Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza’s explosive and unprecedented press conference was the first of its kind in Pakistan’s history. As dumb-founded millions watched, it was the probably the first time a senior provincial minister accused a federal interior minister and a top member of his own party of being a killer, liar, and a traitor. Dr. Mirza lambasted the MQM in a way no politician has done openly on national TV. What Mirza said was hardly surprising. It is common talk in the living rooms, bedrooms, restaurants, and the streets of Karachi. But why now? Mirza’s attack on the MQM was hardly surprising – although the allegations about treason were – but what was behind his vicious attacks on Rehman Malik?
It is irrelevant whether he is a political clown or a crusdaer or a backer of gangsters, as alleged by his political opponents. The charges he levelled are grave. If they are false, he should be held accountable. If there is some truth in them, the law must take its course. But neither is likely to happen because Pakistani state is a criminal enterprise and criminals do not settle matters in courts.
56 years- old Dr. Zulifiqar Mirza (ZM) has been a close friend of Asif Zardari since their secondary school days in Cadet College Petaro in the 1970s . He is son of a former Supreme Court judge Zafar Hussain Mirza and comes from a distinguished and land-owning Sindhi family noted for its role in literature, judiciary, and education.
Mirza was discharged from Pakistan Army’ service after Ziaul Haq’s sham referendum of 1984 in which he did not cast his vote. When Benazir Bhutto came to power in 1988, Mirza’s business career took off as Asif Zardari was generous in “taking care” of his old friends. His first venture was a sugar mill, courtesy Asif. Mirza and Asif share more than their high school days. Both are proud and tough macho characters with a tribal sense of “honour”. No less significant is the fact that both are “pakka” shias. This also brought Mirza closer to Benazir who used to visit majalis and imambargahs during Moharram. Mirza makes no secret of the fact that he owes entire his own political and business career to Asif Zardari.
Some have questioned who speaks for Zardari? Rehman Malik or Zulifiqar Mirza? It may sound odd to say this after Mirza’s marathon press conference during which he resigned from all government and party offices, but ZM is closer to Asif than Rehman Malik ever was or ever will be. In fact, Asif may have turned to his old buddy to bail him out of the tight spot he finds himself in and may have used this “trump card” to kill many birds with a single shot from a double barrel gun.
A little away from the media’s focus, the most critical development in the recent months in the backdrop of the mayhem in Karachi may have been the progress made by the Scotland Yard (London’s police) into the murder of MQM’s onetime secretary general Imran Farooq whose 1999 escape from Karachi to London was allegedly facilitated by the British secret service MI6.
It is alleged that Imran Farooq’s murder was carried out by hirelings of the MQM in Karachi. According to these press reports, two men were arrested at Karachi airport a few days ago in connection with the killing of MQM leader Imran Farooq in London in September last year. According to DAWN and the Nation, the suspects are said to be affiliated to “a political party”.
Officials privy to details told a DAWN correspondent that the arrested men had travelled to UK on student visa, stabbed Dr Farooq to death and then flown to Sri Lanka.They were apprehended soon after they came out of the airport in Karachi after having travelled from Colombo. It is learnt that they were arrested on a tip from British intelligence and other sources. It is almost certain that the UK government would demand that the murder suspects be handed over because the crime took place in London. Altaf Husain has been mysteriously ill and “hospitalized” since.
It would not be surprising that the real reason for the dramatic escalation in violence in Karachi during the recent months has to do with Imran Farooq’s murder case, notwithstanding the turbulent and often bloody history of ethnic relations in Karachi which has grown beyond an ethnic issue into a war of the mafias protected by the politicians, some of whom are courted by the Western powers. Just look at this graph (source: DAWN) and dramatic escalation in violence in the number of killings in July and August. 
It has been an old technique of the MQM… when cornered, paralyse Karachi. This is what has happened for last twenty five years. Governments have come and gone but the MQM has continued to rule the streets of Karachi.
However it seems that Zardari’s patience with the MQM’s never ending game of blackmail, threats, securing concessions, and cutting deals may have reached its limits. He knows that he can’t face the MQM on the streets despite the anguish his policy of “reconciliation” has caused among the more militant and nationalist elements of the Sind PPP. Qaim Ali Shah has been the face of that policy. Zardari still wants to bring the MQM back into the government and win a majority in the Senate elections next March but on his own terms. He has till now used Rehman Malik (who shares with Altaf Hussain a close relationship with MI6) to do that.
