Monday, 30 May 2011
Demoralizing Propaganda!!!
Propaganda, Most of us are aware of the word propaganda, it has a considerable effect on the situations like war and peace. Propaganda has a very rich history, but just recalling the battle of Stalingrad in World War II. Germans are near to collapse the city of Stalingrad-USSR. The Russians than started the battle of snipers in the city and Germans are highly damaged by this type of fighting, because Hitler troops were not designed to fought this type battles. In that times, Russians promoted their hero Vassili Zaitsev, Vassili achieved his targets but a huge and strong propaganda was backing him, this factor demoralize the Nazi German troops and USSR wins the almost lost battle. Vassili was promoted as the hero of USSR; his sniper rifle could be seen even today at the Stalingrad history museum, among the great symbols of Victory over Germans.
Propaganda has much importance in politics also, Often countries, political parties and politicians uses propaganda as a steering force for their success and achieving their objective. Western countries and India have a strong demoralizing propaganda against Pak Army, ISI and Pakistan. They are relating ISI and Pak Army with terrorist organizations and groups. Since 9/11 they are trying to project Pakistan as a failed and security risk state to the rest of the world. We should have to counterfeit this propaganda effectively and efficiently, but unfortunately we can’t. Just imagine the performance and attitude of our ruling parties and politicians; Huge supporters of Democracy ever. There is no doubt in this that our motherland, Pakistan is facing the most critical time in his history. In this time, all parties should have to unite for Pakistan, just like they united against Pervaiz Mushraf for their own interest. But they are senseless, just want to enjoy power. Just imagine, what had been happened with Pakistan at May, 02 but at the same day, PML Q joined the government and took oath to serve Pakistan; ridiculous. In this critical time we don’t have our Foreign Minister. Isn’t it strange? Who will respond to the propaganda and steer the Pakistan’s stance?
I had mentioned in my previous article “Democracy” that right after the beginning, Pakistan has institutional imbalance and still we have. Foreign Minister and Ambassadors are the mode of communication between a country and the rest of the world. They have the colossal importance in the history. They project the image of a country to the world and adopt strategies (with the consent of the base) to counterfeit the propaganda against the country. In case of Pakistan, there is no space for Foreign Minister in the huge cabinet in this critical situation. (May be government is reducing their expanses; as Pakistan is a poor country, thanks for understanding). All the postings of ambassadors in important countries are on political basis besides their eligibility. Just think for a while, why on political basis? Ambassadors are not social people in the country; hence can’t contribute in the voting process for political parties, but remember 1 $ is about Rs 86, and playing and winning the game of elections, politicians needs Dollars.
It is a fact that Pakistan lacks in the foreign policy right from its start, when Liaquat Ali Khan ignores USSR and Visited USA. 35000 (Govt. stats may be greater) Pakistanis had been died in Bomb Blasts since 9/11 and still we are not contributing against terrorism, How many died in Mumbai attacks? I don’t remember the figure, but how effectively India project himself innocent in the rest of the world. This is the efficiency of Foreign Policy, in which we are far behind from India. We can also compare our Foreign Policy with India on Kashmir issue.
Before partition, Indian National Congress claims India an indivisible unit, Due to struggles of Quaid e Azam; we are enjoying the fruit. India didn’t accept Pakistan right after its foundation, than 65 and 71 wars. First; India creates problems for Pakistan by putting hurdles in division of assets. After Russia invasion on Afghanistan, India supports Russia fully just to destabilize Pakistan, and divided Pakistani Forces on eastern and western boarders. By helping USA to defeat USSR, we helped USA to be a super power. Now India claims to be Asian Tiger, this is not just a claim rather a result of objective oriented continuous Foreign Policy. The interest of USA in this region is not Afghanistan but China. That’s why USA is promoting India to face China, because China is an emerging economy and power, which is a big challenge to USA. It is very unaffordable and expensive for USA to directly engage itself with China. Therefore USA prepares India against China (as China is a major threat to USA economy) by destabilizing Pakistan and promoting India to keep it supremacy in the world.
