In an excellent piece in Daily Times, the writer deplored the conspiracy theorists in Pakistan claiming that the US is working on re-drawing the map of Asia, and there is no room for Pakistan in this ‘new map’. The writer correctly pointed out that this type of hysterical notions have been claiming that Pakistan is about to go under for about 50 years, but Pakistan is still where it was yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. So, the question that comes to my mind is simple: why can’t these nut jobs stop crying wolf when they have been proven wrong for decades. Specifically, we have not seen any interest by the US to‘re-draw’ the map in this part of the world, despite awful conditions on the ground, especially in Pakistan for the United States of America. Yet, there are people who continue to advance these strange notions. So, the question is this: when, if ever will these conspiracy theorists stop hyperventilating about America’s desire, or more precisely, rest of the world’s desire to wipe out Pakistan from world’s map? The answer is never. There is a surprisingly large, or should I say alarmingly significant number of people who seriously believe that Pakistan is considered a threat by un-Islamic (Satan loving!) nations around the globe and they are working day and night (or have been working for 6 decades) to destroy Pakistan.

Talk about nutty ideas!

One reason for this laughable notion to stay alive and well is the role of Pakistan’s journalists, especially working in the Urdu language papers. These journalists, almost without exception are illiterate, non-analytical right wing religious zealots. Unlike rest of the world, there is no criterion for people to get hired in print media in Pakistan, and this open gate policy has allowed all sorts of weirdoes to become journalists. Once again, unlike rest of the world, there is no way to determine whether what we read in the press in Pakistan is an opinion or news. The role of unqualified editors is also of great significant because these so-called editors shared the feelings of these right wing hard liners working in Urdu press, and since both journalists and editors hated progress and modernity, they became vicious enemies of the West, but their favorite target has been the United States. So, for as long as I can remember, the print media in Pakistan with the exception of an English Daily from Karachi has been beating the drums of hate and whenever something failed in Pakistan because of Pakistan’s own short comings, entire blame was put on America, and be done with it. So, this constant hate mongering has started to pay off now and people across Pakistan have seriously started to believe that America is a monster that is bent on destroying everything. Obviously, this perception is wrong, but this doesn’t stop Pakistanis from huffing and puffing about Washington day and night without any regard for what Pakistanis themselves did wrong or their elected or unelected leaders did wrong. For majority of the Pakistanis, lead by the so-called journalists, it has become a usual routine – blame America for every failure, period.

Unfortunately for Pakistanis, the advent of electronic media compounded the problem. Instead of being objective and honest about their analysis, the same breed of uneducated, untrained, and unsophisticated people became television anchors. Mind you, not all anchors are bad, but the majority is just awful. So, here is how it goes in Pakistan these days. People get hateful right wing anti west propaganda through vernacular press in the morning, which is repeated by the so-called anchors on television across Pakistan in the evening. As a result, Pakistanis are losing the ability to be objective in their analysis. Worse, people Pakistan have started to blame ‘foreign hand’ for their own failures. And this cycle of living in denial and shifting the blame has become permanent. Add to this problem is noise that failed leaders are making about ‘evil America’ day and night using the most powerful platform in the country, electronic media. Yes, the same anchors who love to criticize the US for everything wrong in the country lovingly invite those who have been rejected by the electorate, but who leave no stone unturned in blaming the United States for all the problems in Pakistan. Therefore, it is not entirely wrong to suggest that the rise of private television channels have been destructive for Pakistan instead of being helpful!

At a time when with every passing day, the country is sinking deeper and deeper in debt, inflation, unemployment, terrorism, it is just stunning to witness the masses still obsessed with dealing a blow to CIA, instead of saving their own neck by saving the country and my fear is that sooner or later, it is going to be too late for anyone to fix the problems hurting Pakistan. The Taliban are becoming aggressive, their funding is unstoppable given their activities, the business and investment climate is just horrible, electricity failures for hours across Pakistan, the growing water between different provinces, the ethnic and religious divide, and the overall social, political and economical decline in Pakistan is apparently not enough for Pakistanis to come together. Instead, they live in a fantasy world of conspiracies, defeating ‘foreign powers’ and shifting the blame instead of taking responsibility. This attitude will not help anyone. If Pakistanis are serious about their saving their country, they must unite to over come the colossal challenges that lay ahead. Otherwise, God forbid, there won’t be anything to fight or die for!

Bilal Qureshi

Washington, DC

I am not a fan of Asif Zardari, but I have to give him credit for swallowing his ego, yet again, and going to meet Nawaz Sharif at Sharif’s residence. Given Pakistan’s awful economical and political situation, I do admire Zardari’s commitment to finding common ground with as many political parties as possible to keep the country from falling apart. Yes, you read it correctly; I said falling apart because the country is not really in good shape.

