An Unnecessary Interview with History

It was great going until Mush stepped in ...

Re: # 1 Well, He didnt help, now did he... we had great hopes from him - but in eight years he only took us back further...

I guess its time to award the preidency to Mr. Amer Nazir. He will sure take Pakistan to the new heights, lol.

Critisizing is the easiest thing, one can do.

read preidency as presidency

Re: # 3 Thanks for the offer - but I dont have the level to take on such an important responsibility - though I am sure there are people out there who qualify - and lets hope they get the job...

Well, I have been forced into this role to be honest, of criticizing...
Earlier, I had established and managed a multi-million dollar IT group of companies in Pakistan over a period of eighteen years which was taken over by some friends of a corrupt NAB Chairman... this was inspite the fact that Mush had recognized my contribution towards IT in Pakistan...

And when no appeal for justice is entertained if it is against an army general and you are forced into exile - then believe me my friend, it makes you think, and during the process you become privy to facts that you would rather live without if you had a choice...

Dictatorship, Human Rights, free judiciary and free press - are not matters that I have invented - though, I am qualified enough to read and learn about such important issues and then criticize with the hope that what happened to me would not happen to others...

You will agree that by not criticizing, by going silent, with reference to the destruction of recognized laws and institutions is no solution either...

Re: # 5
Its good that we share the same professional background. I also manage a software house in US that outsource its software development to software houses based in Karachi and Lahore. I know lot of people in this industry in Pakistan, specially karachi.

As you said, you have invested multi-million dollars in IT Industry, can you please describe exactly the name of the companies and individuals who taken over your investment. Its pretty easy to do the "Hawai Fire".

If we only talk about the Economy, In my opinion Musharraf did a better job as compared to previous governments of PPP or PML-N. Pakistan was on a brink of bankruptcy when Nawaz (not so Sharif) was booted out.

Musharraf actually did really good in the beginning of his tenure when he was CEO, but since he became the president, the ride was downhill. He had good intentions but later on he was more busy in securing his chair, as he thought that, if he leaves, the same corrupt politicians will come back and revert all what he has done.

One can go ahead and criticise but keep the reaalities and obstacles in mind.

Re: # 6 Well,you have caught me in the act... no more hawai fires by me I assure you... how did you find out so quickly and so decisively... you are amazing...

I have been trying to get away with this for so long - but you have caught on at once... I guess it had to come to an end...

However, do find some time to read The NAB Diaries on www.teeth.com.pk and several other bloggs including the PPP,TI, and peoples resistance sites, alongwith an open letter to the chairman NAB to either refute the accusation or resign and also articles on this in Dawn and the Nation covered by independent senior journalists...( you will have to put my name in a search engine)

All of the above were also sent to and received by the President, the Chairman NAB, the CJ of Pakistan and the High Commissioner in the UK.

I respect your sentiments - but your realities and my realities are perhaps different - you and your familly did not go through the illegal persecution personally...and mine is but only a small example... tell the families of the missing and the murdered how good Mush is...tell them your opinion...

Re: # 7

But perhaps you are presuming that Ameer-ulMomeneen(NawazSharif) or Mr.10%(Zardari) can solve your problems?

Unfortunately, we dont have much choice in the upper brass and we have to choose the less evil person at this time rather than an ideal candidate.

I am not saying that Musharraf is a Saint. What I am saying that in present situation, he is far better candidate as a Head of State than the above two.

I am not denying that Musharraf may have done bad to you, but we will have to prepare for worst after NS and Zardari come to power.

we as a nation are very sentimental and we have short memory, and now we have forgotten all the sins of these corrupt political leaders who were doing worse than Musharraf at the time when there was only PTV and almost zero press media. I dont think, they will be able to ride this ship now.

Re: # 8 I agree with what you say - but we can only hope... hope that the politicians have somewhat learnt their lessons and that the nation has matured - and then after all, the world has also changed a bit in the last eight years - it is now a new scenario...which requires another effort... at least now, we have some semblence of a nation asserting itself by standing beside a free judiciary and a free media - institutions that can hopefully put in place some public accountability...

And you may agree that it is a step in the right direction as against an expedient way out and which is to settle for a wrong road map which may never leed in the right direction...

I assume that you live in the states - and you know that institutions are more important than individuals - that institutions should not revolve around individuals and that it should be the other way around...

During my ordeal which has been going around for years - it was by default that I had to have a close look at my environment and about things that I had not earlier bothered about... and I begged and pleaded for justice with at least 15 generals and scores of high level army officers... some of them had been friends earlier... and what I discovered was amazing...there are only personal interests and financial gains that they are after, accompanied by a common characteristic of arrogance and even cruelty and which of course is based on a self-righteous stand - a stand which has a kosher cover, namely: Patriotism...

They believe that they are indispensible for the international community because of our geo-political position but what is alarming is their outright contempt for civilians - and this is a thinking by default which has taken so much root that it cannot be erased easily...

