A country at war

In the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto we revisit our October special on Pakistan in whi

By Ziauddin Sardar Published 25 October 2007

Pakistan is about to descend even deeper into violence and chaos, as the front-line state in the war on terror prepares for an all-out offensive on the jihadi militants entrenched in Waziristan, the country's lawless northern province. In what amounts to total war on the Taliban and al-Qaeda, President Musharraf is planning to bring the whole region under military control. This is a high-risk strategy, as the consequences of failure could be devastating for Pakistan. They could even lead to the break-up of the country.

Behind the headlines, the state's contradictions and tensions are being tested to the limit. The arrival of Benazir Bhutto, supposed to help marshal the forces of moderation and reform, has increased political instability. Supporters of the other former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who plans a second attempt to return from exile to Pakistan in the first week of November, are preparing a mass campaign against Musharraf that could lead to political gridlock. And the president himself has given a general amnesty to corrupt politicians - an act seen as handing a tabula rasa to plunderers and murderers.

Bhutto returned to Pakistan on the basis of a "power-sharing deal" brokered by Washington and vaunted in the international media as a po sitive move towards democracy. But it is little more than a conjunction of self-interests. Mush arraf describes the proposed arrangement as a "troika", involving the president, the prime min ister and the army chief of staff. The powers of the president, including being able to sack the prime minister at will, are to remain untouched for the next five-year term. Any premier would thus have little real power and would be forced to do the bidding of the other two members of the troika. A pliant prime minister with selected political parties on board means Musharraf remains in charge. The status quo is preserved.

In return for joining the arrangement, Bhutto's two main demands are met: her Swiss bank accounts have been unfrozen and she gets to keep her skyscraper in Dubai and properties in England and the US; and the rule against her serving a third term as prime minister is waived.

Musharraf's plans for the immediate future have two components. First, now that Bhutto has returned, he is determined to hold elections before mid-January. They will be "managed", just as he managed the 2002 elections, by "seat adjustment" - this time to the advantage of her party. He expects Bhutto to deliver her "blind" followers from Sind and Punjab, largely poor peasants at the mercy of feudal landlords. The intelligence agencies and the army will do the rest and ensure the desired results.

However, after the bloodbath in Karachi at Bhutto's return on 19 October, it is difficult to see how in the current atmosphere elections can be held. "Political rallies will be open to both militant attacks and sabotage by rogue intelligence elements," says Rashed Rahman, managing editor of the Post, the Lahore daily. "With intel ligence apparatus as prime candidate for the attack, all previous assumptions of Bhutto riding back to power are scuppered."

Fear of suicide bombings will be a potent inhibition to voters from venturing into the polling booths. And given that large parts of the northern provinces are virtually no-go areas, it will be next to impossible to hold elections in that region. "A limited voter turnout at around 20 per cent will hardly constitute a credible election," says Rahman - no matter how the elections are "managed".

Second, a fully fledged assault on Waziristan is due within days. "This has now become inevi table," a high-ranking military officer told the NS. "We are taking daily casualties. If we don't take the militants on with our full might, the morale of the army will sink even further." Unlike previous operations, which target ed specific militant bases or tried to block guer rilla movement between Pakistan and Afghan is tan, "the aim now is to pacify the entire province".

Forces would be deployed in all major cities, such as Mir Ali, Angor Ada and Magaroti, with the aim of establishing permanent army bases manned by thousands of military and paramilitary troops. The entire region will come under Pakistani military control, administered under the direct command of the newly appointed vice-chief of the army staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kiani. (When and if Musharraf removes his uniform, General Kiani will take over as chief of the army staff.) "We estimate the all-out assault will destroy the centralised command structure of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, making their operations sporadic and largely ineffective," says the military officer.

Language of liberation

However, given the Pakistani army's poor record in Waziristan, this seems rather optimistic. The militants will almost certainly stand and fight to the bloody end. Pakistan has already lost more than a thousand soldiers; 300 more are being held hostage. The Pashtun fighters, including the Pakistani Taliban, know the region well. They are used to guerrilla warfare and see death in battle as a great honour and a direct route to paradise. Most of the local population supports them. The chances of the Pakistani army "pacifying" the region are therefore slim.

