bloggingwomenpakistan

Must listen Tarana

farrah, k.raja — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:38:16 +0000

Well while I was browsing I came accross this tarana .I was surprised to listen to it after a very long time.The music is great and it suggests that as if it is a War Anthem.

In fact it is not ,it is about mobilising the whole society,standing against all injustice,challenging everything wrong and standing up for right.

Men and women together,marching on,fighting the evils of society .Also it carries the message of social equality,justice ,freedom independance,strength,struggle of life and of course biggest of all SELF DEFENCE and self reliance.

I am just thinking best humour in Urdu was written by some of the army men.Shafiq-ur-Rehman’s Hamaqtain and Mazeed Hamaqtain are two books full of commic situations and a soldier flirting with life.

Captain Ishfaq Hussain’s Gentleman Bismillah,Gentleman Alhamdulillah were good reads as well.

23 March ;I stand with my Army

farrah, k.raja — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:38:45 +0000

I do take pride in Pakistan Army ,the only institution in Pakistan which is organised ,diciplined and follows rules and regulations.
Pakistan army has done so much apart from saving country during political termoils.Deserts,Mountains,border areas,everywhere Pakistan army has built roads,bridges,schools and thus from the very start has been very active in building and providing infrastructure.
Above is a tarana I used to listen on PTV when I was a child and I like it.Glad Pakistan army has progressed and provides a strong Defence.Recently when I look at Afghnaistan ,Iraq and Palestine ,I have become even more proud of them.
Pakistan Army must not fail,people of Pakistan have no hopes on politicians but all the bets on Pakistan Army.
The world must know,today they wish to downsize our army but Pakistan Army ,including the Air Force and Navy has a huge support from people.
With Pakistan Army,Pakistan is in Safe hands.
I am proud that Pakistan army has served as a peace keeping force around the world .
Wars must be avoided ,a soldier is a human being as well.He has a house,he has a child ,he has a family and he has a right to life as well.
Politicians must avoid war and must stop creating crises.
Brave are the people who lay their lives for their countries ,who die in the line of duty.
A soldier and a teacher must be respected and cared for at all times.
Long Live Pakistan Army.

Bush policey forced countries to comply unfortunately Pakistan was one of them as well.

farrah, k.raja — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:13:55 +0000

LONDON: The British government knew two Britons facing criminal charges were tortured in Pakistan but did nothing to stop it, lawyers said on Tuesday, echoing allegations of official complicity in abuse of terrorism suspects overseas.

Reprieve, a UK-based group of human rights lawyers, said Naheem Hussain, 24, and Rehan Zaman, 25, faced the death penalty in Pakistan after being arrested on a visit to the country and tortured to confess to a murder they say they did not commit.

Naheem Hussain’s father Fazal, who was arrested along with the pair in 2004, told a news conference in London he and the two were beaten, kicked and hung from ceiling hooks, and British diplomats were aware of the abuse but did nothing to stop it.

‘What this case demonstrates is a complete casualness about really vicious torture,’ Fazal Hussain’s local parliamentarian Clare Short said of the response of the British authorities.

She said Britain had failed ‘to take any action to protect a British citizen subjected to torture to get them to make a false confession to an offence that carries the death penalty.’ ‘Any British person who travels should be very frightened by that…The family have been through hell.’

Fazal Hussain, 56, was eventually released in 2005 after being diagnosed with diabetes and jaundice and returned to the UK, where he has launched a campaign for the men’s release.

There was no immediate response to email and phoned requests for comment to the Pakistani High Commission (embassy) in London.

Reprieve director Clive Stafford-Smith said the British government had told him it had had instructions from a lawyer hired by the Hussain family to ‘keep quiet about the torture.’

‘What we need is a very independent review about how the government could accept (such) a statement … when it is a criminal offence to cover up evidence of torture,’ he said.

Stafford-Smith said Britain had a duty to address torture allegations made by its citizens under the UN Convention Against Torture and other instruments of international law.

A Foreign Office statement said it had been in touch with Rehan Zaman and Naheem Hussain since their arrest in 2004 and it took any allegations of mistreatment or torture seriously.

‘We actively sought their agreement through their legal representatives to raise their allegations with the Pakistani authorities. We were requested by lawyers for the individuals not to pursue this with the Pakistani authorities,’ it said.

‘Without the agreement of the individuals concerned it is UK policy not to follow up allegations of torture or mistreatment with foreign governments.’

