Letter from Pakistan

Pakistan can indeed function as a democracy but the problem is that as a people we have yet to respect institutions. The problem starts at the top. Musharraf took over power in an unconsitutional and unlawful way and he now controls the country. He has set an example. Now when he asks others to follow the laws of the land why should anyone care!
Whether we like it or not the country has to return to civilian democratic rule- good or bad- the incompetence of the current military ruler only shows that no matter how bad BB or Nawaz Sharif were, the military is worse which is why the European think tank Transparency International grades Pakistan`s current military dictatorship as more corrupt than the any of the civilian governments before it. I have a great deal more faith in the young people of Pakistan now- we have seen the world and Pakistan will take its place of pride as a functioning democracy and the beacon of the Muslim world.

Trusting pakistanis to elect rational human beings,
hmmm well let`s see

hmmmm

ok, may be like of Zulfiqar ali bhuttu who would rather break pakistan and let the army kill millions of banaglis than be able to share (err... let bangalis) rule the pakistan.

or may be banazir bhutu with her highness husband to rob pakistan of its remains ..
or nawaz sharif... but wait we have a cricketer as well.... no no mullah umar possibly have immigrated to nwfp now.
No, with nuke on your hands, you gotta be ruled by someone who we think is in our control until we loose that trust, after that possibly some part of teeth to identify the remains and off we go with another dictator...

Hallo - I read some of the comments here and can`t understand what all the `we shouldn`t beg` nonsense is about. Sounds like an okay article to me calling for change and peace, but not begging via the USofA. Don`t most if not all of us want peace? Sure we do. Sadly, politicians all over the planet are puppet masters. I can`t wait for the year 2012!

-zensufi-

HP,
what kind of an idiotic response was that. Masadi and Zeemax are the two monkeys who will sit on anyone`s back who is against Musharaf. So dont think of yourself as some inteellectual. You are as moronic as those two. Besides being a Punjabi I dont think you have achieved much. That can be proven by your asinine comment about Jinnah being equal to Bhutto.
You are probably one of those idiots who think that BB and Nawaz never did anything wrong. They were highly misunderstood. Surrey Palace and Raiwind Estate were there because poor people deserved what they got and it isa divine right of every Pakistani to serve Punjabis. You also probably never said anything against BB when she ordered the massacre of innocent young kids in Hyderabad and Karachi operations but you were probably in the forefront yelling and screaming ``blody murder`` at May 12th incident.
Regarding your comment about Musharaf coming and toppling a ``legal`` government, it is the same people like BB and MMA who were screaming that Nawaz cheated in the elections and the government should be toppled. Your madam BB was the one who was very happy when Musharaf came. Imran Khan ` comment was that BB and Nawaz got what they deserved. Now that they are all together for their gain and decide that Nawaz will rule for the first 5 years and BB for the next - you are extremely happy because now you can sit at the parties and call yourself an intellectul who voiced their opinion against the military and now you are the reason that democracy is flourishing in Pakistan. Idiots like you should be jailed and the key thrrown away. Maybe you can offer you daughter and sister and m other to people like Bhutto and Jam Sdiq to do whatever they please, but most people know thee difference. And I am surely glad that most of the Pakistanis are not as sick as you, zeemax, and masadi. Keep spewing your venom at this site because I know nobody is listening. Mushraf will come back to power and idiots like you, BB, and Nawaz will do nothing but write about their frustrations. And lastly, if you are really craving the power and money, why dont I tell some poor people to come to your house and pay you a monthly bathaa. That way you will feel like you are living in BB`s democracy again.

#47 by HP,

Where do we get these morons to post here!

I have been wondering too but think Gandhi Gardens of Karachi is a likely place where people toss peanuts at them ......

#45 by eastmwest

If Cuba can stand up for itself and separate interests, why can`t Pakistan?

Whose interests did Pakistan stand up for on 28th May 1999 (other than the rajia sabha`s dhoti-washers) and got sanctioned to the hilt?

Question for ... Zeemax:If west is so bad what the hell are doing living there? 70 000 Indians form US, trained professional moved back to help build the homeland. What is holding you both back? Think it would be a waste of time?

