A Reason For Change

Dear Mr. Khan

An excellent piece, but as always you tackle so many issues instead of focusing on a one or two and give the kind of through analyis you seem capable of giving it. It was gratifying to read the analysis of Pakistani politics; immaturity and ideological committment that mark the politics of confrontation. Some time back, Mr. Aqil Shah made the point that the duty of the polician and political parties was to ``grab power`` - with such ``values`` animating institutions and individuals competing for public space - democracy has been hobbled.

If you would please comment on the relationship between values and change - seems to me that if our values reflect a mentality that sees rewards, even conscience in confrontation instead of concensus, we shall continued to have immature institutions and leadership.

Pakistanis need to think about values and their relationship to change. What is individualism in the Pakistani context, what should democracy mean?, simply elections? or a corrective feedback system? What is the function of a politician and political party? is ``grab power`` an acceptable answer? if not, why not? Should the state be involved in funding and administering economic enterprizes?

``... government can ensure that Pakistan has a fertile democratic soil by implementing a program of social justice, which will eventually led to economic reforms and these economic reforms will, gradually, translate into sustainable political changes in the country based on the resourcefulness and the self-interest of the Pakistani people to succeed...``

What are these programs of ``social justice``? which economic reforms? what political changes?What about reforms in the structure of the State itself?

You make your point in a valid, yet roundabout way. However, a couple of typos...

It`s Horatio for Nelson

and it`s Reid for the shoecide bomber

Feroz:

…(shaking me head)..you are insufferable as ever…ah…why do you always pick a large canvas and then paint with a needle…

[…state of Pakistan tolerated and even, in some instances, encouraged the prevailing anarchy in Karachi…]

---what do you mean by state?…who is on the ‘bridge’?…the army, politicians, feudals, bureau-techno-crats?…nah forget it…too rhetorical…but one thing is for sure…we have mastered the art of divide and rule from our past masters and fine tuned it…through state/government/establishment/agencies…the irony and the misfortune is that the more they divide us through their machinations (sindhi language card, baluchis, mqm, paakhtoon-punjabi axis, jiay sindh, the haqiqis) the less tolerant and governable we become…predictably leading to the law and order dilemma you speak of…this may well be our Achilles heel…a not that perrenial bone of contention in the north-east…

…more digressions on law and order…

…depending on whom you speak to…there IS law and order or there isn’t…dooming the privileged minority…law and order rates higher than economic concerns for many Pakistanis… the kalashnikov culture flourished…where the citizens felt they could not get recourse to justice through normal channels…the army and successive political governments found little incentive to provide rightful and proper judicial remedies to its citizens…in fact they were in the forefront to abuse the law themselves whenever they found it opportune…

rgds,

t

Actually, the Government of Pakistani is very much like Nelson in just one aspect.

It turns a Nelson`s eye toward all the ills you have enumerated.

Rdesikan: ``Shoecide``??? Like Homicide is killing of an individual, and Suicide is killing of ones own self, so Shoecide must be the killing of the shoe. Isnt killing of innocent people bad enough that these religious nuts have to start attacking innocent shoes as they go about the sidewalk minding their own business!!

harimau ji...methinks you`re the one who turns a blind eye to quite a lot, especially reality. Wake up and smell the coffee, and the crap that surrounds you. Or is it that your eyes are not the only problem?

Pakistan has and has had its problems, and will as long as structural/social changes are not made, but puhleeze, it`s time to stop acting so bloody self-righteous, and think that India is this perfect entity, and that the government and politicos can do no wrong. Once you do that, then perhaps what you post here will actually make some sense, and you may even be taken seriously. Now wouldn`t that be a novel concept?

...With apologies to fellow Chowksters for breaking my promise to myself and sinking sooo low as to respond to Harimau..

Re TAhmed321 # 4

``Shoecide must be the killing of the shoe.``

Guruji, in this case it is the sole that died..

Subroto

Subroto:

Ouch! Whats the penalty for making such awful puns? No matter, its still funny!

re subroto

May its sole rest in peace. and of course, my condolences to the sole survivor [of the other foot]

ISI was involoved to the extent that they were trying to cover up their paid monsters (who were out of control by then). Beyond that, they were not involved.

Khan Sahib, just one suggestion:
I had wanted to read this writing of yours
Since it showed up here but length remains an issue with me (Itni Fursat Nahin hai) and it
continues to be a part of your delivery style.
Most Papers in the US do not accept any opinion
pieces of more than 900 words. Some will go up as
high as 1800. And there is a reason for it.
Your 3500 or so words here were well put together but could you not have said the same thing with half of the word count?

Anyway you wrote:

``The government needs to reverse the elder Bhutto’s folly by denationalizing the economy and allowing the market forces to determine the scope of investment and the direction of the economy in Pakistan.``

Granted that the halfway Socialist model did not work in Pakistan but to privatize what and sell to whom?
Musharraf`s (or any other Government`s) main challenge in Pakistan is and will remain Law
and Order. Without that no outsider will be willing to buy anything at a decent price.

Ras

….feroze, ever thought of working for the pak. gov’t?….no, seriously…..

Re: Ras

Ras, I mentioned the folly of Bhutto just to annoy you! I knew that your PPP blood would start to boil, when I mentioned your idol`s mistake and like a knight tilting at windmills, you would rush to defend your favorite role model!

As to the lenght, if memory serves me, you once mentioned that you do not read articles beyond a certain lenght and I guess, this is my way of making sure that you do not read my articles! LOL

Ciao

Congrartulations to ROMAIR

Today the 121st and 122nd of the serving Generals of Paksitan Army were promoted from their previous ranks of Brigadiers. With this army of generals no wonder we have been able to moon Indians at the border for the past month and a half.

Salaam Brothers in Islam,

I am new to chowk. I am from India and I want to make friends from all over. My Email address is

rockercaca@yahoo.com. Personally I married Hindu lady after converting her to Islam. Slowly and steadily we can convert entire India to Islam. I tell you brothers that day is not too far away when all the temples in India will be masajid, and the Khilafah will reign supreme from Morocco to Burma. Allah hu Akbar.

re: # 15

…sigh…just when you thought it was safe, another farangi/hamzad afaqui reincarnation....