But the investigation and the arrest of the ‘alleged killers’ of Imran Farooq may have given Zardari a trump card with which to re-negotiate with the MQM. Furious, the London mafia apparently decided to strike back with even more violence. Much was made of Zulifiqar Mirza’s provocative language and unfortunate remarks but the history of violence in Karachi did not start last month. MQM has always found excuses to flex its muscle and demonstrate its street power. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GMI1BbeJHA&feature=player_embedded). This time, it is also facing serious resistance from other armed gangs backed by political parties including the PPP, ANP, and others.
Recently, Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry took suo moto action on Karachi’s killings and a five-member Supreme Court (SC) bench started hearings in Karachi. Faced with Mirza’s grave allegations against the MQM and its leader Altaf Hussain, it would now be impossible for the court not to call Zulifiqar Mirza who seems to have enough material to present the SC with difficult choices. So far, the PPP has been the sole target of SC’s selective accountability and Justice Chaudhry has played more to the galleries than deliver justice. He may now have to play on the back foot at a time when the NRO is history and Pakistan faces grave existential threats.
While the murder investigation of Imran Farooq, SC hearings, and the need to shore-up the PPP’s rural vote-bank may have prompted Zardari to turn to one of his most trusted and loyal friends to spill the beans, why the diatribe against Rehman Malik?
Rehman Malik is a special character and a colourful operator. As a former police officer, he gained influence by getting close to Begum Ziaul Haq. His former bosses say he would do anything to please Mrs. Zia. A former IG Police described Rehman as Mrs. Zia’s glorified orderly. Rehman rose to the rank of deputy director FIA during BB’s second term as Prime Minister. BB once remarked in the presence of some top aides that “you need a thief to catch a thief’ when questioned about her decision to send Rehman Malik on a sensitive mission.
Rehman Malik became closer to the US intelligence agencies for his supportive role in the capture of terrorist Ramzi Yousef and his extradition to the US in 1995. Ramzi had also been accused of conspiring to kill Benazir Bhutto. Rehman Malik thus became closer to BB as an additional Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency. But this association cost him his job when Nawaz Sharif came to power after BB’s dismissal in 1996.
It is alleged by some close relatives of BB that it was Rehman Malik who got BB involved in setting up companies (e,g. Petroline) in Sharjah (in 2000-2001) that were later named in the oil-for-food program scandal - in a United Nations report – and in the money laundering cases in Valencia in Spain. Rehman Malik’s fellow director of this company, Ali Hasan Jafri was married to Benazir’s maternal relative Laley, daughter of Begum Fakhri Gulzar. According to Ali Jafri, getting involved with Rehman Malik was a mistake on BB’s and his part. Rehman Malik later made millions in other business ventures and established himself in London despite ongoing court cases in Europe against him that continued till 2006-2007 before they were suddenly dropped or not pursued further.
In fact, the US used the threat of “constraining” her overseas bank accounts to accede to its terms when Americans were trying to broker a deal between BB and Musharraf in 2006-2007. According to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best selling author (The Way of the World) Ron Suskind, “A US official let her understand that the United States could, if need be, constrain her assets.” Rehman Malik was the only non-family person closely involved in some of the bank accounts’ cases she was implicated. Ron Suskind also confirmed that the US intelligence agencies did electronic eavesdropping to monitor BB’s movements and conversations.
Rehman Malik is also believed to be close to MI5 and MI6. When someone asked Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani (it was in April 2008) as to why did BB keep Rehman Malik so close during negotiations with Musharraf and thereafter, Husain Haqqani quoted a famous line from “Godfather” movie: “You keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
Was Rehman Malik the man through whom the British government dealt with BB? It should be noted that it was the UK that initiated the “reconciliation talks” that culminated in the infamous NRO deal.
But was he also the man who was used by the UK and US secret services to keep tabs on BB and deliver warnings? His behaviour has been very suspicious, to say the very least. He escaped to his house, instead of protecting BB when she was assassinated near Liaqat Bagh Rawalpindi on the 27th December. A noted journalist and TV anchor, Mazhar Abbas, told me he ran into Rehman Malik around the midnight of the 27th and 28th at the Regents Hotel in Karachi with no explanation as to what he was doing there when BB’s dead body was still lying in the hospital in Rawalpindi?