However, and this was the second most important conclusion for me, that they are so unaware of the world developments and so entrenched in their last century SOP's that they do not have the vision or even the desire to build up systems that can control corruption - they only hope to do so by force,torture and imprisionment and that too only if it serves their purpose... but of course they can only do even this after the fact since they do not have the capability to introduce systems that can deter before the fact... and this is why they have never been able to introduce civilized controls and checks in the shape of laws and systems... in other words they do not have the capability of putting in place civilian institutions since their knowledge is confined to army set-ups only... and consequently, they do not have any concept of human rights, free judiciary and media, a free economy etc... and this is where the greatest threat lies...

Additionally, you see an independent judiciary can one day even bring the army officers under its jurisdiction and they may lose their immunity vis a vis the common man - human rights of the common man can also perhaps one day initiate a challenge to the disbursement of 70% of the national wealth with the help of the judiciary and the media... and the human rights of a common soldier who is so inhumanly treated and given pittance as compensation can maybe throw even the army into chaos and so on and so forth...

No matter how you see it - the army losses if civilied institutions are put in place...it is a zero sum game. Henceforth, although they do not deny the importance of such institutions - they cannot commit suicide by implementing them...

In fact, the above institutions are exactly what this decadent set-up is taught to supress under the guise of sincerity, patriotism, corruption or whatever - and which is incidently also a good slogan to make huge personal money... and then after all, the alternate of the corrupt politicians aside, the rhetoric of progress that cannot be substantiated aside - what has this regime actually done for the common man...

Now tell me friend... how can there ever be any nation building without institution building... the only correct thing for us to do is to work for a system of public accountability - even if our politicians are corrupt - this does not mean we should forsake the correct path...and settle for what is outrightly wrong...

Mr Amer i feel no difference between you and mr musharaf regarding personal offences.I am not trumpeting the drums of musharaf's policies but at least you have some respect for your president.
What have you given to your country?????
People like you are victim of inferiority complex.
JAISI ROOH WAISAY FRISHTAY
Has musharaf asked us to show no respect for human lives whom we are blowing with the spate of bombs??
Has musharaf persuaded us to rape the innocents , plunder the national asset , violate every law the federation has made and make grafting and corruption our popular tenets.
What are you talking about human rights. Did you ever fulfilled your obligations which state demands from you.
Tell me onething, Pakistan in its history has seen dozen of rulers, why the condition of country is not changed? because we people have put all our eggs in pliticians' basket. We have never tried to do something for the betterment of our fellow except leg pulling.
I hope it will be in your consideration:
"WASHINGTON, March 7: A key foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama resigned on Friday, after calling his White House foe Hillary Clinton a “monster� " (Dawn 08 march)
A person has resigned as she made some aggressive remarks. Such a spirit leads the nation to prosperity. If you cant behave like american people then you have no right to clamour for american-styled democarcy in Pakistan. Musharaf rightly says (the only point with which i am agree) that we are different kind of nation so must be herded differently.
People like you have turned Pakistan's problem into quicksand by making the people dispair about the future. When there is complete loss of hope in society, it would not be able to build country on concrete basis.
I request "people like you", instead of criticizing and preaching the messages of hostility , take some bold initiatives to reform the era of progress.

Re: # 10 No comments

I felt that this article is below the belt. I personally have issues with Musharraf's governance style and the happenings of our country- but i will respect the office of President. Lets not become the laughing stock of the world.

I was even surprised by Nawaz Shareef's political incorrectness in the recent press conference that was held in Bhurban.

Haha .. you write well.
However, I don't really see how any of the other folks are going to be any better than Prez. Mush. Especially when you have Sharif's previous track record.

Re: # 13 Friend, the job may yet not be finished... it is perhaps just a step in the right direction. The ultimate power must reside in the people one day and there should be public accountability... the hope is that this is a new world and a new nation - the people resistance has asserted itself... if the institutions develop... the judiciary, the media etc... it will be difficult for anyone to misbehave with utter disregard to decency...

Today, the army officers, the politicins, the state machinery including the ISI and FIA even are subdued and have started worrying about the common man...

There may not be any quick fixes - and our expectations of immediate miracles and turn arounds although the players are yet unchanged is also a bit unrealistic... nonetheless it is a new road, a new process of evolution - and our only hope is that this time it is built on the correct premises and which is of course better than to nourish an army dictatorship...

