Pakistan Politics

By Farrukh Saleem

 ISLAMABAD: It’s the economy, plain and simple. Pakistani generals want Pakistani economy to grow and to grow at the fastest pace possible. Here’s why.
The total length of Pakistan’s boundaries is 6,774 km — India 2,912 km, Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km and Iran 909 km. And, Pak Army gets around $5 billion a year to keep Pakistan’s geographical integrity intact-roughly 3 percent of our $166 billion annual GDP.
Military strategists around the world look at the capacity of their adversaries, not their intentions. In 2009, India jacked up its defence budget by a hefty 24 percent. The same year, an interim defence hike was announced showing an accumulated increase of 55 percent. Read More »What do Pakistani generals want?

By Rauf Klasra

 ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari reportedly dropped a bombshell in the PPP parliamentary party meeting the other night when he made the shocking confession that he was betrayed and trapped by top players of the game in the NRO case.
He told the shocked members that he was given certain assurances in exchange for not defending it before the Supreme Court. A top source said the betrayed president had believed in what he was offered.
Read More »Zardari admits he was trapped, vows to fight on

By Farrukh Saleem

 ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the “Army neither intends to come to power nor will it come to power. The judiciary is independent and pro-democracy” adding that there is no “threat to democracy as the civilian government came to power after making numerous sacrifices and winning the 2008 elections.”
Read More »Is Pakistan heading for a change?

Zafar Alam Sarwar

One of our college fellows in good old days used to wear costly dresses on alternate days. And many of us thought roughly “he must be son of a millionaire.” But he had no chauffeur-driven car. Nor was he seen ever dropping from a GTS bus. He was however always on time in the college. One day I chased him like an American CIA man. After the last period he went straight to a well-maintained shop, changed his dress and returned home where I stood waiting for him. “You naughty body-builder, I already sensed you’re after me. But, for God’s sake, don’t disclose to anybody in the college. That dry-cleaning shop is my elder brother’s. I do it just to cover my poverty. I’ve spoken the truth.” Read More »Pakistan Politics: Are we on way to revolution?

Zahid Malik

MQM’s supremo Altaf Hussain’s statement on 22nd of August that his Party would openly support the patriotic Generals if they took any martial law type action against the corrupt politicians and feudal lords, created a sensation across the country. The epicentre of the statement was London residence of the MQM Chief, where the earthquake was recorded at 8.5 on the political Richter scale and its aftershocks are still being felt.
Read More »Martial Law: Can it be averted?

Over the years, more and more people in positions of relative power and authority assume those positions because of connections or outright bribes and once employed, hone their skills of sycophancy and develop connections to assure promotions or lucrative appointments

Sometimes things look so bad that even an optimist like me has a hard time finding some silver lining to the ‘dark clouds’ hanging over Pakistan. Man-made disasters, natural disasters, terrorism, target killings and now the complete collapse of the Pakistani cricket team.
Read More »Pakistan: Drowning in a sea of incompetence —Dr Syed Mansoor Hussain

Politics at the moment is about power, not about serving the people. It seems that the president knows the difference well, but he is content to pursue his own plan even if it means handing over the reins to the PML-N at the end of his five years

Within the last two weeks Pakistan has faced three major disasters. An Airblue flight went down in the Margallas, and exposed the inadequacies of the governing structure in proffering an organised effort to search and rescue. We became the laughing stock of the world because of the manner of our non-existent sense of response, capability and capacity in such calamities.
Read More »Why does the PPP not govern? —Shahzad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf has donated Rs 10 million for the flood affectees, Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain, All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) chief coordinator and former federal minister said on Sunday. He made these remarks while addressing a press conference. Hussain said that both the federal and provincial governments had failed to provide any relief to the flood affectees. The APML chief coordinator said that millions of people were still waiting for relief goods from the higher authorities. Read More »Musharraf donates Rs 10 million for flood affectees

By Tahir Hasan Khan
The daughter of former prime minister Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Ali Zardari, Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, has forayed into politics formally after attending a meeting with party members on Wednesday.

Bakhtawar is being groomed to take control over the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) as per the wishes of her father. The political activities of Bakhtawar formally began with a party meeting held at Bilawal House where party leaders briefed her about the reason of formation of the PPP, working of late chairman ZA Bhutto and late Benazir Bhutto as well as the party structure.

The meeting was convened by chief of PPP’s Women Wing, Faryal Talpur who also chaired the meeting. Secretary General, PPP Sindh, Taj Haider briefed Bakhtawar about the party functions and activities. Leaders who attended the meeting also introduced themselves to Bakhtawwar and further briefed her about the working of different party wings and policies as well. The party leaders and workers expect that Bakhtawar will be the next chief of the women’s wing of the party.
Read More »Karachi: Bakhatawar makes entry into politics

SENIOR Member All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) and former Federal Minister Dr Sher Afgan has said that there was a democratic government and an independent judiciary in Pakistan; therefore, politicians should bring allegations against former President Musharraf to court instead of bad mouthing him.

Addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club, he said that APML would present its manifesto this September. Dr Sher Afgan assured that Pervez Musharraf would return to the country before any form of elections held. He said that Pervez Musharraf does not fear facing the charges levelled against him provided that a fair trial was held. The current hotchpotch of corrupt politicians cannot solve the problems of people and the salvation of the country can only be brought about under the leadership of Pervez Musharraf, he added.Read More »‘Don’t badmouth Musharraf, move courts if you can’