The British government is under fire separately from rights groups for its refusal to release evidence on the alleged torture of an inmate at the Guantanamo Bay camp, and for its complicity with the United States in the secret detention of terrorism suspects. – Reuters

Sherry Rehman;A woman of substance

farrah, k.raja — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:04:59 +0000

Sherry for the first time has convinced me she is not only a pretty face with sense of good dressing and spoken skills but listen to what “The News ” had to report about her stand,She has professional ethics and guts.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
By By Rauf Klasra

ISLAMABAD: Insiders have now given the sequence of the dramatic events, which led to the resignation of a defiant Sherry Rehman followed by elevation of Qamaruz Zaman Kaira as the information minister.

Sherry had developed a serious problem with Rehman Malik after she felt that he was encroaching upon her powers and trying to run her ministry. As if this was not enough, Sherry and Rehman Malik exchanged hot words in the presence of their colleagues, when one of the ministers, in a lighter tone, passed an indecent remark about their simultaneous arrival at a particular gathering.

Rehman Malik was said to have told the minister, who passed that remark, that Sherry Rehman was his “Aapa” (elder sister). This comment of Rehman Malik, which meant that Sherry was older than him, greatly provoked Sherry, who could not hold herself and passed serious comments against Rehman Malik about his old age. Both the ministers then exchanged hot words.

This occurred in the backdrop of concerns Sherry Rehman had about the regular interference in her ministry by Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer and Rehman Malik as she thought they were running the show on her behalf.

Sherry had told her colleagues in the government that she would resign if the government resorted to crackdown on the media. This resolve of Sherry was published in newspapers. In this background, the transmissions of Geo were banned on the orders of President Zardari. This move greatly disturbed Sherry.

She made a late night call to Taseer, but the Punjab governor reportedly snubbed her. He told Sherry that she was hitting the wrong man, as the things, which she was accusing him of doing, were actually being done by Rehman Malik.

Both Sherry and Taseer also exchanged hot words, as Sherry felt that she was simply being let down and ignored, and these arrangements were not acceptable to her. She believed that irrelevant people were taking important decisions without her knowledge. Even a top Pemra official, who is usually used for arm-twisting television channels on occasions, was quietly flown from Karachi to Islamabad. Sherry came to know about his presence in Islamabad through her own sources in the Ministry of Information.

Once Sherry was convinced that she had become a powerless minister and was being used as a rubber stamp, she decided to resign. She gate-crashed in an ongoing meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani at the presidency.

The unannounced entry of Sherry Rehman greatly surprised both the president and the prime minister, as they were supposed to talk one-on-one. However, a furious Sherry told both of them that she needed to talk to them on some important issues.

Gilani was said to have tried to tell an agitated Sherry that their meeting was going on and it would be appropriate for her to wait for some time. But, a determined Sherry said she just needed five minutes.

Before Gilani could say anything, an uneasy Zardari abruptly told Sherry: “OK, please start talking, as you have five minutes.” To the surprise of both of them, all of a sudden, Sherry Rehman dropped a bombshell and said: “I am resigning from my ministry.” Even before Sherry could explain the reasons behind her dramatic decision, Zardari, made a crisp comment: “OK, Sherry, your resignation has been accepted. You may go now.”

Later, Sherry Rehman, along with her husband Nadeem Hussain, met Gilani at the Prime Minister House. Gilani was said to have offered Sherry to become the women’s development minister after her resignation from the Information Ministry. But a genuinely hurt Sherry told him that the shifting of her ministry would bring more shame to her.

The media circles lauded the decision by Sherry to call it a day. This was a rare development in Pakistan where nobody wants to give up power and position. A senior journalist said Sherry created respect for the journalist community.

Meanwhile, a meeting started in the Prime Minister House about who should be the new information minister. The names of Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, Dr Babar Awan and Khursheed Shah were considered.

Sources said President Zardari conveyed to the prime minister that Senator Waqar Ahmed would be a suitable choice for the slot.Gilani, however, did not agree, as he believed the young man from the NWFP was not a proper choice for such a sensitive job in the given explosive situation.

The name of Dr Babar Awan was also dropped after it was learnt that he was hospitalised and the government could not wait for him to recover, keeping the fast changing political developments in view. The name of Khursheed Shah was also rejected by President Zardari.

Finally, the sources said, a consensus was reached on the name of Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, who was considered to be more vocal, articulate and logical in his conversations. It was decided that Kaira might be a better choice, as his performance on the television talk shows had been much better than the rest of his PPP colleagues and his cool temperament might help the government deal with the media in a better way.

Moreover, it was also believed that the PPP government needed someone like Kaira, who might not object to regular interference in the affairs of his ministry by Rehman Malik and Taseer, who were said to be dealing with the media-related issues through Pemra.