At issue is more than terrorism. The fiercely proud and independent Pashtun people see the American and British forces in neighbouring Afghanistan as invaders. Pakistani troops marching into Waziristan will also be seen as a foreign invasion. A civil war will turn into a war of "national liberation". Many tribal leaders are already speaking the language of liberating themselves from the "Pakistani administration". The end result could be a new wave of suicide attacks and acts of sabotage throughout Pakistan.

Musharraf began putting his strategy in place two weeks ago. He secured the passage of the national reconciliation ordinance (NRO), as it is called, on 5 October. This dropped all corruption charges against politicians from "all parties". "We decided to wind up those cases that were pending for the past 15 years," Musharraf said, claiming that it would bring to an end the politics of vendetta and victimisation in the country. The NRO cleared the way for Bhutto's return and wiped out the last remaining charges against her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who was released on bail in 2004 after spending eight years in prison. The next day, Musharraf had himself re-elected as president for another term by the current hand-selected parliament.

But the amnesty granted in the NRO does not include Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Muslim League, Pakistan's second-largest party. A conservative, staunchly anti-American politician, Sharif believes democracy and military dictators do not go together. He commands huge support among both the middle classes and religious groups and is more likely to win a fair election than Bhutto. Sharif, deposed in a bloodless coup in 1999, is determined to engineer Musharraf's downfall. On his first attempt to return to Pakistan on 10 September, he was arrested at Kar achi Airport and given two choices: prison, or return to exile in Saudi Arabia. The cases against Sharif are still pending before the Supreme Court. Yet, despite Musharraf's efforts, the courts have refused to issue new arrest warrants against him. If Sharif succeeds in returning, the Bhutto/Mush arraf deal will be in serious trouble.

"The chances of that alliance holding are also slim," says Rahman. To begin with, the two despise each other. The Pakistan People's Party is not so much a party as a feudal institution that Bhutto runs as her fiefdom. But even she may find it difficult to suppress dissent in the senior ranks. Many PPP stalwarts believe that the power-sharing pact with Musharraf is damaging the party's reputation and electoral chances. A number of Bhutto family members have openly stated their criticisms. The poet and newspaper columnist Fatima Bhutto, Benazir's niece, holds her aunt responsible for the deaths in Karachi because of her insistence on "political theatre".

Her ratings in opinion polls conducted after the NRO have fallen sharply. Some senior PPP members hoped she would give a new lease of life to the party by behaving like a senior states woman and allowing younger politicians to lead. But not many are willing to defend an indefensible deal. There is thus a real chance that the PPP may split, as it did at the previous elections. And if Bhutto fails to deliver at these elections, even after seat manipulations, Musharraf will drop her as easily as he has abandoned other parties.

So far, Musharraf has had it all his way. His only remaining obstacle is a case currently at the Supreme Court over whether he can continue as president in uniform. It is not much of an obstacle, however, as everything is now in place for him to retain his power even if he has to dispense with his military position.

The power-sharing arrangement was conceived as a ploy to paper over the gaping cracks in the country. After Karachi, it looks more like another contributory factor in a more turbulent and dangerous era for Pakistan. The intelligence services, elements of which may be responsible for the attack on Bhutto's motorcade, are out of control. Suicide bombings have become an integral part of the militants' strategy in Waziristan, both to undermine the political process and to demoralise the army. Whether one player, or even power-sharing players, ultimately subservient to Washington can retain control of this explosive situation is a moot point.

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Tue, 2007-10-30 16:53 — shahid27uk

Dear all, Please find an interesting article on Benzair's links with Taliban and Terrorism.

By Dr Shahid Qureshi

BENZAIR SINGS DEMOCRACY BUT SUPPORT TERRORISM

Benazir Bhuto is termed as ‘queen of corruption’ in the media and her brother Murtaza Bhutto a ‘Terrorist Prince’. Famous journalist Anthony Davis wrote in Asia Week on 30th November 2000, “Bhutto’s Heir to Violence: The farce and tragedy of a man of terror”. The whole of Pakistan and region is on the verge of collapse and turmoil because of the mistakes of Benziar Bhutto and her government’s support of Taliban, which became Al-Qaida. Benazir Bhutto admitted few months ago, “We made a mistake in supporting (creating) Taliban”, at London School of Economics (LSE). Her interior minister Naseerullah Babar used to call ‘Taliban’ my boys. If Karachi bombing is at all linked to Taliban than she got into her own mess? She tries getting her ratings high in the West by claiming certain pro Taliban elements are after her life. Batullah Masood’s group denied any statement about Benzair as published by a pro US Lahore based paper. She sings democracy to Westerner but run her party like a family business and has earned more than $2 billion tax-free.