Apparently, not only Rehman Malik knows too much but is also backed by powerful foreign agencies. What else could explain his mysterious and inexplicable rise to the role of a power broker during BB-UK-US negotiations, his stay in London, his business ventures, despite court cases in Europe implicating him in money laundering?
Now, could it be that the wily and cunning Zardari also wants to get rid of this “international baggage” that came with an “international deal”? Only his old school buddy Zulfi Mirza could have been trusted and taken into confidence if that was part of the plot.
One “sacrifice” by a loyal and devoted friend and look at the potential results: MQM rejoins government, Rehman Malik is cut to size and sidelined, and PPP gains a majority in Senate. It won’t be the first time Mirza would be repaying his debts to Asif. He did it before after BB was thrown out in 1996 and Asif was charged in several cases. ZM stood by him. It is unlikely that Mirza has ditched him. He is just playing the loyal friend he always has been.
But in doing so, he has made grave allegations against Altaf Hussain and Rehman Malik; the charges of no less than treason and murder. It remains to be seen what would be response of the Supreme Court and the Army generals. Or they too are “constrained” as Ron Suskind put it to describe how the US blackmailed BB. There is little doubt that Rehman Malik reflects that face of the US policy if Pakistan survives. The US would like a docile government that fights it terror war. But if Pakistan falls apart, God forbid, Altaf Hussain is definitely an important part of American contingeny plans.
Originally published: August 30, 2011
Old Report on Dr. Imran Farooq and a very damaging one.
Imran Farooq’s fate hangs in balance 06 July 2004 Tuesday 17 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425 http://archives.dawn.com/2004/07/06/nat6.htm
KARACHI, July 5: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement is in a fix over the fate of Dr Imran Farooq who was ‘removed’ from the position of convener of coordination committee, amid reports of differences with party chief Altaf Hussain. The Muttahida’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Dr Farooq Sattar, told Dawn on Monday that there was a “status quo and decisions were in abeyance” with regard to reports about the London-based party leadership. “The other matters have almost been resolved but no decision has been taken yet on matters concerning Dr Imran Farooq against whom there were repeated complaints of breach of discipline,” said Dr Farooq Sattar. His remarks confirmed the serious power struggle going on within the party. The party was trying to resolve all the outstanding issues but success was not likely soon, he added. There were reports also that a split was imminent and that there were “some problems” at the party’s international secretariat in London. Mr Hussain had assigned the convenership of the coordination committee to Dr Imran Farooq on Aug 15 last year in a major shakeup within the party. That move was the biggest one by Mr Hussain since his direct control of the party affairs after the suspension of Dr Imran Farooq, who was subsequently reinstated. In the meantime, at a recent meeting of the cadres the founding chief of the party was critical of both the governor of Sindh and Dr Imran Farooq. And there were deliberate leakages indicating that some action against him was again being contemplated. Mr Hussain, according to some sources, was also unhappy over Governor Ibad’s remarks that no operation against the MQM was being contemplated by the government. But in London, according to sources, he was shown various “evidence” contrary to his claim. His matter has been sorted out, said the sources. Asked whether the party’s international secretariat in London was functional, he replied in the affirmative. Dr Sattar said the coordination committee had been dissolved but it had to be revived, but only for policy decisions. The rest of the issues were looked after by the coordination committee here in Pakistan. Wherever guidance of Mr Altaf Hussain was required, those matters were dealt with by those members of the committee who were in London. The party leadership was playing down its internal power struggle because that could affect its bargaining power, both at the federal and provincial levels.
a very bigoted and lopsided analyisis; Congratulations on on the khilafat of the Talibans. The ultimate of madness
Very articulate rendering of the mouthful fulminations of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza. These are the times for meaningful change and ZM has cashed in his credit card. He will soon be the song of the nation for his courageous, bold forthright expose’ and these are no ordinary utterances. These are the convictions of a man feeling encumbered by the political shenanigans of various actors on the Indus stage. Bravo Zulfiqar Mirza, you have earned respect for what many thought & knew but could not utter. Cheers & God be your protector & guide.