The policy is that when the Pakistani boarder with Afghanistan is not safe and Pakistan is facing terrorism within the country. And; Pakistan has to focus on its internal issues as well. Then; India will divert his intention towards China by little engagements with Pakistan on eastern boarder. These will fulfill India’s dream of Asian Tiger and USA will keep its supremacy over the world. In this plan USA will take care of Pakistan and its nuclear assets and India will take care of China on behalf of USA.
Monday, 23 May 2011
Boosting Economy; Pakistani Version
In a hot day of May 2011 in Islamabad, I was walking along the road at afternoon. I was feeling a need of a glass of chilled water or a cold drink. When I reached at Haidri chowk on the junction of F10 and F11, I found a Dhaba and got a cold drink to quench my thirst. The place was also relaxing, as I sit down on a chair beneath a tree. A sense of gratitude comes in my mind, as it was a good treat after a long walk in this type of weather and circumstances. In a bright sunny day, one gets a peace of mind when he finds a chair in between the trees with a cold drink.
Dhabas (Chappar Restaurants) are the culture of Islamabad, found on different green belts in posh areas. These Dhabas are fulfilling the needs of general public since on affordable rates since years. You can also found these Dhabas on the side skirts of universities and educational institutes as well. At my university time, I am used to take lunch or sometimes only tea along with my friends and university fellows at Dhabas present at the outer boundary of International Islamic University, Islamabad. It was our routine for five years. At that time, I never observed that these Dhabas are providing services seven days a week from early morning to late night.
Today, when I was taking a rest under a tree, the surrounding enviornment took me back at my university times, where we used to chitchat for hours with cups of tea. I was enjoying my past memories when I heard a noise from Dhaba counter, when I realized that the two policemen took their lunch with paying the cost. When the owner of the Dhaba protested on their behavior, the policemen blamed that he is responsible for the fire in grass of adjacent park last night and he should have to bear the cost. At last, The owner of the Dhaba offers them 400 Rs along with free meal and let them go for their official duty.
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| The burned grass of that area. |
After that I asked the owner, why he gives money to them? This little conversation gave me the answer that how these dhabas offer services with consistently, seven days a week. The owner told me that he belongs to Galiaat District Abbottabad. All the staff from cook to table man belongs to the same family. They are living here without there families in tough conditions. This Dhaba is a place of earning for them in day time and a place of living at night. They visit there homes after a month or so, in order to earn more money for there families. So they don’t want to create a clutter with police here. If they do so, it will be hazardous to them and their business as well. So it’s better to give some money to police twice a week.
On my further inquiry, he told me that he has to pay 21,000 Rs to CDA staff per month. It was an absolute wonder for me, may be this amount is not a big deal for a restaurant in Islamabad but the people who are familiar with Dhaba culture, they can well imagine this amount after analyzing the business activity of the Dhaba. The important thing in it is that, CDA staff is charging this fee only for land, the dhaba owner have to build the Dhaba at its own.
The owner told me that they can’t increases the prices because it will adversely affects their sales, so in order to bear this extra cost, they have to work more without any holidays. He further said that he is paying the cost of being a Pakistani. If he also belongs even to a third world country like Sri Lanka or Bangladesh than he could do his business without any interruptions and these policemen and CDA staff would pay respect to him.
Now, I realize that why it is so difficult to get even a clerical job in CDA. Job in CDA is considered to be working in a gold mine. I am talking about the unfair earnings only from Dhabas in Islamabad. There are so many other income generating projects of CDA staff in the capital. You can yourself imagine the income of the lower staff of CDA.
I have suggestions for government and CDA, one for each. CDA should legalize these Dhabas my making buildings in those areas for restaurants and shops and give to dhaba owners on rental basis.This will give security to dhaba’s business, earning to CDA, beauty for Islamabad in form of modern dhabas and reducing bribery and corruption culture in lower staff of CDA.