Anthony Davis wrote,” Bhutto’s eldest son, saw himself as political heir. But he will probably be remembered less as the politician he sought to become and more as the man who once led a terrorist group dedicated to overthrowing Zia's military dictatorship. Murtaza's death all but guaranteed that: he died in 1996 in a gun battle with police outside his Karachi home. Because of Pakistani press censorship during the martial law years from 1977 to 1985 - and Murtaza's understandable reluctance to discuss his terrorist past - little was known of the activities of the Al-Zulfiqar group he set up in Kabul in 1979. Until now, that is. Raja Anwar gives a fascinating insider's view of Murtaza's career in The Terrorist Prince (Verso Books, New York, 241 pages, $25). Superbly translated by Khalid Hasan. The Kabul-based outfit is first presented as the armed wing of his father's Pakistan People's Party. As Al-Zulfiqar, it springs to international prominence with the 1981 hijacking of a (PIA) Pakistani airliner en route to Kabul.”

Mr Davis states that, “(Alzuifqar) attempted to bring down Zia's jet with a surface-to-air missile in 1982 is bungled because the would-be assassin has never used the weapon before. It is only when Al-Zulfiqar relocates to India later that year that the recruits benefit from some real training - courtesy of Indian's external intelligence agency (RAW). In 1984 kidnapping of foreign diplomats at a Canadian National Day celebration at a Vienna hotel - turns into dark comedy. The terrorists arrive to discover there is no celebration. True to form, Murtaza is not among them - he had left for the Riviera. The team wanders the streets taking snapshots and drinking beer until they are finally arrested by Austrian police on suspicion of drug smuggling. Murtaza gets a payback of sorts. On his return to Pakistan in 1993, he is arrested and jailed for about half a year on murder and sedition charges.”

Pakistan is a strange country where anything can happen, people who should be in prison become prime ministers and call themselves honorable. Last month was 10th anniversary of Benazir Bhutto’s brother, Murtaza Bhutto, who headed of Alzulifqar terrorist group. She clearly benefited from the terrorist activities of Al-zulifqar and reportedly supported its members after coming into power. Otherwise high jacking a plane is not a petty crime under national and international law. To some people Bhutto is westernized and has no understanding how people of Pakistan are surviving. The so-called US sponsored deal and National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) cannot be compared with the South African ‘Truth and reconciliation Commission’ because there is no admission of guilt and crimes committed.

How on earth democracies like Britain and US support the most corrupt politician with total corruption wealth of $2 billion? Pakistan is a country of 160 million and many of them are articulate, honest and can speak good English! This kind of behavior is not going down well among the masses in Pakistan. One cannot have a high standard of morality and democracy in his or her own country but allow and support the corrupt and compromised to become prime minister. This who is your ‘chief’ type mentally must be change. People of Pakistan hate double standard in policy. Majority of people in Pakistan are moderate and like to have close and good ties with the US and West. They can learn from each others experiences. The relationship with the US should be ‘solid but not slavish’.

Some experts are saying that Karachi bombing on October 18th 2007 was just a warning for her. Former PPP leader and Governor Ghulam Mustafa Khar said in press today that, ‘she will be attacked in Punjab’. That is a very serious warning. Critics says that it seems to be a conspiracy to get Benzair killed in Punjab and than start civil war (separation war) under the pretext that Punjab killed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and now his daughter by the Punjabi Army. Benzair herself is already working on the same agenda otherwise there was no reason for her to accuse Supreme Court of Pakistan of being pro Punjab! How irresponsible is that? It was Punjab who made her and her father twice Prime Minister of Pakistan. Six terms of prime ministership have been served by Sindhis. Benzair is from the line of collaborators.

Fatima Bhutto accused Asif Zardari for murder of her father Murtaza Bhutto. According to intelligence reports Bhutto’s used to conspire against Pakistan were involved in terrorist bombings, assassinations and murders in Pakistan during the Zia period. PIA airliner was hijacked and taken to Indo-Soviet influenced Kabul by Alzulifqar terrorist Islamullah Tippu with the orders of Bhutto’s. According to some reports Alzulifqar fired rockets on President Zia’s aircraft many times and was reportedly a suspect behind the mysterious C-130 crash of General Zia after which Benzair Bhutto become Prime Minster of Pakistan with the help of US. Than pages from the intelligence files of Murtaza Bhutto started missing until he become member of the provincial assembly of Sind in his absence.