IF YOU CAN SOLVE THIS PUZZLE YOU CAN READ THE ‘CRYSTAL BALL OF OUR FUTURE’:
IF YOUR LANGUAGE IS ENGLISH BUT THE BOOK IS IN ARABIC, WHOSE TRANSLATION WOULD YOU THINK AND TAKE AS MORE CORRECT:
1. A MAN WHOSE IS FLUENT IN ARABIC BUT POOR IN ENGLISH ? OR
2. A MAN WHO IS POOR IN ARABIC BUT FLUENT IN ENGLISH ?
YOU WILL BE IN THE DIRECTORS OF ‘MENSA’ IF YOU CAN SOLVE THIS BY REASON AND BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT; AND IF YOU CAN YOU WILL WHATS HAPPENING.
Yousuf,
very interesting. Let’s see what happens next.
1 IN 120,000,000 !
“NO GREATER SACRIFICE THAN HE WHO LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR A FRIEND”
MQM, Violence, and Political Expediency
Abdul-Majid Jaffry
Karachi, the principal city of Pakistan, is home to every ethnic group and rightly called a mini Pakistan. It also hosts a fair number of immigrants from South Asian countries. Despite having a large polyglot population, the communal peace, for the most part, prevailed in the city until the early nineteen eighties, and then the scene of civility changed to omnipresent violence. What happened?
The demographic changes, cultural and economic differences between ethnic groups are often reasons for division and tussle for supremacy and control of the urban constituency. In attempt to control political and economic life, confrontation and violent contestation become the only options imaginable to feuding ethnic groups. However, demographic changes, cultural and economic differences were always in play in Karachi, as in any large multi ethnic city, but notable political and ethnic violence was absent from the city streets; the city for the greater part remained peaceful and ethnic relations were more than cordial.
If we examine closely we will note that a vicious cycle of violence erupted in Karachi only after the ethnic party Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) emerged on the city political scene.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s execution in 1979 (or as claimed by many, judicially murdered under the directives of the then military ruler General Ziaul Haq), aggravated the feelings of national deprivation among the Sindhi populace and gave a new impetus to the Sindh-based nationalist movement. To counter the Sindhi nationalist movement’s opposition to his rule, General Zia, in his ill-considered and selfish intent, fanned the politics of Sindh on ethnic and linguistic lines; he patronized Mohajir population of Sindh and helped form Mohajir Quami Mahaz (Mohajir National Front), as a political response to Sindhi nationalism. People who moved from India and settled in Pakistan, mostly in Karachi, at the time of partition in 1947 are called Mohajir (refugees).
In 1997, the term Mohajir was dropped from the party’s name and replaced with Muttahida (United). The change in the name was made in an attempt to shed the parochial and ethnic image and give the group an inclusive and national appearance.
The MQM, despite a change in its nomenclature from Mohajir to Muttahida, remains in all respects, an ethnically inclined, ethnically led party of the Mohajirs for the Mohajirs, with no following outside the urban Sindh.
Since its power base is limited to the Mohajir community of the urban Sindh, and even there, votes come through intimidation and courtesy of the secret agencies, MQM’s political interests, naturally, lie in increasing or, at least, maintaining the Mohajir population’s numerical strength. After Mohajir, Pashtun are the second largest group in Karachi in terms of sheer number. The Pashtun community is taken by the ethnic MQM as its rival in political leadership; MQM understands that an increase in Pashtun population cuts into its only and narrow power base – Karachi. It is for this reason, MQM in a selfish and hostile manner opposes the settlement in Karachi of Pashtun displaced from the war zone in the Northern Pakistan.
Farooq Sattar, a leader of MQM, described the Pashtun settlers as “strangers in Sindh”, as if Pashtun are not Pakistanis and Karachi is not a part of Pakistan. This mindset is not newly acquired; this shallow and selfish nature is part of MQM political psyche since its inception. Party’s supremo Altaf Hussain in one of his early speeches told the migrating Pashtun and other nationalities coming to Karachi, “There are also Lahore and Faisalabad in the way. These too are Pakistani cities”. How strange! MQM is a party of immigrants who when came to Karachi in search of a home were themselves strangers in Sindh.
Pakistan has dozens of regional, religious, national, and ethnic based political parties, and none may be wholesome and incorrupt in its character, however, no political party has been accused of employing terror tactics, including torture and killing, as its political modus operandi, this distinction entirely belongs to MQM. The torture and killing is not reserved for only political opponents; party dissidents and members of faction groups are also terrorized in the same brutal manner, they are tortured, killed and eliminated.
