Friday, August 28, 2009

Undies R Us!




AUG 27: A recent merchant report indicated that the sales of Men’s underwear have risen in the recession. It is the single category which hit double digits and exceeded industry expectations in sales..

Go ‘you guys!’ for boosting the economy and doing your part.

Also, per Alan Greenspan (former chairman of US Federal Reserve), since men don’t shop as much as woman, so if men are buying undies then economy must be recovering. It doesn't take a GENIUS to figure that out..

By: Aysha Ibtasam, Fashion Editor > PKonweb.com and DesPardes.com

Friday, August 21, 2009

Are we (Pakistanis) really free?

By Sajid Ansari

The people of Pakistan celebrated the ‘Independence Day’ for the last 62 years, the teens, specially boys roamed on the streets waving Pakistani flags on their bikes in groups, the rickshaws, cars, buses, trucks and the trains were decorated with flag-bundies. The TV channels telecast special Programmes and the radio stations broadcast programmes of patriotic songs, speeches and of discussions, repeating the historical events in making Pakistan and etc. All this sounds good as the love for the country is renewed among all the Pakistanis. But truly speaking I feel pity for all these innocent people who celebrate the “Independence day” because, we are not independent and free as yet; we did get freedom from the British but have gone into the hell afterward as now we are being ruled even worst by our own people.

The English proverb “out of frying pan into the fire” fits in on Pakistanis, at least, because until 13th August, 1947, yet there was Rule of Law in the whole of British India. There was no shortage of wheat flour, sugar, oil, ghee, rice or anything as the British rulers used to deal very strictly, without caste and creed, with the hoarders as they did not believe in “Banda Apna hay”. The police men and the feudals did not rape 3 & 5 years old girls then, not to speak of teen-aged and married women of villages and towns. There were no muggings and killings of young men on the roads. There were hardly any decoities in the houses. There were no brutal and ruthless murders of women and girls in the name of kari which in fact is done to get rid of the girls' share in the properties.

There were no forcible occupation of lands of the poor, by feudals, Vaderas, Chaudhries, Sardars and Nawabs, as now the poor have no access to the justice and the feudals prevail upon the police as well as the judiciary.

The British rulers never authorized any one, neither for themselves nor they allowed any of their subjugated classes, to obtain loans from the banks and may not return it, like the feudals, businessmen and the officers from the armed forces have done in this country. Thus Pakistan was made for the feudals, vaderas, Chaudhries, Sardars, Nawabs and Khawaneen, the Presidents, P.Ms, Ministers, Ministers of state, MNAs, MPAs and Senators. Then comes the bureaucracy, although their title is public servants but in fact the public is their servant as they act, behave, imitate like Goras.

The army officers and the bureaucracy have now much more facilities than what the British bureaucracy and the army used to have, until 13th August, 1947. And then the Police force which has gone more than 1000 times corrupt than what they might have been during British Rule.

The whole lot, mentioned above, is above law and whenever they are checked for violation of rules they are furious and start fuming, telling the person who checks them that they are MNAs, MPA, Senators, Speakers, Deputy Speakers and bla, bla, bla, so they should not be checked for anything.

Once a wife of an MPA of Punjab Assembly was driving fast, crossing all the Red signals on The Mall, Lahore. A daring policeman stopped her at the Regal crossing. The woman got down from her Pajero and slapped on the face of the policeman saying in Punjabi “ Toon jaanda naee main MPA dee wafe aun.” This is the ruling class of this unfortunate country. So have we been freed or got independence? Certainly not!

The English proverb is just right for the people of this unfortunate country “Out of frying pan into the Fire”. The 98% population of this unfortunate country has been made ‘hostage’ and the “Bonded labor force” of the 2% class, in the name of “Democracy”. How can we call this system a democracy where there is no Rule of Law? it is totally “exploitation” of the haves which has been given the name the as “Democracy”. Sorry, I hold Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah responsible for the mess this country is facing ever since the feudals took over this country, on two accounts, explained as below, as he was not a prophet who could/would not have committed mistakes and his actions cannot be criticized.

(1) The Congress had the clause of maximum land holding in its manifesto which was not being liked by Rajas, Maha Rajas, Nawabs, Vaderas, Chaudhries, Sardars and Khans, in short, the feudal class of then British India. It is also said that the real motive behind creation of Muslim League and demand for a separate country for the Muslims, by the Muslim feudal class, was the clause of Land Reforms in the Congress. My question is that the Quaid-e-Azam must have gone through the manifesto of the Muslim League before/after taking over as its chairman then why did he omit the clause of maximum land holding. Didn’t he know that the feudal class will take over the country, after his death, and they will make the country a hell? He also knew the capabilities of the feudal class which had surrounded him about whom he had once said “I have all “Khoatay Sikkay” in my pockets”. For whom did he say these words and yet he did not make fool-proof arrangements so that these “Khoatay Sikkay’ may not ruin the country, therefore, those “Khoatay Sikkay’ took over. So this is the Pakistan which we have today. On the other, what happened in India? the Congress took over all the lands and properties in excess from all Rajas, Maha Rajas, Nawabs and etc so India is being ruled by the people and not by the feudal, hence progressing steadily.