The diplomatic corps (and intelligence operatives) HAVE to live abroad, no?

:~)

HP writes <<< Where do we get these morons to post here! >>>



These morons just like Humped Dumped 2 and his Chihuahua R2D-(T)32 (Copyright of these names held firmly by Echo), are merely fulfilling their function, like their masters of sloganeering about democracy while supporting military dictatorships. Of course the person who tries to use Pakistani resources for Pakistanis become corrupt and the ones who sell the country to be used as a whore by the Americans becomes ``the buster of bankruptcy``. These are the people who see bribes in the billions (even as the country goes to hell) as some kind of development and then rail against ``corruption``.

Ejaz...

See my post 21 addressed to you.

#42 by hasanmahmood

“Of course Bhutto being corrupt to the corehad nothing to do with it. Not that Zia was an angel but come on....”

Ignorant idiots like you are a menace to the Pakistani society. It is because of people like you these fking raiders from the dungeons of lal kurti attack Pakistan.

Despite his many problems, there has never been any allegation of corruption against ZAB. That man was honest and at par with Jinnah in that regard. That is amazing! A person of his ambition never indulged in any corruption throughout his political career. In fact the reality is barring a few bad sheeps, ZAB government was pretty much corruption free. Had he been corrupt, he would not have destroyed the 22 families of Pakistan. They could have offered him plenty of money to avoid that nationalization of the 70s.

“Oh how soon people forget the state Pakistan was in (almost bankrupt with no respect or legitimacy throughout the world).”

Another idiotic comment.

Bankrupt or not, who gave the army the authority to destroy the constitution and overthrow an elected government?

You have to be a moron to believe that an army government can bring respect and legitimacy to any state.
Where do we get these morons to post here!

eastmwest writes <<< If Cuba can stand up for itself and separate interests, why can`t Pakistan? >>>

1. Cuba isn`t host to a US occupation force like Pakistan is
2. There hasn`t been a people`s revolution in Pakistan where the elite thugs ran away, to allow for institutional restructuring
3. Cuba is a tiny island nation of around 12 million, Pakistan is located in a messy neighbourhood and has a large population of 160 million, that is much more important to the US and its motives.

Or on the contrary you might ask the question, why was Iraq not allowed to stand for itself like cuba is being allowed....

Question for Masadi:

If Cuba can stand up for itself and separate interests, why can`t Pakistan?


Question for Urstruly and Zeemax:

If west is so bad what the hell are doing living there? 70 000 Indians form US, trained porofessional moved back to help build the homeland. What is holding you both back? Think it would be a waste of time?

hear hear hasanmahmoud!

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lol,
``Just before that an Army General had overthrown a popularly elected Prime Minister in Pakistan.`` Of course Bhutto being corrupt to the corehad nothing to do with it. Not that Zia was an angel but come on....
``Pervez Musharraf, overthrew a democratically elected Prime Minister and jailed him``
lol - apthetic to the core. Are you high dude or are a nawaz lover. Oh how soon people forget the state Pakistan was in (almost bankrupt with no respect or legitimacy throughout the world).
`He has ‘sacked’ the Chief of Justice`` Chief Justice trying to get his son a job had nothing to do with it.
I love democracy as much as the next person but this is pathetic. just because everyone hates Musharaf; they should not forget the 11 years we had under BB and Nawaz....

Re: # 40: I agree. There is also the larger issue of various sects within Islam. At some point you have to reckon that establishing a state religion is a dubious enterprise even when 90% (give or take a few percentage points) of the people are Muslims, as is the case in Pakistan, simply because there are various interpretations of religious dogma by various sects of Muslims.

Here in America the founding fathers were very mindful of religious persecution that existed in Europe at the time, so the US constitution guarantees that there shall be no state religion and guarantees religious freedom.

Dear Iron mask,

I am not suggesting anything... but simply that a state ought to be extra conscious of minorities and their concerns....