I have been in Pakistan for couple of months, I have traveled the country, I have had conversations with Pakistanis from almost all walks of life and in the end, I have not been able to find anyone who was either positive or hopeful about Pakistan or its future. As I have mentioned before, everyone complains about the perpetually deteriorating situation in the country, but no one does anything about it. Worse, people just love to loath the United States and all conversations about Pakistan start and end with viciously condemning America. More alarmingly, people in Pakistan have come up with bizarre and worrisome conspiracy theories about American involvement in the region and this unhealthy attitude of shifting blame is at the center of all the troubles that the country faces today.

It is time for Pakistan’s public and leaders to realistically view the internal threats that can seriously harm Pakistan, if honest corrective measures are not initiated right away. The country cannot afford to be in denial anymore about itself or its future. Therefore, it is important to appreciate the gracious gesture of Asif Zardari’s initiative of traveling to Nawaz Sharif’s residence to reestablish the relationship between Pakistan’s two major political parties. This cooperation between PPP and PML (N) is the only way to tackle the out of reach food, petroleum, and electricity prices for majority of Pakistanis. In fact, everything in the country needs a fresh start and this fresh start is only possible if every stake holder in the country comes together to deal with Pakistan’s monstrous challenges.

Let’s hope and pray that Pakistan elected leadership would wise up and do the right thing to save the country.

Bilal Qureshi

Washington, DC

The good thing is that Prime Minster Gilani has called all the major political parties to share the outcome of this meeting with Indian Prime Minister. This is a wonderful development in a country where everything is slowly sliding back towards stone age.

I am sure that my readers would be surprised to read that I am giving importance to this news, but believe me, in Pakistan every news of cooperation between the leaders is a very fresh start that the country badly and desperately needs. We have seen too much political leg pulling, personal attacks, politics of destruction, but I think the time has come for the country to come together to overcome the division that are pushing back progress and giving an open to those who are playing with fire. Pakistan cannot afford any more fighting and the country has to be saved from its leaders, both political and those who come in uniform to ’save’ the country.

Right now, Pakistan, especially the big cities have become cages because of the security measures that the police and other law enforcement agencies have taken to counter the terrorists who are exploding bombs in the country. Yes, it is painful and yes, it causes a lot of trouble for all of us, but this is the price that we all have to pay to save our future.  We have to not only save our country, but also the future of our children and if it means taking the fight to the thugs, so be it!

Despite my positive outlook about life, I get extremely depressed when I look at Pakistan as an observer from outside. At times, I just don’t know how can the country deal with serious issues threatening Pakistan’s very existence. For me, one way is to stick my head in sand and keep pretending that all is well and all the bad stuff is ‘enemy’s propaganda to weaken Pakistan’, or I can be realistic and honest about Pakistan’s problem. I have opted to be honest!

For example, in case you didn’t know, Pakistan is experiencing tremendous water and electricity shortage. Dawn has a brilliant piece in today’s paper titled Power protests. Regretfully, there is no end in sight as for as electricity and water shortages in Pakistan are concerned. The government is engulfed in so many other controversies that it seems highly unlikely that Islamabad would be able to do anything about the worsening electricity and water crisis anytime soon. Even if any leader or any government manages to come up with a solution, it will still take years (hopefully not decades) to complete the projects and by the time the project is about to begin, the demand would have caught up with supply. So, it is a lose lose situation given Pakistan’s current and future program is concerned.

By the way, even if the current government is removed, there is no guarantee that the new and incoming government would have any solution to the colossal challenges that are about to swallow Pakistan. First, it is impossible to unite the country about anything. Even about the Taliban, it is impossible to find the nation united against the nihilists who were threatening to take Pakistan into Stone Age by taking over the country. Second, there is a new challenge in the country every single day that forces the focus to shift and in the process, all efforts are lost as the country moves on. Third and final, the county has no money, no resources, and now, no one to turn to for help. Mind, you, I am taking about the country and it should not be confused with the current government.

I wish all the problems just vanish, the mountains of troubles just melt away, but obviously, it won’t happen. The country and the nation will have to work very hard to get comfortable. Let’s see what happens in the process.

It is fashionable in Pakistan to oppose America. Perhaps, it is a phobia that has gripped the country that America is bad. Or, it is just plain stupidity that people in Pakistan love to be anti American. No matter how you look at it, there is a campaign in Pakistan against the United States of America and this perpetual negativity has started to yield dividends in terms of public buying into this notion that America is the enemy.