(2) The Quaid-e-Azam should have formed a Constitution Committee right on 23rd March, 1940 when all the Muslim leaders had gathered in Lahore, agreeing on the Pakistan Resolution. The best Muslim brains of the subcontinent were assembled there who could have been chosen to be assigned the job of preparing a “shadow constitution” of a shadow country, Pakistan. So the constitution would have been prepared well in time, years before 14th August, 1947 and the Quaid-e-Azam would have promulgated it on the day of the inauguration of the first session of the Assembly. But the Quaid did not think about it at all. The question arises to most of the minds is did he avoid it deliberately or non-deliberately? If deliberately then why did he do that? And if he did it non-deliberately then the question comes up of his limited vision.

The poor lot, of this country, is compelled either to sell their children or kill them along with themselves for not being able to feed them even once a day. There are villages where practically every male adult claimed to have sold a kidney to earn extra money to repay his debts. Is this the Pakistan that Quaid-e-Azam has given to the people for which they should celebrate Independence Day? However, the real freedom has yet to be achieved when the white collar dacoits and the usurpers, both corrupt civilian politicians as well the army dictators and their collaborators, will be put to the task. The corrupt politicians who emptied the banks, by taking huge loans and did not return a penny, those who grabbed the state lands, those who have been getting hefty commissions on international contracts, amassing wealth, accumulated illegally, in the shape of palatial properties and the bubbling cash accounts in foreign bank, whereas the army dictators put the country into the laps of foreign countries, in order to get recognition of their illegitimate takeovers, all these culprits be hanged at the crossings of big cities, of this country. The oppressed people of Pakistan are looking for a real ‘angel’ who will not only get rid of this country from the rule of the corrupt lot but will also squeeze them to bring the looted money, back to the country. Their removal from the job of corrupt Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers and the bureaucrats is not a punishment as they should be put behind the bars and be hanged upside down, until they repay the looted tax payers money of this country and then be punished accordingly.

Last week, an ex-chief of Beijing Airport was hanged after being proved of his embezzlement of over 1 million dollars, though he deposited the total amount but still he was punished by hanging until dead.

We need a revolution for accountability and against the corrupt and the usurpers be hanged openly at the crossings of each city of this country. The whole system has to be changed to (promulgation of) Islamic Sharia in the country, the only way-out to give justice to the people and punish the culprits, right away, then we will be justified to celebrate the real Independence Day and the freedom, for the people of Pakistan. (Email: sajidansari45@yahoo.com)

Note: Any one can send his or her contribution (which can be an article, short story or poem, cartoon, etc.) for review and publication here in the PKonweb's Blog. Email it to: blog@pkonweb.com

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

FIR filed against Musharraf by Islamabad police

Acting swiftly on a court order, Islamabad police today booked former president Pervez Musharraf for ordering the house arrest of the Supreme Court judges he had sacked after declaring an emergency on November 3, 2007.

The "unprecedented first in Pakistan's history" could "actually see" Musharraf land in prison "or at the minimum turn his stay abroad into a permanent exile", The News said on Tuesday.

"An ironic fate of twist for a man who once boasted that he would never allow (former prime ministers) Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto to end their exile on their own and return to Pakistan. The table stands turned on its head," the newspaper added.

The Islamabad police registered a criminal case (FIR No 131 dated 10-08-09) under section 344/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code following the orders of the Additional Sessions Judge, Islamabad, Mohammad Akmal Khan on Monday.

The FIR states that Musharraf and others had detained the Supreme Court judges and their families at their houses and their children were neither allowed to attend school nor permitted to appear in examinations.

Judge Khan's Monday order came 11 days after the Supreme Court July 31 held that Musharraf had acted extra-judicially, illegally and unconstitutionally in declaring an emergency and sacking the apex court judges.

A 14-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry, however, stopped short of censuring Musharraf as had been demanded in a petition the court was hearing against the declaration of the emergency.

The Supreme Court had summoned Musharraf, who is currently in London on a lecture tour, to appear before it July 29 in person or through his lawyer but he failed do so. "Determining responsibility for the steps taken on November 3, 2007 is necessary," Chaudhry observed on July 22 before issuing summons.

Chaudhry, who was one of the 80-odd Supreme Court and high court judges sacked, had been reinstated in March after a bruising lawyers' agitation. Musharraf had sacked the higher judiciary after it refused to take fresh oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) he promulgated along with the emergency.

The emergency had been declared just as the Supreme Court was to deliver its verdict on the constitutionality of Musharraf's re-election in October 2007. It had been contended that the same parliament and provincial assemblies that had elected Musharraf in 2002 had re-elected him in 2007 and this was unconstitutional.

Musharraf is in the hot seat but will he be prosecuted?


An Islamabad session court judge has directed police officials to file an FIR (First Information Report - meaning registering a criminal case against someone) against former President Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf for detaining seven of the superior court judges and their families in their houses after proclaiming emergency on Nov 3, 2007.