MQM’s proclivity for anarchy and violence can be seen from Altaf Hussain’s famous exhortation to his men to sell TV, VCRs and buy guns and ammunitions, and his calling to party activists “to snatch their rights.” Violent incitements like this from the party’s top leadership have created the militarist and violent frame of mind, which is commonly displayed by the MQM activists to subdue the opponents to their arrogant supremacy.
According to a paper submitted by Sindh Democratic Group in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, “The internecine war between the 2 factions of MQM has become a byword in sheer brutality and heartlessness. Members of either faction are picked up by the rival faction and murdered after inflicting inhuman torture, like drilling holes, pulling nails, breaking bones and shooting limbs before ending their lives.” Such horrific and unspeakable crimes were completely unheard of before the birth of the MQM. The horrible crimes perpetrated by MQM show the extent to which it can go to fight anyone who dared encroach upon its perceived turf.
Its politics of terror and intimidation, its use of violence as a means to control Karachi, its pursuit of murder and extortion as an art of conducting politics is too well known a fact for MQM to get away with it. No protestations of innocence from the MQM can possibly change the estimate formed by those who live in MQM constituencies and witness these crimes committed by its workers on a regular basis.
The NRO list of beneficiaries affirms the criminal character of the MQM; it contains the top names of MQM leaders, including the party chief Altaf Hussain, as well rank and files who were involved and charged with gruesome crimes of murders and kidnappings. According to the NAB sources, MQM politicians including Altaf Hussain, Farooq Sattar, Ishratul Ibad, among others, had been charged with cases of 68 murders, 30 attempted murders, and 10 kidnappings cases.
MQM owns another exclusive distinction; it is the only political party whose leadership decries Pakistan and questions the wisdom of country’s existence and that is while being part of the ruling coalition and, moreover, raises the treacherous pronouncement on the soil of Pakistan’s archenemy. Its supreme leader Altaf Hussain during his visit to India in 2004 made the infamous statement, “idea of Pakistan was dead at its inception” and “The division of the subcontinent was the biggest blunder”. Meaning the making of Pakistan was the colossal mistake. He did not stop there, in the next breath he traitorously begged India to “forgive the people who left and let them return”. Altaf’s speech in India had Indian intelligence agency RAW’s signature all over it. The speech along with the confessions of MQM’s activist Ajmal Pahari about his terror training in India gives factual support to the allegation that MQM has connection with RAW and serving its anti Paki
stani interests.
Despite of the well-known criminal activities, not only that the MQM remains spared from media censure and scrutiny, it receives generally favorable coverage. The media’s kind and congenial relations with MQM is little to do with its secular politics endearing to Pakistan’s liberal media, it is more out of the fear of the MQM’s militant wing; MQM has a reputation of eliminating journalists for their unfavorable reporting of MQM’s politics and activities. Muhammad Salahuddin, editor of a weekly magazine Takbeer, in 1994 and Wali Khan Babar, Geo’s reporter in 2011, paid the ultimate price for being critical of MQM. And, many journalists in between suffered bloody retribution at the hands of MQM for their critical writing and reporting.
Paris based Reporters Without Borders has expressed concern over MQM’s threatening stance against Pakistani journalists. After May 12, 2007, violence in Karachi in which dozens of people lost their lives, The Mojahir Rabita Council (MRC), an affiliate of MQM, issued a statement threatening to some 20 journalists it described as “chauvinist” and “cruel elements” and hostile to their movement. One of the journalists threatened told Reporters Without Borders that he was scared because “having your name on the list means that the MRC wants to eliminate you.”
Why MQM, given its absolute criminal behavior and oppressive regimen of terror, has survived and tolerated on the political scene for so long? The answer lies in the Pakistani politics of expediency and communal polarization played by, both, military dictators and civilian rulers to strengthen and prolong their grip on power. Since General Zia, who midwifed the political birth of ethnic MQM in 1980’s, to the present rulers all wooed and used MQM for political opportunism, sacrificing principles and national interests.
Pakistan’s both major political parties, PPP and PML-N, at one time or the other labeled MQM as a terrorist organization, and yet at other times sought its political and electoral support to form government, and also often to destabilize the rule of the opponent party or weaken the opposition. When MQM provides the needed electoral strength in the Parliament to form the government, it want pound of flesh and wring every drop of blood from the confederacy; the obliged rulers in Islamabad and Karachi must look the other way on the illegal and criminal activities and abuse of power by MQM. The unprincipled politics of selfish interests has come to define the political elite of Pakistan.