There is absolutely no harm at looking at both sides of any argument. So, if the people in Pakistan are interested in trying to understand Washington’s policy towards Pakistan, they should be helped and their questions should be answered. Similarly, it is also wise for the people to protect Pakistan’s national interest. But, this exercise in objectivity has somehow evolved into bitter hatred towards Washington. In this process, everyone has played a role, but the most destructive role was played by the so-called religious leaders with the help of pseudo intellectual and ignorant buffoons, pretending to be journalists. Now, this tsunami of hatred is about to destroy intellect across the country.

Those who were in a position to influence public opinion in Pakistan did a tremendous disservice to Pakistani public by not telling them the truth about critical facts along the way. Another factor is Pakistan’s military’s obsession with India. This one dimensional approach towards country’s security has not helped anyone. Army in Pakistan with the help of selected journalists and religious parties has been pumping anti Indian, anti Jewish and anti American propaganda for decades. As a result, the overall psyche in Pakistan has become completely retarded. It seems that the country has lost the ability to critically analyze anything and the entire country is stuck on one thing and one thing only – ‘America is bad, the current war against the Taliban is not Pakistan’s war and America is sponsoring the Taliban.’ Now, how can any nation be taken seriously if it can’t even understand the grave threat the country faces.

However, when Pakistan needs money, medicine, equipment, or anything else to help one emergency or the other, the first country to step forward and provide aide to Pakistanis is America. Historically, regardless of what hate mongers preach in Pakistan, it is a fact that America has been an ally of Pakistan and America has always done whatever was needed to help Pakistan. Therefore, it is very upsetting right wing politicians preaching against America in print and especially on electronic media. This foolishness is only hurting Pakistan. It has to be countered and it must be stopped.

There are forces of reason in Pakistan, but those who try to be objective come under tremendous verbal assault by all sides. Anyone attempting to point out Pakistan’s own failures is bullied and his or her voice is completely drowned by the right wing nuts chanting anti American slogans. These forces of negativity appeal to the nationalism and to the religious feelings of innocent Pakistanis and in the process common sense goes out the window.

So, I ask my friends and readers to counter these right wing hate mongers across the country by simply asking one question: What has America done to Pakistan to hurt the country? Obviously, the answer is no, but let’s see how they answer this question!

As I have discussed yesterday, Taliban supporter and anti American politician, who by the way has failed for 10 years in politics is in America. Apparently, he is there to raise funds for the victims of Swat Operation. Well, only in America. Yes, only in America can a man like Imran Khan, who supports the Taliban and opposes everything about the Americans was allowed to be in a country he so badly wants to see destroyed. Imran spews hate against the United States (just Google it if you don’t believe me), but rushes there every couple of years to get money. Isn’t time that someone in America took notice of this hypocrisy? Why can’t the good people at State disallow Imran and instead grant visa to some who would come back to Pakistan as a friend of the United States and would work to bring the two countries, cultures and people together?

It is a horribly misguided policy to entertain Imran in America and this should stop. In fact, everyone inside Pakistan (believe me, there is a very long line) who hates America and works every news channel to pump people of Pakistan against the United States must be stopped from entering the country they pretend to not like when they are in front of cameras. Yes, I know the usual freedom of speech thing, but this freedom of travel should first be extended to the friends of the United States, please. People like Imran who idolizes Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Putin, Mullah Omar, Osama and other known America haters have no business enjoying the freedom of democracy.

Please Foggy Bottom, please for God’s sake do something, do your job at least, please!

Also, here is what is worth reading from today’s papers in Pakistan.

In an excellent piece titled What are we up against? Ayesha Siddiqa explains the situation in Pakistan vis-à-vis the Taliban and the current operation going on Swat. It is important to be clear about not only the actual war, but also about the objectives and the exit strategy. Another interesting piece of news, followed by comments by the readers is listed as Closing in on Baitullah on Dawn’s Forum. Cyril Almeida wrote a wonderful piece titled Groping in the dark about the complex situation in N.W.F.P.

The News has commented about the news of 57 men who were tried for plotting against Pervez Musharraf while he was in the office.

At a time when the airline industry around the globe is losing money, amazingly, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has hire 80 new pilots, wow. This is one of the benefits of being a state employee, you can’t get fired and you have job security for life. This news was also reported in The News titled Too many pilots.

Imran Khan, a failed politician in Pakistan was in Houston recently. While there, his tone was totally different from what people hear him in Pakistan. When he speaks in Pakistan, he rails against the great Satan, America (according to him), but he selects his words carefully when he is in the States. Double standard? Yes, sure. Bigotry and hypocrisy? Of course!