Ahmadis excluded... even if we accept the paltry five percent figure... five percent of 160 million is 8 million...(Given that the total population of Israel is 9 million one can imagine that this is not a small number)... And this is by no means the figure accepted by minorities ... mind you. Christians alone claim 15-20 million adherents... a claim which does not make sense but by the same token I am sure it is higher than 10 million- that is the Christians.

The point is that we are talking of people who number in millions... if not scores of millions...

maula jatt writes <<< I must admit that living in USA for the past 30 years has dumbed me down considerably >


Yes your post shows it, it is quite dumb. The people of Pakistan did not ``prop up`` Musharraf, the institution he was in command of, which is firmly in the grip of the Americans ensured that he came to power and stayed ``propped up`` till such time as he is needed no more. The other institutions, like the political, that have been carpet bombed by the Army and are in what remains are quite moth-eaten, will default to dancing to whatever tune the Army plays...Now go back and finish eating your big mac and fries because Uncle Sam`s elite need you to sweat some more to fill their coffers even as they break up your families and destroy your values....whatever values you have left in your moth eaten soul...

#31 by no-nick fool,

No.

#33 by Mantolives on June 27, 2007 6:21am PT


but the point where that Islamic law infringes upon the rights of minorities, it ceases to be a democracy and becomes tyranny of the majority.


rights of the minorities to do what?

The US government has every right to make sure the somali islamofascists cab drivers at the Minneapolis airport are required to follow the terms of their medallion and take passengers even if they are carrying bottles of alcohol. the islamofascists might whine about how they think allah forbids alcohol but then they are free to NOT drive a cab...

p.s. declaring ahmedis non-muslims would be a good example of infringement but if that law is consistent with your constitution, and I don`t know that it is, it`s still democratic...

Re: # 32

``Pakistanis are actually negating the very fundamental basic principle on which they got the country i``

It is old hat and 60 years have flown under the bridge - time to move on.
The principle you are outlining is essentially proportional electorate (this is a positive only if the minorities are at a level where they can sway matters - eg. minorities are 20%, and the majority are split two ways with 40% each - then depending on who gives in most the minorites will go that way). - this is assuming that all votes have the same weight - unless you are suggesting that each vote of the minority has more weight than that of the majority. In pakistan proportional does not make sense - because any which way you want it the minorities will always lose out - since it is almost 95% Muslim (unless you tell me otherwise - and count the ahmedis, aga khanis etc as minorities)


And BTW, if you meet IM in real life (like I did in the windies) you will be surprised mantolives. You are elevating me (intellectually and by way of accomplishments as well) by calling me IM!

shishapa,

With all due respect only bigotry that is manifest is yours on this board behind the thin veneer of stupidity and ignorance.

I am not going to say ``khoon mein hai`` like you did. Instead I am going to say it is the environmental conditions.

There was never such an intent ever, it was just a whitewash_on/excuse_for the bigotry.
It did not take very long to manifest itself and has been manifesting ever since.
Khoon hi mein hai.

Dear Arjunm,

I agree that if the majority decides to incorporate Islamic law in its constitution ... it is still democracy... but the point where that Islamic law infringes upon the rights of minorities, it ceases to be a democracy and becomes tyranny of the majority.

-YLH

Dear iron mask,

I have absolutely no qualms with agreeing an Islamic constitutions provided the rules of the game are followed fair and square... and the principle of citizenship is not breached.

For example... the Constitution of 1973 guaranteed fundamental rights and complete equality of citizenship... it also provided for interpretation of Islam according to each established sect... And yet we`ve seen a complete negation of all the fundamental principles of that constitution ...


All I am saying is that by applying the principle of ``majority is authority`` to the constitution, Pakistanis are actually negating the very fundamental basic principle on which they got the country i.e. ``no permanent majority can by its sheer number dictate to a permanent minority``... had we paid heed to this principle instead of burying it... there would be no objectives resolution, islam in the constitution blah blah... I am referring to actual voting patterns in this case and not hoping and wishing.

Re: # 24
zeemax why are you getting jealous? Are you not shifting crap in England by being on the dole and other state handouts?