An American president, John F Kennedy said at his inaugural speech: Ask not what your country can do for you, ask, what you can do for your country.
Ones actions/deeds are the reflections of their intentions(Hadith)
Look under your arms before peeping at other's.
You are no American Mr. Amer, yet you are enemy #1 of Pakistan and it's people yourself & all those alike. People like you abide by the pettiest laws when abroad yet they ignore or overcome by paying bribes or on the basis of who they know i.e. connections.
Twice Nawaz not-so-Sharief ruled over Pakistan and did not accomplish anything for common people except for himself and his cronies. Twice BB ruled over Pakistan and ----ditto----.
President Gen. Musharaf did not rob a single penny of Pakistan's treasury as compared to these two and several others earlier in the history. Based on your description filled with attempts to humiliate a sitting head of the state you are no lesser than his character as described by you.
"Mr Amer i feel no difference between you and mr musharaf regarding personal offences. I am not trumpeting the drums of musharaf's policies but at least you have some respect for your president.
What have you given to your country?????
People like you are victim of inferiority complex.
JAISI ROOH WAISAY FRISHTAY
Has musharaf asked us to show no respect for human lives whom we are blowing with the spate of bombs??
Has musharaf persuaded us to rape the innocents , plunder the national asset , violate every law the federation has made and make grafting and corruption our popular tenets.
What are you talking about human rights. Did you ever fulfilled your obligations which state demands from you.
Tell me onething, Pakistan in its history has seen dozen of rulers, why the condition of country is not changed? because we people have put all our eggs in pliticians' basket. We have never tried to do something for the betterment of our fellow except leg pulling.
I hope it will be in your consideration:
"WASHINGTON, March 7: A key foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama resigned on Friday, after calling his White House foe Hillary Clinton a “monster� " (Dawn 08 march)
A person has resigned as she made some aggressive remarks. Such a spirit leads the nation to prosperity. If you cant behave like american people then you have no right to clamour for american-styled democarcy in Pakistan. Musharaf rightly says (the only point with which i am agree) that we are different kind of nation so must be herded differently.
People like you have turned Pakistan's problem into quicksand by making the people dispair about the future. When there is complete loss of hope in society, it would not be able to build country on concrete basis.
I request "people like you", instead of criticizing and preaching the messages of hostility , take some bold initiatives to reform the era of progress."

Re: # 13 I have never been in politics. I have studied in an army institution and know the army well. I dont know about you, but I have done my share for the country. I spent eighteen years to form and set-up one of the largest IT and e-commerce organisation in Pakistan that employed 250 personnel and contributed towards bringing Pakistan onto the internet map. And by the way, Musharraf gave me a trophy for my contributions towards IT in Pakistan that included introducing the first international portal from Pakistan, setting up a fibre optic based ISP and conducting the first B2B and B2C transactions in the country with the help of the first ever internet based financial instrument in Pakistan... (Read the NAB Diaries on www.teeth.com.pk)

Five years ago my organisation was taken over by some powerful people with the help of the chairman NAB Munir Hafeez. When I fought for justice, I was harrassed and tortured. My name was put on the Exit Control List for three years. I lost all my business, my money, and finally my country and they only allowed me to leave once they thought I had no heartbeat left...( I was never charged for anything, never taken to a court and everything was done illegally)

Inspite of being married to a British national I never applied for a foreign nationality and instead gave my wife the Pakistani nationality.... and you say that I have an inferiority complex...

When we had no shelter or food inspite of having earned millions, and were being barbarically persecuted by this same army,my wife returned to the UK alongwith our daughters after eighteen years and they were given support by the british government...

I could not meet my wife and daughters for three years due to the restrictions on me but finally when they allowed me to leave - I was then given protection by the British government as well on humanitarian grounds...

Since then all efforts for justice have failed. Read my letter asking for justice addressed to the president or else requesting him to close down NAB which is being used for personal gains(letter asking for the chairman NAB to either make my case public or to resign on teeth.com.pk.)

As far as I am concerned these injustices have to be highlighted to atleast save other people from the same fate - and which is happening on a daily basis...

Alternately, if you think that the generals dont make money, that musharraf has not made money then I dont have much to say to you... and if you think that portraying the facts is wrong - then do me a favour... write to the President and the army about this... if they say I am a liar... then I will surrender to them, willingly go to a jail for discrediting the office of our President... now, is this fair...?

Whether the politicians indulge in corruption or the army is the same for me - in either case the vices have to be brought to notice... The difference between me and people like you is that my first loyality is to the common man and then to the offices of the President. In the same way, I respect the pakistan army... but not a corrupt individual who occupies the office by force and the corrupt generals who prey on the civilians and the army jawans...

I am not an enemy of Pakistan my friend - it is ignorant people like you who do not understand that the ultimate power should be the common man, the free media and the free judiciary... that this is the way...

Your comments are unjustified. Kennedy did not abduct his people, killed them, or ruled like a dictator... he headed a democracy... and please instead of quoting ayats - refrain from telling a proud pakistani who is trying to point out the injustices done to a great nation by mediocre self-serving men. Have the courage to prove that accusations are wrong instead of telling people to accept injustice...

And please spare the nation this nonsense about the people deserving this kind of leadership. Have you any idea about how decent and honest people are surviving in the country run by corrupt leaders who rule with the help of corrupt laws because that is the only way to control and loot the nation....

Do not disrespect a hardworking nation...and dont tell me not to point out wrong... instead prove that I am wrong - that what I write is wrong... this article clearly points out that musharraf has no respect for democracy, judiciary or media as well as other institutions.

Not persuing democracy since the current politicians are corrupt sounds like stupidity to me. A defeatist attitude. Now that we have a civilian government and a much more mature nation - we will hold the politicians accountable as well God willing..