According to Wikipedia, “Al-Zulfiqar was being funded by the Soviet-backed government in Kabul, staged a string of political assassinations, bank robberies and bombings before pulling off its most daring act when in 1981 it hijacked a Pakistan International Airlines flight from Peshawar to Kabul. The hijacking drama went on for thirteen days in which Lieutenant Tariq Rahim was shot dead, the hijackers mistakenly believing he was the son of General Rahimuddin Khan, a prominent member of the Zia dictatorship. This forced the Zia regime to accept the demands of the hijackers of releasing dozens of Pakistan Peoples Party and other leftist political prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails. The Al-Zulfiqar also attempted to assassinate Zia on a number of occasions and it made an attempt to bomb a rally in Karachi held in honor of the Pope who was visiting Pakistan in 1980.”

In 1997, Murtaza was assassinated by a group of police guards when they fired on his convoy of cars in Karachi. The police said that Murtaza's armed guards had fired upon them first. Murtaza supporters believe Asif Ali Zardari ordered his assassination stated the web base encyclopedia. The claim of Asif Zardari’s link with the killing is confirmed by Murtaza’s daughter and niece of Benzair Bhutto.

Fatima Bhutto wrote in September 2007 in a national English daily newspaper, “Curiosity impels people to ask about the not-so hidden hand, the highest level of government, so I will answer. Asif Zardari, lifelong senator and current PPP poster boy, now lives in New York City in the Trump Towers apartment complex on Fifth Avenue with his dog Maximillian”

Miss Bhutto wrote, “Mrs Zardari (Benzair Bhutto) resides between London and Dubai. She plans to return to Pakistan in one month's time and be hailed as your next prime minister and Gen Musharraf's new best friend. Mrs. Zardari is currently being tried in a Swiss court for corruption. There is also a case in Spain's courts against her for corruption – the evidence was unearthed after the Spanish police were following paper trails after the 2004 Madrid bombings and came across some suspicious looking accounts belonging to Mrs Zardari. Mrs Zardari has numerous corruption cases lodged against her in her own country. There have been allegations that she and her partner stole $1.5 to 2 billion from the Pakistani treasury. She's on her way back for round three.”

Benazir Bhutto’s and her family has caused more harm to Pakistan than anybody else starting from the separation of East Pakistan to the bombings, murders, assassinations of opposition politicians and hijacking PIA airliner of Al-zulifqar . Bhutto’s been /is known as collaborators of the British colonialists in the undivided India, this collaboration did not stop but extended to the US and others players today. She was in self exile due to money laundering and corruption of $2 billion from Pakistan’s treasury. She was never stopped to come back to Pakistan.

The unfortunate Benzair Bhutto’s show of 18th October 2007 was no doubt British and US sponsored according to some sources. Benazir’s arrogance and ignorance has caused death of more than 140 and injured 550 innocent people and their families. She was warned in advance by both President Musharaf and Prime Minister to delay her visit of not to do the rally.

Since the inception of Pakistan Bhutto family has been linked to the politics long before partition. Sir Shahnawaz was Prime Minister of Junagarh and very well know collaborator of the British India Government. Z A Bhutto came into power with the support of General Ayub Khan, a dictator whom he used to call ‘dad’. Now in 2007 Benzair Bhutto his daughter came to Pakistan after doing a deal with General Musharaf because $2 billion is a lot of money and worth it. Forget about the people and ethics and principles.

ZA Bhutto was directly responsible for separation of Pakistan for not allowing formation of government by the majority party ‘Awami League’ of East Pakistan. ZA Bhutto was later hanged in a murder case, which could have been avoided, had Bhutto’s defense team not delayed the case unnecessarily with the requests of adjournment motions according to some legal experts the outcome would be different.

People of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have learnt the trick in 21st Century to use against any attempt to re-colonization or occupation ‘kill the collaborators first’!

(Dr Shahid Qureshi is senior award wining investigative journalist and writer on security, foreign policy, and terrorism based in London)

Tue, 2007-10-30 17:00 — shahid27uk

The old Iraq story of pupets and compromised corrupts of 3rd world and their handlers!