Re: # 26
Manto, for any of this to happen, you need to first decide underwhich framework the constitution or laws would work. In the current situation in Pakistan it has to be Islamic - nothing else will work. The reason nothitng else will work is that the opposing camp does not have people of a great calibre who can convince and move people in their direction - in the way perhaps Ambedkar or Nehru were able to do it in India.

The example, nearest one, is to have a framework of the sort the US had in 1776 - very christian (liberationist/refromist/protestant kind) - and the constitution reflected the claims of the time - and allow it to evolve with time. (that the words have been reinterpreted to suit todays ideas and views is what allows the yanks to claim ``that their constituion was ahead of its time``) Thus anti-slavery etc. This could have worked if it was implemented in 1947. But now the expectation are greater, and pace of change is expected to be even more rapid.

Your kite will not fly far given today`s situation. So settle for a constituion based on an Islamic Framework, and make it work for you. Allow time to heal and change interpretations.

arjun #28 ``how would I get from LA Guardia to downtown ``

Ride on the broomstick I saw this shrivelled little Indian janitor (who probably also talks big like you when writing home) using to clean up La Guardia?

#24 by zeemax on June 27, 2007 4:35am PT

pakis run america too....without pakis, how would I get from LA Guardia to downtown like I have to next week...

#26 by Mantolives on June 27, 2007 5:29am PT



agreeing on the fundamentals requires assent of all contending groups


Sorry..the fundamentals of a democracy are it`s constitution...the supreme law of the land..a constitution is usually voted upon by the majority of the people or some version of a majority..A majority doesn`t always mean absolute majority.......If the majority, in whatever form, want Islamic law to be an integral part of the constitution, then it`s still a democracy...the land of the pure can ban alchohol and pork and still be a democracy...

face it...there`ll always be some minority that doesn`t want some law...what if a minority of chaddis wanted sati to be legal? tough luck...

arjunm,

The ordinary functioning of the government, the making of the government and transition from one form of government to another.. this is all done by majority principle. However this comes after the agreement on fundamentals which has to take into account all groups and then the democratic principle applies vis a vis each group within itself.

However... agreeing on the fundamentals requires assent of all contending groups... and that agreement cannot be on the basis of majority and minority but rather the agreement of each affected group.

Since I am not concerned with Britain etc... but only Pakistan... in Pakistan it should mean that logically before undertaking any Islamisation that may affect the rights of any minority group whether religious or sectarian, the general will of that group must be first ascertained. It is a good principle and safeguard against tyranny of the majority... it is also in my view true democracy.

Dear Imran,
I hope this letter finds you in the best of health, hope family is doing well? My apologies that I havent written lately, you know how it is in Amrikka, we get busy with work and tend to forget the rest of the world. As a matter of fact since we work so hard, are the most productive nation in the world, God has blessed us ( god bless america), we have a god given right to determine whats world series and whats not (BTW do you know of any other country beside Canada, Japan and Cuba that plays baseball, and how many countries play american football).

Forget USA for a second, can you please explain why a democratically chosen dictator (Musharraf) of Pakistan captures Al Qaeda agents when CNN and FOX cameras are flashing, however he supports the same agents when Al-Jazeera shows up?

I must admit that living in USA for the past 30 years has dumbed me down considerably and I have embraced naivity with open arms. The statement above in the form of a question displays duplicity by Pakistani government. I can safely state that 160 million people of pakistan are not terrorists, however when the same 160 million people pick a government that is devious in nature that explains the honesty and dedication of people that propped him up in the first place.

Warmest Regards
Your Pakistani Brother

#10 by Urstruly,

So, only people who are left to run America are of only two kinds - Christian religious nuts and godless capitalists. So here we are..between devil and deep sea.

You forgot the trailer-park hindoos who type code and shake out bed bugs from the mattresses in motels.

#21 by Mantolives on June 27, 2007 3:26am PT


Remember democracy means... rule of all the people


I`ll have to call BS on that....democracy doesn`t mean you only do things that everyone agrees on....It is, to a large extent, the will of the majority....if the majority vote one way, there`s a good chance the policies of the elected government will go that way...