Pakistan Peoples Party is often in clash with the MQM and calls it a “terrorist outfit”. Yet, when in need it does not shy away from politically allying itself with the “terrorist outfit”. In 1988, the PPP joined hands with the MQM to form the national government and provincial in Sindh. Again, in 1993, PPP was in partnership with the MQM in the Sindh government. The present PPP government in Islamabad and Karachi, once again, has MQM as its major coalition partner.
Nawaz Sharif’s PML is no different from the PPP when it comes to political expediency. It has dubbed MQM as a terrorist entity but embraced it when circumstances dictated. In 1989, PML wooed the MQM to support it in the no-confidence motion against the PPP government. In 1997, the PML with only 14 seats in a house of 109 joined hands with the MQM to deny the PPP, the largest party in Sindh Assembly, to form government. It took the brutal murder of Hakim Mohammad Said for Nawaz Sharif in 1998 to withdraw his government’s patronization and protection of an ally that has long lost control over the militant armed elements in its rank.
After it ouster from power in 1998 on murder charges based on the “credible and inconvertible” evidences, the entire MQM leadership went in hiding and remained out of sight until General Musharraf took over power in October 1999. General Musharraf’s military government not only revived the declining MQM but also gave it a free hand to renew its politics of violence and terror. The May 12, 2007 carnage in Karachi is a glaring example of impunity of crime and freedom of violence the MQM enjoyed in return for its political support for the military regime.
Before the emergence of MQM, people of all the ethnic groups co-existed amicably and peacefully. It is only after the appearance of the MQM that Karachi became synonymous with target killings, abduction, and extortion. MQM activists treat Karachi as if it was their own personal fiefdom and they are born to rule and nobody should question their authority or power, and people of all the other ethnic group would have to capitulate to their rule. If we critically examine and analyze the Karachi’s crime scene, we will find all evidences point to MQM as a major culprit and perpetrator of the savagery.
A true law and order cannot be restored in Karachi, unless the politicians stop sacrificing the national interests and good governance at the altar of political expediency. Lawlessness will remain the order of the day as long political patronage is giving to terror forces masquerading as political party in return for its support.
Do politicians care enough about the sanctity of honor, life, and property of common citizens to say no to political and electoral support of MQM?
Whatever salvos he has fired have to be taken with a pinch of salt. We know the state, the country is in, and the merciless killings and extortions have left everyone worried about Karachi; whereas it’s all very well to blame other politicians for the mess, but what about their own roles? He has served as the home minister in Sindh and things weren’t very well in Karachi. The good doctor has also served as the senior minister of the province. If he has suspicions against any political party why did he refrain from disclosing them? If the interior minister was interfering in his domain why did he not speak up then?
This is a quote from Zulfaqar Mirza on distributing 300,000 liccences.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/03/mirza-urges-army-to-curb-terrorists-in-karachi.html
“He said he had started speaking the truth to protect the honour of mothers, sisters and daughters and had issued about 300,000 arms licences to `people of honour` These licences had not been issued for celebratory firing in marriages, he said.”
This moron is going to create a civil war in Pakistan.
I am amazed that the educated class, press and journalist, police, judicary.. etc is silent about it. This is the not the first time these political parties are issuing license to kill other people.
What kind of leaders and what kind of society we are living in. This person not only gave the license to kill but had the audacity to boast about it.
May Allah protect us from leaders like these?
This is true.. and it is shameful that the media has failed to expose this side of our state and its politics….something which Mr. Nazar calls criminal enterprise.
These are just the ones issued by Mr. Mirza. If investigative reporters can dig out the actual record from all around the country the figures, i am sure, will be astounding.
The unfortunate thing is that Pakistan has not learned anything from the history. The nations that do not learn from history are going to make the same mistakes again.
The bottom line is that we are very prejudice and racial in our thinking. We make judgment based on racial lines and not along justice. As long as we continue to ignore basic justice in society we are doomed.
Our prejudices are so strong that we are willing to kill and rape fellow Muslims and then justify. We only look from ethnic lines and it is always the other side faults.
We lost half of Pakistan because of prejudices to the people of Bengal. From 1947 till the division of Pakistan we treated them like dirt, we treated them like our slaves, treated them a dark skin fish eating third rate people that we cannot share power with.