It never amazes me to see absolutely strange and bizarre things in Pakistan, especially in Politics. But what I don’t understand is that how can anyone spew hate against a country day and night and when he gets an invitation, he gets on the first flight to be in the United States.

Actually, he is not the only one who blames America for everything bad in Pakistan, but the difference between rest of the folks and Imran is that Imran has been around the world, has studied in England, has lived in England and he should know better. But, for some reason, he refuses to be honest and realistic and continues to be vitriolic.

Not sure why was Imran invited to the States and more importantly, I am surprised that despite being a hate monger, Imran is granted the U.S. visa and he is allowed to enter the country again and again. I wish someone in Islamabad embassy or in Washington would have the guts to tell Imran to says thanks, but no thanks!

Pakistan’s internal disputes are serious, but rarely do outsiders notice anything. Here is an example. Below, you’d find an article written by a gentleman in Northern Virginia. One of his readers responded favorably, but another reader reacted sharply, and this response should help the readers understand the simmering tensing inside Pakistan. I have removed the e-mail address from this exchange, but the rest is being reported without any change.

Dear Mr Nadeem ul Haq et al:

I support your plea to pull down the pointless walls meant to provide a safe enclosures for Punjab’s Babus. But aren’t you being a tad bit parochial; there are so many more important walls to be pulled down, particularly the invisible ones that lie in the minds of people, stopping them from seeing good sense, and encouraging their selfish instincts.

Your historic megacity city lacks a public tranport system, nor does the capital or for that matter any city in Pakistan. The traffic you have going through the GOR is because you have too many rich cats in cars. Your beloved Lahori, Kamran Lashari, whom you exported to Islamabad helped ruin it and wasted money on roads, which would have been better spent on starting a half-decent public transport enterprise. It is time you had basic environmental science taught in your Services Academy and at least your elite private schools.

Your Babus, diverted the water from Indus to feed your lands starving large parts of the lower riparians. Your fathers and uncles, and your army cousins illegally occupied land in Sindh and erected walls, bringing along peasants from your own villages while my Sindhi brothers and sisters had to eek out a living. You pulled gas pipes to cook your meals in GOR, Lahore, while the Baluchis ate sand.

So before you cry about the little niggly things in your neighborhood, shed a few tears for what your walls elsewhere have done to your Pakistani brothers and sister. Don’t stop at that as tears don’t help anyone; make a change!

And if you guys don’t bring about a change, we Sindhis and Baluchis will have you and your relatives pay current market rates for the land that you took over as if it was your right. The economist in your had better start calculating how much that will be - then proceed to inform the public through your articles. This money (give us the amount and justification) should be deposited in the Sindh & Baluchistan Govt kitties, and used for development there.

When will you be writing your next article, Mr Nadeem ul Haque, to correct these far greater wrong-doings?

Peace,

Lila Thadani

Sindhi Adyoon Tehreek

Sukkur

———————————————————-

On Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 8:39 PM, wrote:

Dear Nadeem

We are in Santiago, Chile at the moment. From here we have to go to Spain, Netherlands and Switzerland to complete lectures on transfer pricing. You have raised a very vital issue. We will raise our voice soon in an article.

Regards.

DR. IKRAMUL HAQ

LLD, MA, LLB

Advocate Supreme Court

International Tax Counsel

From: Nadeem Haque

Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 1:29 AM

To:

Subject: SUSPECT: Do we ever get outraged?

Mr CM Tear Down that Wall!

“Tear down this wall!” was the famous challenge from United States President Ronald Reagan to Soviet leader Gorbachev to destroy the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987.This challenge will be remembered through history as a cry for freedom The wall was built by the totalitarian Soviet Union to prevent East Germans from moving freely to the west. We all remember the many wall crossings and defections that characterized the wall and its prevention of freedom.

Instead of heeding the cry of freedom, the Punjab Government has walled itself off from the people. Government Officers Residences (GOR) which sits in the heart of Lahore– occupying about a square mile of city center–is a colonial legacy which is badly in need of abolition. The Empire needed to giver residences and perks to bring Englishmen to rule the country. They had built palaces for themselves on the outskirts of Lahore. The city has grown and now GOR is bang in its middle. You would have thought that Independent Pakistan would have quickly dismantled this colonial legacy.

Calls for monetization of all perks have been resisted for years. Instead GOR keeps getting fresh investments—an officers club, new houses, lavishes additions to old houses and even a wedding hall for the officers. All these investments take place at government expense though you will find it hard to see any of them mentioned in the accounting documents.