My suggestion for our so called democratic and public government is that, government should legalize corruption and bribery in the country. We all know that Pakistan has a poor tax collection structure. It will helps in more tax collections. When the income from corruption is declared legal and recorded, government will also collect more taxes. Hence a major portion of our national production and income will be recorded in GDP (gross domestic product) which is not included yet.I firmly believes it will boost the Pakistan’s economy like a ghauri missile. Than the current statement of Mian Nawaz Shariff will be justified that from now onwards Punjab will not take foreign loans. Remember, Mian Sahab pays only Rs 5000 tax annually as per their declared records. Also PPP is in federal government; definitely its contribution will throw in a major share towards boosting economy and in the supreme national interest.
Thanks for reading, please share your comments below.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Democracy; A Pakistani Version
Democracy, if you are living in Pakistan, then you had heard this word many times from the politicians, anchor persons, civil society, lawyers and many others, I don’t know about others but I am damn sure our politicians(with exclusions) are not familiar with the actual concept of democracy. There concept of democracy is to facilitate each others on there wrong doings for power sharing. Democracy should be addressed at the grass root level. Every political party in Pakistan have there own definitions of democracy, peoples party believes that power should be shared with all for limited time, so that we can enjoy power for five years. PML (N) understands that by showing week opposition in the houses and supporting the government through its all means, they are really playing a great role towards democratizing Pakistan; PML (Q) defines democracy as to be in power at any cost, with any means without any moral values. JUI wants partner of every govt. and needs three to four ministries, Jamat Islami thinks that the only agenda for democracy is to appose America at any cost and MQM needs power in Karachi and its adjacent localities to serve democracy in Pakistan at its best.
Musharraf is considered and called a dictator in Pakistan by our politicians and our media, without out having or I should say without ample knowledge of democracy. According to the definitions of our political parties and politicians, Musharraf is a more democratic person than these so called democratic leaders. May be I am wrong, but in my own opinion Musharraf practiced best democracy in Pakistan than these. How? Let me explain…
The very generic definition of democracy is “Government of the people, for the people and by the people.The definition of democracy considered in Pakistan is Government of people having dual nationalities, for the people of there own caste and family to maximize there assets and by their family members to make a monarchy cum democracy. What kind of democracy is that?
I have a particular question from PML (N) and PPP, Ch. Nisar Ali Khan and Makhdoom Amin Fahim; both are very senior politicians and representing their parties respectively. Could they become the party president or chairman in their life time? Have they carries enough courage to oppose the senior management on any issue? Is this democracy or Dictatorship? The dictator Musharraf, had given power to the gross root level through local governments. He empowers minorities and women in the country. He made a policy that there should be election process with in the party to choose the leadership. At least he tried to achieve democracy properly. And I must say that only Jamat Islami has an election process with in the party to choose its leadership, which should be admired.
If we recall the history for a while, Pakistan adopted the Govt. of India Act, 1935 with some changes as the interim Constitution, 1947. Unfortunately, Quaid-e-Azam Passed away early after the independence, he didn’t pay enough attention to democratization of Pakistan’s political system and it’s Parliament, because at early stages of a new born country; Quaid’s major focus was to ensure the survival of Pakistan from internal and external challenges. As we all Pakistanis know well; what were the circumstances at the time of independence.
Pakistan inherited institutional imbalance right after the time of independence, bureaucracy {at that time Indian Civil Service (ICS)} and military were more organized and developed as compared to the political parties. All India Muslim League was the biggest party of the country, which led the independence movement successfully, but after separation, Muslim League was directionless, many of its senior leaders are at the other part of the region. The political decay and political derivation of Muslim League starts soon after separation. A huge percentage of Muslim League Leaders had feudal background and were motivated by feudal system rather than organizing the party for a direction and political awareness for the nation.
Besides this there are so many variations among different thoughts, direct democracy and indirect democracy are the two major methods for the democracy, furthermore there are a lot of changes and variations among different people and regions. If a state picks up any successful model implemented at any part of the world, with out customization to its local needs and traditions, model will definitely fail. Pakistan should use the blend of direct and indirect democracy; Direct in form of effective and efficient local governments and indirect in form of Parliament.