When the election happened and Sheikh Mujib won the majority we the west was willing to share the right power with them. It was Zulfar Ali Bhutto who refused to go assembly and let Sheikh Mujib be the head of state. Sheikh Mujib had a simple majority so he could only have ruled for his term. He could not changed the constitution of Pakistan without getting 2/3 votes and that would have required West to agree. There were two people responsible for the division of Pakistan and they were Gen Yahya and ZAB. It was Bhutto who realized that he was not coming into power and coined the phrase “wooho tumhra and yeh hummara” meaning you rule east and we rule west. He was the person who refused to go to assembly. So instead of putting ZAB into jail Gen Yahya did the unjust thing of declaring Sheikh Mujib as traitor and took action on the majority.
Gen Tikka Khan was sent to kill and suppress the Awami League. Our beloved army killed and raped innocent children, women and men.
Our sense of justice was distorted because of prejudices. No respectful Muslim would kill and rape their fellow citizen. We can all debate the number of Bengalis that were killed and raped. There is a version from Bangladesh that 3 million human lives were lost. Pakistan own version of Humodur Rehman report acknowledges these but plays down the number.
The question we have to ask why as nation why even one single Muslim person was killed and raped by our brave army? Why nobody was put to trial? Gen Naizi and his fellow high command should have faces court martial. But no, he returned to Pakistan with honor. His honor was to disgrace Pakistan and to kill and rape fellow Muslims.
The sad part is that the person who was responsible for the division of Pakistan is referred as Quide Awam. ZAB only cared about himself and only himself. It was Ok for him that we lose half of Pakistan as long as he comes to power.
This all happened due to one flaw in us: Lack of justice.
On March 25th when Gen Yahya Khan took action in East Pakistan when thousands to East Pakistani Muslims children, men and women were getting killed by the butcher Gen Tikka Khan I saw there was celebration on the streets from Karachi to Peshawar. As a young man I was shocked and horrified on what we were celebrating?
Our sense of superiority and racial prejudices are so high that we never look at the root cause. What made us lose half of the country? Why we had to kill fellow Muslims without any accountability? Why we had to rape fellow Muslims women without any accountability? Why we call people who divided our people as our heroes? How are we different then Indians killing Muslims? How are we any different then Israelis killing Muslims? Are we like animals that we have no feelings?
Ladies and Gentleman we have a core issues: Injustice.
As long as we keep our prejudice in our decision making and do not provide justice we are doomed!!!!
Yes Shair Khan, You are right. The core issue has always been injustice. But even in these radically changed and highly charged environment I do not foresee justice being fully delivered… Suo Moto after eight months and more than 1400 brutal murders.
AT THIS MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY,A QUOTE FROM IQBAL WOULD BE IN ORDER:
” STAND UPRIGHT, SPEAK THE TRUTH THOU HAST THAT ALL MAY SHARE.
BE BOLD, PROCLAIM IT EVERYWHERE, THEY ONLY LIVE WHO DARE ”
AND VOLTAIRE SAID TO HIS DETRACTORS:
” I DETEST WHAT YOU SAY; BUT I WILL DEFEND WITH MY LIFE, YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT”
LET TRUTH PREVAIL, NO MATTER HOW BITTER IT BE—SPEAK YOUR MIND SO NO ONE LATER REGRETS THEIR SILENCE WHEN ALL IS LOST.
Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza, Pakistan’s ZeemLeaks, has rattled one and all in Pakistan. Playing to the gallery, with his hand on the Quran, or holding it on his head, he raved and ranted. He spared the chosen few, whom he had met, before unleashing his wrath. This makes one wonder, was this all preplanned? Was he nominated to bell the cat(s)?
What brought it on? Was it the early morning raid in Lyari where a huge cache of arms and ammunition was found by the Rangers? When he was in power, why didn’t he do something then? Did he spend all his times stashing away ‘papers’ to be used at his convenience? Now that all the channels are discussing him and his Zeemleaks, will anything happen.
Coming on to this serious issue. I dont perceive anything positive or any long term public good from these tomfooleries. The operation against perpetrators of the monstrous crimes or the gangs headed by well connected DON’s is a shameless eyewash.
PPP has its tail between its feet. They know what ZM is all about and fear a backlash in the form of a big dent in its votebank. The entire PPP command looked dumbfounded issuing such comical warning to the atrocious criminals as if saying ‘packup and save your hides’