28th October 2007

By Dr Shahid Qureshi

DEMOCRATS AND COLLABORATORS OF PAKISTAN

Benazir Bhutto has been launched third time with a list of jobs to do, for example: De-Nuclearise, Destabilise, De-Islamise, and Disintegrate Pakistan. Can she do it or allowed to achieve agenda of a declining super power? People of Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan have learnt the trick against occupation and colonisation, ‘kill the collaborators first’.

The fairness on General Musharaf’s behalf would be to allow and invite Nawaz Sharif and Shabaz Sharif to take part in the politics. I spoke to Shabaz Sharif few days ago and told him that people thinks, ‘Pakistan needs him more than anyone else now than any other time’. Shabaz Sharif refused to leave Pakistan and is considered a good administrator. People of the US and West must be feeling ashamed of themselves by looking at the policy of backing ‘the most corrupt politician of South Asia’.

On 25th October 2007 in a joint press conference at No.10 Doweing Street official residence of British Prime Minsiter, with Afghan President Hamid Karzai the British Prime Minsiter Gordon Brown did not answer my question, “ British People expect high standards both moraly and integrity from their politicians. Many Pakistanis are asking than why Britain is supporting Benzair Bhutto who created and supprted Taliban and also involved in corrptuion mounting wealth of $2 bilion?

The demand that foreign agencies like FBI or others should investigate the 17th October, Karachi bombing must be demoralising for the Pakistani security agencies who have arrested more than 600 terror suspects. FBI has not yet released the investigation report of the cause of death of their Ambassador and military attaché killed in the C130 crash of President Zia ul Haq in 1988?

This elitism in everything is alienating the people of Pakistan. Pakistani public used to seeing its corrupt elite sending their kids to exclusive English medium schools, eating and drinking imported food, wearing foreign made clothes, driving foreign made cars, and now asking foreign investigators to probe an incident just because supposed victim was Benzair and her bunch of cronies. What about other terrorist incidents in Pakistan, what about other poor victims? The logical conclusion is that Benzair Bhutto is directly responsible for the deaths of 140 people and 550 injured. All over the world when leaders and celebrities are warned by the security services they listen to the warnings but Benazir was too arrogant and ignorant. She failed to understand the harm minimisation, harm reduction and risk management policy in today’s Pakistan.

Many British and US citizens are feeling ashamed in seeing their governments one sided supporting Benzair Bhutto, the most corrupt politician of South Asia. People say Britain has lost the moral argument against Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe by supporting Benazir Bhutto.

Jemima Khan quite rightly wrote in the Telegraph on 21st October 2007, “The problem is that the West never seems to learn; playing favourites in a complicated nation's politics always backfires. Imposing Benazir on Pakistan is the opposite of democratic and doubtless will cause more chaos in an already unstable country. This is no Aung San Suu Kyi, despite her repeated insistence that she's "fighting for democracy", or even more incredibly, "fighting for Pakistan's poor". Make no mistake, Benazir may look the part, but she's as ruthless and conniving as they come — a kleptocrat in a Hermes headscarf.”

Presidential Candidate for 2008 US elections, Senator Joseph Biden, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph Biden, said if Musharraf were to be taken out by terrorists, he would "probably" go in and secure Pakistan's nuclear arsenals if he were president. Senator Biden, quite rightly said there is a significant portion of the Pakistani population that is middle class and moderate, but "If you don't have a fair electoral process allowing them to express their anger, their frustration, you force it all underground.

But Senator what can Pakistanis do when US and UK administrations are expecting free and fair elections and democratic process but US sponsored candidate Benazir Bhutto has committed corruption of more than $2 billion? How can one have moral ground in this situation? There are overwhelming circumstantial and conclusive evidences of Benazir and her husband Mr Zardari’s corruption. The judgment of the Swiss Court is a full comprehensive investigation itself, which is worth reading with details of money transactions.

All those who are meeting chief election commissioner for the free and fair elections must go and ask their governments to stop backing; protecting and supporting corrupt Pakistani politicians. You cannot have drama of democracy and peace and love for the US and western countries in the region. If Benazir is forced upon Pakistanis she will not be worth more than Mayor of Islamabad like people call Hamid Karzi mayor of Kabul and Nurialmalikee prince of Baghdad Green Zone.

Pakistan is a country of 160 millions, majority of them are moderate and peaceful. They love US and Western countries and not their current government policies. It will be hard to re-colonise, occupy Pakistan with the help of collaborators like Benazir Bhutto. Even they mange to do that, it will not be possible to prolong. Altaf Hussain has already paid his price of residency on 18th October, London based Baluchi exiles are the next in queue!