The seven judges including the Chief Justice had passed a verdict against the emergency and instructed all judges not to take fresh oath from the General.

According to DAWN, the case had not been registered till late in the evening, but a senior police officer told the paper that it would ‘definitely be done within a few hours’.

Sources told the newspaper that an emergency meeting was called in the interior ministry, which was attended by senior officers of the interior and law ministries and officers of police and their legal branch. Details of the meeting remain unknown but it is yet another bushfire the ousted General now faces in a span of less than a month.

On July 31 the Supreme Court ruled against his emergency of Nov 3, 2007 making all steps taken by him thereafter illegal and unconstitutional. In the absence of his indemnity by the previous parliament or from the existing parliament, defending his emergency acts is a steep hill to climb for the ex-general.

In the presence of a strong independent media now (ironically it was him to created it), a strong and popular public support for his nemesis Nawaz Sharif and a somewhat a neutral army chief of staff, it is likely that Musharraf may be forced to have his day in court. What transpires is any body's guess.

Some observers strongly feel that the military won't let its ex-chief go through the humiliation. A similar attempt of army humiliation by then PM Nawaz Sharif in 1999 had triggered a mutiny by a catorie of Generals led by Gen Mehmood, Gen Usmani et al culminating in a coup that overthrew the civilian strongman and brought Gen Musharraf into power on October 12, 1999.

Chief of Army Staff Musharraf had been ordered retired while he was on his way back from Sri Lanka and replaced by Sharif's handpicked Gen Zia uddin - then ISI chief and reportedly a relative. The Generals did not like it and rebelled against Musharraf''s replacement. The Triple One Brigade did the rest.

Sources told Dawn that a case would be registered against the former president under section 344 of the Pakistan Penal Code which says:

‘Whoever wrongfully confines any person for ten days or more, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term, which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.’

If security czar Rehman Malik is to believed, an extradition treaty is in the works between UK and the Pakistan government which, if implemented soon, may force the British government to force Gen (R) Musharraf go back to Pakistan and face the criminal charges.

If the agreement is "delayed for some reasons" or there is deliberate foot-dragging, legally then it won't be easy to make the retired General come back and face the charges but the British government may find it politically incorrect to let Musharraf continue to stay put in UK. He may then be nudged to cross the Atlantic or take up the Saudi offer for a well-cushioned self-exile in the kingdom.

The court order against the ex-President was passed by additional District and Sessions judge Mohammad Akmal Khan in response to petitions filed by advocate Aslam Ghuman about five months ago.

The judge in his short order observed that the respondent (Mr Musharraf) was liable to be tried under various legal and criminal provisions.

The court has already adjourned the case for twelve times in a span of five months and further adjournment over the issue was denied, he added.

The plaintiff requested the court to direct Islamabad police to register the case against the ex-President after the office of Senior Superintendent of Police did not record his complaint. Then the judge ordered the additional station house officer (SHO) of the secretariat police station (who was present in court) to register a case against the former president.

The plaintiff's petition says that Gen (R) Musharraf illegally imposed Provisional Constitution Order on Nov 3, 2007, and detained Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and 60 other judges of superior judiciary along with their families after they had refused to take oath under the PCO.

The petition seeks the trial of Musharraf and others who played a role in implementing the PCO.

A large number of former and present parliamentarians, bureaucrats and police officials were also likely to be named in the case, sources told Dawn.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Another ‘blasphemy’ case

AUG 5: An angry mob attacked the house of a 60-year-old woman in Sanghar district in Sindh in another alleged incident of desecration of the holy Quran, a private TV channel reported late on Wednesday.
 
Following the attack, the police shifted the woman, Akhtari Malkani, to the police station from a katchi abadi area in the district.

The District Bar Association officials assured the mob that a case would be registered against the woman if she was found guilty.

Despite assurance from the lawyers and police, the people demanded that the woman should be handed over to them and pelted stones at the police station building and burned tyres on road.

Meanwhile, 447 witnesses have so far registered their names and will today (Thursday) make statements before the inquiry tribunal responsible for probing the riots in which nine  Christians were burnt alive in Gojra.

Also, over 50 have been held for Sheikhupura blasphemy killings of three men on Tuesday. Sheikhupura District Police Officer Muhammad Tahir told a private TV channel that police had arrested Qasim Mughal, the factory's manager, along with five others for attacking the factory and killing its owner for allegedly desecrating the holy Quran.

He said the culprit had started rumours regarding the factory owner allegedly committing blasphemy and had incited a riot. Earlier, the channel reported that police, on the directions of the regional police officer raided seven villages and arrested more than 50 people suspected of involvement in the killing. However, Khatyala Virkan Union Council Nazim Muqaddas Bukhari told the channel the police had arrested innocent people and would be responsible if the situation worsened.

PM to visit: Also on Wednesday, it was learnt that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani would soon visit Gojra to extend his sympathies to the affected people of the Christian community. "During his visit, the PM would also announce compensations for the affected families," sources revealed, adding that the decision had been made in a federal cabinet meeting.

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