As far as Pakistan is concerned, I have some suggestions, 1) there should be a party elections for choosing the party leaders. 2) If a person wins from a particular area, there should be an accountability procedure for him, means after wining he hasn’t concern with the desires and wishes of the people of the said constituency, he should have to take the vote of confidence every year from the people of that area as well. 3) A person who has a dual nationality should be declared ineligible for the election process. 4) If a person or his immediate family has foreign assets, he will also disqualify from the election. 5) Local Government procedure should be adopted again for power sharing and involving people in decision making. 6) The role of state ministers should be eliminated from the cabinet and number of cabinet should also be reduced. 7) There is a huge need of think tanks, in this regard, every university should create a think tank which contains bright students and faculty members, who may take the review about the performance of ministries and ministers quarterly and the minister should have to clear the doubts and reservations of the think tanks.
Now, I want suggestions from your side that how we can make best practices through proper democracy.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Bewakoof Kon???Fooling Pakistan
In my early childhood, I heard a story from my father; want to share it with you people.
There was a Roman King in ancient times. Once he comes up with a strange idea, he ordered his Prime Minister (PM) to prepare a list of 100 foolish persons in his country. The list had to be prepared in such a way that the most foolish person of the country should be at the top of the list and so on.
After several days of struggle and research conducted by the PM; he prepared a list of 100 fools according to their level of foolishness and presented it to the King. The king opened the list; he was very much surprised and aggravated when he found his own name at the top of the list among other fools. He heatedly asked the PM; what kind of list you had come up with? Am I the most foolish person in your view in the country?
PM replied, your highness, a decision had been made by you last year, which lead your name at the top of the list. After King’s further inquiry, he disclosed the whole matter, PM said: My lord, “Last year you borrowed 100 camels of treasure to an unknown trader without knowing his background and competence, so in my opinion you made a blunder and act of imprudence. No other person in the country had achieved this level of idiocy. So this is the reason for your name at the top.
The King smiled and said, if the trader comes back and returned all the goods and commodities with interest according to his promise; than what should I do with you and your list? Prime Minister replied confidentially, I am not sure about my future, but I will definitely put his name at the top of the list as a replacement of yours.
Now, what is the objective of this tale? Why I am quoting it here, not just for fun or sort of just for laugh gauges. In my point of view, it has a direct relation with Pakistan and its people. We the people of Pakistan are one step ahead of that foolish king, who made a mistake without knowing the attributes of the trader, but what we did?
Now we are raising our fingers on the government policies and its bad governance. We are protesting on streets (rarely), whether it is matter of Afia Siddique, Drone Attacks, Bad Governance, Corruption, Bribery, Inflation or the matter of Usama Bin Laden. Now; we are just whipping the ground, the snake had gone far away in the red zone.
We elected this Government by our votes. At the time of election we were very much aware about the character and mentality of those people who are sitting in the government right now. And I am sure; we will definitely choose these people again in the next election, besides knowing there all wrong doings. May be history will forgive and forget that Roman King who was naive of that trader’s attributes and made a mistake accidentally and unintentionally, but we are and we will being punished for our wrong selection. It is a universal rule, by sowing wheat; you will never reap rice, but wheat.
Now we are expecting that this government will solve our all problems and make Pakistan secure and flourishing. They will return our so called sovereignty. I will must quote Hassan Nasar’s statement here,” PAKISTAN IS A SEMI-INDEPENDENT COUNTRY RIGHT FROM ITS BEGINNING”. If politicians and other hidden authorities are responsible for this condition of Pakistan, We are also equally responsible for the current environment in Pakistan.
In my opinion, President Zardari is the most intelligent and smart politician in the history of Pakistan. We should have to admire his policies. He was not a politician by default, like Mian sahab and B.B and many others, but he proved himself the best among all. We admit or not but President Zardari is very much capable of origional democraic politics and doing well. He has not have the clear majority in both houses but how smartely he has taking care of PML (N), PML (Q), MQM, JUI, ANP and above all Army. Also remember he is considered the most unpopular leader of the Pakistan internally and externally. The reopening of Z.A Bhutto’s case makes me a big fan of him. How he played a win-win game with the Judiciary, Chief Justice and people like Baber Awan (who was also a part of Gen. Zia-ul-Haq’s establishment).
So, in this scneario, I am eager to know, BEWAKOOF KON?
Waiting for your opinion.
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