Benzair Bhutto shot in her own foot before taking into her mouth by doing deal with General Musharaf. She would be better off coming back to Pakistan without a deal and rattling the all cages. She must know that most of the current players in politics are already on US friendly list juts the categories are different. Unlike Brits historically US believes in finding replacements than carrying liabilities.

Benazir Bhutto must have promised something really big, which Pervez Musharaf, Shaukat Aziz, their team and Fazalur Rehman cannot do, or already doing? The question is will she be able to deliver? She is already singing from the US hymn sheet and that is why some of her party’s loyalists are backing off and distancing themselves.

People observed that Benazir like westernise people around her due to her own psychological complexes. But heaven knows how she is coping with Rehman Malik an ally of Tariq Aziz (papu) aide to Musharaf. There is no doubt that she has shadowy advisors around her both male and female, which could be very loyal to their own employers. Rehman Malik who was telling Adel Darwish a journalist at London International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) on 20th July 2007. that, “I am former director of FBI of Pakistan (FIA) and I have arrested Ramzi Yousaf”?

Well FIA never had any counter terrorism section when Mr Malik was head. “Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency plans to set up counter-terrorism unit in 2002”. The News, Islamabad, July 22, 2002. The real story is that an ISI team was despatched from Lahore on a special plane to arrest Ramzi Yousaf and ISI was leading that operation according to some sources.

Benazir her former spy chief and media manager local and foreigners are compromisingly fragile in the hands of foreign stakeholders!

(Dr Shahid Qureshi is senior award wining investigative journalist and writer on security, foreign policy, and terrorism based in London)

Tue, 2007-10-30 19:35 — writeon

It's hard to write about what's happening in the Middle-East and the wider region without getting frustrated and angry, and using the language of despair and the apocalypse. Of course for Iraq the apocalyse has already occured. God help the Iraqi people! The terrible thing is, Iraq seems to be the model for American intervention in the region, not some aberration, though this sounds almost incredible.

America and Israel seemed determined to "re-model" the entire Greater Middle-East. The people around Bush, the powerful Neocons, are crazed ideologues and very dangerous. They appear to believe in the fascist concept of "creative destruction", and that a new Middle-East order will rise from the ashes, like the mythical phoenix. What they seem to forget is that the phoenix was after all, only a myth. Of course these ashes won't be American ashes, they'll be mostly Muslim cities and their unfortunate inhabitants! But in the great scheme of things they don't really matter.

If we, in the powerful West, are very, very careful, we'll see an arc of instability, that already stretches from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, turning into a huge war. Do the Americans really think it's in their interests to create the circumstances that will start such a horror? Do they really think they can "win" such a massive conflict? Do they think at all?

Thu, 2007-10-25 13:58 — writeon

Great stuff seems slightly inappropriate given the seriousness of the situtation in Pakistan and the wider region.

The Americans are mad and making things worse, not better. We don't need more conflict but less. If Pakistan slides into something that looks like civil-war, how will India react? Have we really thought this American 'strategy' of using military force to break the power of Islam in the region and mold the Middle East in our own image, through properly? It seems like a very reckless idea to me!

Thu, 2007-10-25 14:24 — SharifL

Mr. Sardar: Your analyses is only partly accurate. You say: 'But the amnesty granted in the NRO does not include Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Muslim League, Pakistan's second-largest party. A conservative, staunchly anti-American politician, Sharif believes democracy and military dictators do not go together.' must be either a joke or your absence from the scene disillusioned you from reality. Nawaz Sharif was the first who made a deal with Musharaff, when he got released from his 20 years prison and left for Saudi Arabia. To say that he is anti_american is another statement which needs clarification. When in power he was supporting USA. In fact when Musharaf attacked Kargil, Nawaz Sharif went to USA and asked USA for their good offices to settle the matter with India. Even in London, he is reported to have said that the war on terror will not be abandoned if he get to drivers seat again. In fact the only party that has not made a deal with military is Benazir's PPP. She has got concession from the general, but her party did not vote for him for reelection as president last month. Please explain what she has promised Musharaf in return? You can make a guess, but guessing is not your job, we can all do that. Except that I do not get paid for this guessing game. I know Benazir is not above criticism, but her party is liberal and secular and the country needs that and the army in the barracks, never to interfere in civilian affairs again. Wishful thinking, perhaps. We all live on hope, but expecting this from Nawaz is far fetched. He introduced Sharia laws when in power and when he was sent packing to Saudi Arabia, wanted to leave this country with sharia laws and settle in GB. He learned that a dog doe not need beef alone, it wants to bark also, which shari laws do not allow.

