a norm rather than aberration. For the last six decades or so we have not been able to overcome this political reality. The unelected institutions of the state are not willing to give up the power they inherited from the might of the colonial state. At best, they are willing to share power to a degree that they deem fit.

It is now clear that within a few months Pakistan is due for another political upheaval. Barely two years after an election took place, the political elites are back in business (more…)

Tags: Asif Zardari, Democracy, Dictatorship, Judiciary, Kerry Lugar Bill, Martial Law, Nawaz Sharif, NRO, Pervez Musharraf, PML (N), PPP, Ziaul Haq

Posted in Blog | 704 Comments »