If the majority of brits reject sharia then the will of the pakislamofascists shouldn`t matter....

masadi-college-peon: mian, tujhe samosay laynay bhejja thha, aur tu gaaliaN bak raha hai.

EastmWest, Ejaz Haroon,

I am not going to go into what is democratic and legally what is one man one vote.

Allow me to say this though... it was precisely the failure of the Muslim Majority of Pakistan to apply the principle on which Pakistan was based (i.e. ``No permanent majority by sheer number should be allowed to dictate to a permanent minority``) that caused the inequity in Pakistan.

The basic issue ``objectives resolution`` in 1949 was passed by 50-10 or something like that with all non-muslims voting against it... had the ``majority is authority`` principle been abandoned in favor of the principle that any law affecting a minority would have to have the approval of the majority of that minority .... Pakistan would not have had the issues it has in form of objectives resolution and the constitution of 1973.

Remember democracy means... rule of all the people... not some of the people or most of the people- when speaking in terms of permanent majorities and minorities conception.
By your logic... one could argue that all federal principles are a negation of one person one vote...

In #19 read << and for that he blames the people that are being choked to death to `breathe``. >>>

as

<< and for that he aks the people that are being choked to death and unable to breathe to `breathe``. >>>

Tahmed writes <<< Like any other government, it will work with the de facto government in a given country. >>>

Look how easily he exempts his masters from any and all blame as if they are subservient to the whatever the de-facto government happens to be, in other words he say that the US government with over 1000 (secret and revealed) military bases around the globe, its military interventions, its long history of support of dictators of all kinds, (long lists as well as recently declassified CIA documents are available aplenty for all to see), its domination of international institutions like the WTO and the World Bank that in fact determines lives and deaths that occur in country-wide economies, means absolutely nothing to this a-hole.

The fact is that America is not a- country it is the-country in the current setup and its elite determine affairs for all strategically important points (of which one happens to be our area) in the globe, not only that they ensure that their hegemony is not threatened by local wannabes so they employ all kinds of tactics from media ownership, manufacturing crisis, to outright wars in the case of Iraq to determine international affiars. Excusing all of that by saying that they are merely looking after their own constituency- also major BS, given the poverty, lack of nutrition, functional illiteracy and lack of health care among the millions in the US even as the profits of the corporations that sit in political directorates, as well as wealth ownership of the top one percent has sky rocketed.

The Pakistan military has a very long history of working for and with the Americans to facilitate whatever the desire of the US elite happens to be at the time in the region, and while doing so it has received the blessings of the Americans and helped it pervert and stunt the growth of democratic institutions in this country. The Blame lies firmly and squarely with the Americans and with their occupation force in Pakistan, strategically named the Pakistan Army and indigenously staffed for just such deception purposes.

Of course tahmed as an unconditional worshipper of the US elite and their perverted policies including the carnage in Iraq and the colonization of our people in the past by the British is expected to act in this deceptive, hypocritical, immoral manner by trying to excuse US barbarism in this area by employing nonsense arguments about `personal responsibility` and what not, as if he means well. This snake, sob, wants to perpetuate US over lordship in this area and for that he blames the people that are being choked to death to `breathe``. How can they when the higher immorals have created a structure that defaults to harming the indigenous at the expense of enriching themselves...

This is an incredibly stupid concept. Noone else is to blame for the fact that Pakistani society is at this point based on social injustice whether it is feudalism or everyday misogyny. Literacy and improved economics will fix that. Or maybe we should write sweet letters to america asking them to stop supporting Pakistani govt`s altogether till some Govt roots out all Pakistans social evils first?
Removing Mush is not the issue and yes i was distributing sweets and i dont regret it, after the cyclic assaults of BB and NS it was a relief to finally have a person who wasnt a cheap hooker in office. If he had left after 3 years he would have been a national hero. However power corrupts and he has in many ways neglected to be the change we wanted to see in our world. Also since he is a moderate in an increasingly polar world he will likely be out soon. But this cycle of unstable democracies and military coups is going to continue till society itself evolves.
As for ``america`` your naivete is touching. I suggest you read some Noam Chomsky to get a good idea of how the country who is rightly lauded for the best internal system of social justice has never reflected that in its foreign policy and isnt about to start. There are many unique and beautiful things about the US but its international agenda is as beautiful as the MMA`s internal agenda.