The latest such expense is that GOR has been walled off and security checkpoints are going to be manned by about 500 policemen to protect the civil servants. Are we an independent country? Are they our master? Even the British Empire did not feel that insecure.

GOR being walled off will disrupt the life of Lahore add to traffic jams. Many people used the alternative route of GOR to avoid the rush of Lahore. It will further distance the government from the people. Policy will get more deeply entrenched into an enclave mentality.

Yes terrorism plagues Pakistan. All citizens are insecure. Schools have been affected. In a recent blast I met kids from St Anthony’s high school my former school who were totally traumatized, some had even sustained minor injuries. Why do the government functionaries need to be sheltered more than schools?

It could be open season now. Walls will go up everywhere with all the rich and famous seeking segmentation. Is that desirable?

Through history walls have been made to keep out barbarian hordes or foreign invaders. But these walls have protected the entire population not just the rulers. The great wal of China and Hadiran’s wall were made to protect their people. Walls have been used to defend cities from attackers all the way from the famous Trojan war days.

Most rulers of cities built walls to protect their citizens from marauders and enemies.

Tyrants used walls to protect themselves from their populations who hated them. Often these walls were torn down to the regrets of the tyrants. The most famous of these is the storming of the Bastille and the French palaces.

In recent times with democracy and improved governance, very few governments have found the need to build a wall around them! As much as possible, they rely on the people and their goodwill to protect them.

Democratic governments are embedded in their people. If their people are not safe they do not think of only making themselves safe. Churchill in the famous Battle of Britain did not ever think of protecting himself. He stayed in London in 10 Downing Street and was visible to his people all the time. No walls for him!

The IRA bombed London but Downing Street or the houses of parliament were not walled off.

White house still has an iron “see through” fence with hordes hanging on to it to view the old mansion.

We had expected democracy to tear down remaining walls. We had expected that our democratic governments will do away with perks not strengthen them and waste more budgetary resources on them.

Strangely enough there has been little outrage in Pakistan on this issue. But then we in Pakistan have become desensitized. We are not outraged at anything. We were not outraged by rape and abuse.We were not outraged by torture and corrupton. We were not outraged when our democratically elected govenrments were thrown out by tyrants. We were not outraged when BB got killed. The list is long.

Countries and civil societies get made when government excess does lead to outrage. We have a long way to go. Our leaders know that!

Will civil society demand freedom with a cry of “Mr. Sharif Tear down that wall! You can only be safe when we are.”

Nadeem Ul Haque

Pakistan won the T20 tournament in England defeating Sri Lanka in the finals. Congrats to the team and to the nation as this was no small victory. It was a very tough tournament and Pakistan’s team proved to be the very best in the end. As always, the team started slowly, lost couple of matches in the process, but once again, Pakistan’s cricket team overcame tremendous odds to emerge victorious. For this brilliant effort, everyone in the team must be congratulated.

I wish the nation would use similar resilience to overcome tremendous odds that Pakistan is facing today. Ironically, the nation is divided as ever about issues that could prove to be extremely destructive and horrible for Pakistan in the long run. But, it does not seem possible, at least at this point. The government, despite trying hard and trying day and night, is unable to do much. And worse yet, the government has earned the reputation of ineffective, non-serious, and incompetent.

Looking at Pakistan’s history, it seems highly unlikely that anything positive is going to happen anytime soon. The country will continue to suffer from what it has been experiencing for a while and there is hardly anyone who is suggesting rational and realistic solution, except of course the government. Let’s see how long can this drama play out!

Here are some of the headlines from Pakistan’s papers today!

Stop dancing with dictators, Zardari tells US

World champions return home amid tight security

Govt. announces changes in new budget

IDPs: no solution in sight

Al Qaeda says it would use Pakistan’s nukes

Thousands leave South Waziristan before new battle

Good news – Pakistan won the T twenty tournament by defeating Sri Lanka in the final last night in England. Wow, what a match, and what a tournament for Pakistan. The country needed something big, something spectacular, and this victory did just that. It indeed boosted Pakistan’s moral and it is going to bring the nation together at a critical time when the nation needs unity. A very good win against a very strong team and Pakistan’s side deserves all the credit for their superb performance.

First time in history, a US President granted an interview to a Pakistani paper.  It was another pleasant surprise yesterday and President Obama was gracious, detailed and careful about talking about Pak-US relationship. I don’t know what prompted Obama to grant this interview, but it was a great effort by Obama to reach out to Pakistan. The White House should get great credit for this gesture. Thank you Mr. Obama!