Wed, 2007-10-31 20:10 — aybee

Why does everyone keep writing War and Peace on this article?
Let's keep it short. MM stands for Mawa Meesnee and BB stands for Bayman Bad Shah. Yes BB really does wear the pants in her house. You can't believe anything that anyone is saying because they're all thinking of number 1.

The facts on the ground are that there are no good politicians in Pakistan. Pakistani politicians need to learn lessons from the West. Get their priorities right, think of the future and stop robbing our country. Well at least not to the extent that they're owning oil companies and billion dollar steel foundaries

If I were standing for election in Pakistan tomorrow my manifesto would read:
1. Put all the sewers below ground in concrete pipes so that there can be decent sanitation in the country. Then people can say that politics doesn't stink anymore.

2. Educate the masses. If people are educated, they will be able to think objectively and stop electing robbers and thieves as their leaders.

3. Let's all become Life Guards because Pakistan is like a ship sailing through dense fog in the middle of the night without a light house in sight.

Fri, 2007-10-26 02:16 — VC

Stop....sorry to stop this, but I feel the article and the replies are over complicating the geopolitical constant.

Its all rather simple, Musharraf is a CIA puppet. He has been stretched and pulled from one, to the other....he has stated several times that he has broken al-Qaeda several times over and Washington hasn`t been pleased. because the sham war on terror must run and run. Its hard for a leader like Musharraf to keep arresting people, just to plicate the NWO.

Bhutto has been shipped in to give" M" a rest. CIA /Mossad bomb attacks alledgedly targetted at Bhutto will galvanise the public....Bhutto hasn`t traveled this far on notional speculation. She has been briefed by MI6, the timing is perfect, only the NWO can give Bhutto her place in official history....but she will have agreed to provide all the war on terror fodder the NWO can handle....long live the neocon cabal....roll out Hilary....maybe they can get it on?lol.

Fri, 2007-10-26 10:18 — Khawar

Nawaz and Anti American ?????????? Gimmee a break.

What utter rubbish. Aint this the same Nawaz who hired a US lobbying firm to get US ASHIRBAD during his first term as leader of IJI.

Robinson, Lake, Lehrer and Montgomery (RLLM) was asked to lobby in USA for the IJI in 1988-90 to establish that Mr. Sharif's ascendancy to power would not run contrary to US interests. The Washington-based lobbying firm organised Mr. Sharif's 1989 trip to Washington

Hello Author, please wake up and smell the rotting socks.

I am no BB fan but let us be fair here.

Regards

Khawar

Fri, 2007-10-26 17:24 — SharifL

Khawar: I agree with you fully, ziauddin Sarwar does not know what he is talking about. I wonder it is lack of knowledge or just anti Bhutto and anti US sentiments. I thought such things happen in conservative papers and not New Statement. Personally i do not care who wins or looses, except that i wish pakistan to become democratic with full rights to minorities, women army back in the barracks. Pakistan being Pakistan, it will carry on with one step forward and two backwards and generalists talking thru their hats to prove their point..

Sun, 2007-10-28 21:49 — Imam Sajid

I agree with Ziauddin Sardar because his analyses are hundred percent accurate. He is Pakistani by birth and his main interest is Pakistan and Pakistani people. In my opinion he neither supporter of Nawaz Sharif nor he opposes Benazinar Bhutto. Suicide bombings are the most worrying factor for most Pakistani as Suicide bombings is new development in Pakistan. Suicide bombings were not used as a weopen during Soviet Union ten year occupation of Afghanistan nor it was a factor during ten yeasr of civil war among Jihadi groups. Practicing Muslims know very well that Suicide bombings and indiscriminate killings of any innocent person are absolutely forbidden in Islam. Musharaff is playing dirty politics to keep himself in power. He is playing dirty tricks to kill innocent Pakistanis by Pakistani Armed forces. God knows when peace and tranquility will return to Land of Pures (Pakistan). Yours sincerely

Sajid Jalal Email: Sajid@imamsajid.com