Re: # 1 YLH

``...Pakistan is evolving and will soon be a functioning democracy ..``
I would like to take this to the next level: are you willing to bet real money on that happening? You pick a time limit and the amount of money you are willing to bet. If you are willing to wager USD 1000 on Pakistan becoming a `functioning` democracy (i.e. freely elected legislature and PM, army back in the barracks, etc.) within 2 years (my yardstick for `soon`), I will be interested.

Imran sahib: Why dont you place responsibility where it belongs - on a military dictator who seeks to remain in power by hook or by crook?

As for this trite notion that I have heard ad infinitum from my fellow Pakistanis - namely, that American people are ignorant: that is all it is. The average American may not know where Mian Channu is, or even where Lahore is. The average American may not know who Jinnah is, and may even be unaware of the religion of Pakistan (the dental assistant cleaning my teeth a few weeks back asked me if it is buddhism).

But that simply means that the average American is infinitely more knowledgeable than the average Pakistani in things that really matter. Thus, the average American plumber, doctor, dental assistant, historian, physicist, police officer, military soldier, politician, farmer, movie producer, priest, civil engineer etc. knows his job much better than the average Pakistani in the same line of work. The average military general in the US knows that his job is to protect the Constition, not overthrow it. The average cop knows that his job is to help the citizen, not bully him for cash.

Instead of complaining about the lack of interest of Americans in Pakistan, we Pakistanis would be better served berating the lack of interest of Pakistanis in America.

As for the US government working with Musharraf: the US government, like any other government, is responsible primarily to the welfare of its own constitutency. Like any other government, it will work with the de facto government in a given country. These are the hard realities that we Pakistanis need to understand, rather than taking the easy route of blaming others for problems created by our own internal weaknesses.

``
If you look at our checkered history, the American Government has always supported Military dictatorships in Pakistan. These dictators have been instrumental in stunting the growth of democracy in our country. ``

Wrong again. The only dictatorship the US government has supported was the Ayub one. Neither Zia nor Musharraf had US support at the time of taking power.

Dude, it was not Americans but Pakistanis themselves who were dancing on the street when Musharraf took power. The US only supported the General in 2001. The General had enjoyed high popularity ratings in Pakistan much prior to that.

Re: # 8: I agree completely, Pakistan needs to fix its own problems. As you rightly pointed out, the genesis of Pakistan created inequities between its Muslim citizens and those holding other religious beliefs.

To paraphrase George Washington: ``Nations do not have permanent allies, they only have permament interests``.

I too hate to see my tax dollars go to pakistan to be siphoned off by Musharraf`s countless Generals, Admirals, and Air Marshals who do nothing all day except remit the money back to New York so it can sit in their little billion-dollar nest egg. A pox on these war criminals who butchered so many innocent men, women and children in Bangladesh.

Dear Imran sir, I think respect and equity is earned not deserved. that goes for people more than anything else. when you don;t care for your own lives, others wouldn`t step up to care for yours either

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I know the letter is well intentioned but I do not think it will have any effect on the conscience of an ordinary American. The fact of the matter is that there is a general consensus among the US population that what American government does to other countries, especially third world countries - the murder the mayhem and all works - is what puts food on the table. So there is a tacit as well as explicit approval by the American population of American government`s genocidal policies. The election of Bush the second time, even when the defeat in Iraq and Afghanistan was written on the wall at the time is the proof of this thesis.

I order to calm the voices of their conscience some Americans hide behind their religious prejudices. As a matter of fact a large part of Chritian religious nuts sincerely believe that by causing genocide and mayhem elsewhere in the world they would cause the second coming of Jesus Christ (pbuh) who supposedly would descend on earth and congratulate all Christians for creating genocides and wars around the world; and would take them to heaven in reward.

The godless capitalists on the other hand see the rest of the world only in terms of the equation of profit and loss. They don`t give a shit to the value of human life. They would rather sell their mothers if price is right.

The rest of Americans are so called gays, liberals, and beer belly over-weight under achievers whose greatest worry in life is the bear and pussy at the end of the weekend (if they are not already in jail). Most of them would not even be able to name their senator if their life depended upon it, what to talk about voting and political process. The affluent ones in this segment are more concerned about issues like whether Tom and Jerry would make good parents if they adopted a Congolese child or could Thelma sell her eggs to Louise or not. So the political awareness of this segment of society, which is about 70% of the population, is at the levels of baboons and lemurs.

So, only people who are left to run America are of only two kinds - Christian religious nuts and godless capitalists. So here we are..between devil and deep sea.

mildly interesting though reads a lot like manto`s ``letters to uncle sam``.

#6

arjun..you say it like it is and so true. Having been around Pakistanis in the States they are a sad sorry lot perpetually justifying their failed state and blaming everyone from Hinjews to Americans to heck even Afghans.

Pakistan was created against democratic principles ie ``One man one vote``. No different from white South Africans insisting on their own country because ther self-serving interest would be swallowed whole.

Considering how much US aid is siphoned to Pakistan is utterly inability to show anything for it rests with itself.

#1 by Mantolives on June 26, 2007 2:51am PT

let`s face reality...all this isn`t going anywhere...the US wants mushy around so it can continue to whack pakis of the jihadi persuasion in the tribal areas..a democratically elected government might now be so pliant...

So enjoy this pretend democratic movement thing while it lasts..

Dear paki people

You were dancing in the streets when Musharraf took over in 1999. You were down with your country using Islamic fundamentalism when it suited your purpose, think Kashmir and strategic depth.

Now live with the consequences.

America


p.s. liberty and justice for all means for all American people...

Re: # 1


Thats true. There can only be hope when people like him start participating in restoration of democracy than distibuting sweets after every military coup.

``Pakistan is evolving and will soon be a functioning democracy ... a bourgoeisie has emerged and the critical mass has been reached. So instead of writing whiny letters to Americans ... be part of the process``

Sounds delusional to me.................or mere wishful thinking............

Dear Mantolives,

I respect your opinion and your right to differ. I am not blaming the American people. It is the American Government, the so called champions of democracy that has a track record of supporting despots whenever it is in their interest.

If you look at our checkered history, the American Government has always supported Military dictatorships in Pakistan. These dictators have been instrumental in stunting the growth of democracy in our country.

The political leadership that has so far emerged in Pakistan is also a product of the manipulation of the dictators. We can only experience true democracy if we are allowed free and fair elections on a regular basis - without the intervention of the military. True democracy can only emerge if the election process makes the politician accountable to the people of Pakistan.

The letter to the Americans is addressed to the common people of the USof A with a message to urge their Government representatives not to interfere in the affairs of soverign states.

Thanks for your comments.

Imran

America say kyon beek mangta.......Sharm nahi hai kya.......

This article is bound to touch the hearts of Americans, most of whom are avid interactors on Chowk........Yes, we shall shortly see a dramatic shift in US policy towards Pakistan, courtesy this aricle...........

Begging should be discouraged on Chowk...........

Dear Imran,

I am sorry but this is pathetic.

The US of A is sovereign state with its own independent interests. It follows those interests to the bone. We may not agree with any of its interests but let us not blame our inherent weakness on someone else. America or no America... no force in the world can stop the idea of freedom and democracy.

Why must we continue to depend on the US or anyone else to chart a course for ourselves ? The issue of Military dictatorship in Pakistan has to do with its own political and social evolution... this region - till only 60 years ago- was mainly an agriculturalist and martial territory without any real industrialisation... and hence any real bourgeoisie.

Pakistan is evolving and will soon be a functioning democracy ... a bourgoeisie has emerged and the critical mass has been reached. So instead of writing whiny letters to Americans ... be part of the process