Sherry and Geo two Casualities of the March 2009

farrah, k.raja — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:15:12 +0000

Geo TV is the most popular channel in Pakistan. It has become a victim of its own viewership. It is an example of sensationalist and biased story coverage anti government .Always promoting and highlighting the negatives and wrong doings of the government. It is good but than healthy criticism provides answers, solutions and balanced view which is so absent. Its hosts and anchor persons show personal vengeance against the people in government. While a true journalist never shows his personal likes or dislikes .Journalism is a job best done without any emotions?
The press in Pakistan over all has appreciated Sherry’s resignation. I think it was un-necessary. First she herself was a journalist and representative of PPP spirit. She was a woman at a very important position.Zaradri did her huge favour when she had a huge personal feud with Shahid Masood.To abandon PPP and Zardari when they needed her most raises a lot of questions.
I think it is a personal failure at many levels.
I presume she knew before hand that this March will take place and how Nawaz and Co will go ahead and what to expect of Geo news. Did she send any reminders? Did she hold any PR campaign? Did she assure the March participants and the covering media the concerns of government? If there is a gross miss-conduct on behalf of Geo she should have filed a case against them.
This would have ensured two massive pillars Judiciary and media to deliver to freedom of speech.
It would have set examples fro the rest.
Journalist community has appreciated her stand because they are ever so afraid and threatened by all governments .The plugs can be pulled off at any time.
Geo definitely needs to look at its policies and should be thankful to the Pakistan Governments that they have not taken them to courts. The sooner it is done the better in the interest of public and the profession of Journalism.
Well Sherry no room for emotions neither in politics, nor in Journalism .With your departure what ethics did you introduce to the Pakistan Journalism and what service did you provide to PPP?
Well! The March itself raises the same questions, what is it going to achieve? What are the aims of March? I hope all the Marchers will get to home in one piece and reflect over what was the March about? What change were they expecting? What was the aim? What were the goals? What were they pursuing.
Mr.Nawaz this is the last March after this people will loose all hope in change .Are you ready for that.? Army would not intervene
and so called elite politicians will die their own death.

Who will be responsible for loss of life?

farrah, k.raja — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:29:27 +0000

How would Nawaz compensate for loss of life and loss of livelihood of people?
Mr.Zardari think again ,bring a solution.

One Way Ticket to The Moon.

farrah, k.raja — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:12:35 +0000

What do you see two women or a horse?

This is the political scene of Pakistan.There is no crises and yet a storm in the tea cup is brewed and also please note no woman is part of it.

To be honest I am not surprised at what ever is happening in Pakistan at present .I have seen this game for so long that I am tired.I am missing Benazir ,although her government was disolved twice but she never brought caos to the country which Nawaz and Zardari has brought.She never challenged Nawaz ,not because she was a woman but because she was a politician ,she knew for her survival as a politician she needs to work with him.She knew she could not work without Democracy and for Democracy a strong opposition is necessary.She also knew Nawaz was better opponent than army.Perhaps Musharraf realised that as well,that is why he allowed these politicians back in the country.

There was hostility between Benazir and Nawaz,both were young and Chrismatic,Benazir was Ultra wire but she never underestimated Nawaz neither tried to manipulate him.Just a worthy oponent and that was a fair game.That is why although Nawaz was the Chief Minister of Punjab but her tenure was successful.Her government was not brought to an end by Nawaz.

I think a true politician is the one who sees the crises before it happens and avoids the crises.A mature politician likes to take a back seat as well .

What I see in Pakistan at present is a TUG OF WAR between two egoistic people .Zardari and Nawaz,both of them lack maturity and wit.It is a common bizzare tactic of Power Show ,to bring people to the streets.To be honest it is vulgar and I am ready for all nasty surprises?

Journalists ,Writers everyone has helped to escalate the situation instead of downplaying it or convincing both the parties to break a deal among themselves.

Lawyers have lost the dignity as well by joining hands with Politicians .

What will be achieved by this March?Civil disobedience is used against who I think maybe when we used it against English Masters it was appropriate but I do not understand why we have to use it against a political party which has a strong position in the centre.

I believe their is no crises in Pakistan only both the leaders Nawaz and Zardari along with Chaudhry Brathran should be exported out of country.

A new governement should be formed by picking up people from all parties ,people who are not aggressive ,dominating and believe in team building and team work.I like Shah Mahmood Qureshi,I also like the present Ambassador to UK ,we can have senior journalists like Dr.Maliha Lodhee was an excellent choice .Senior Lecturers and Teachers will also make good team.Also people who have got manegerial skills from private sector.Journalists ,Retired army men,civil servants,judges, etc will make good team.

The lead and the built up to the March if turned ugly,I hope army has some emergency plan.Only one institution which has intelligence,wits and decipline to handle crises.I hope Gen Kiyanni would not fail us.

These politicians should be disqualied for life.If I can predict something I see only Bilawal Bhutto a sole winner of elections in next six to seven years.I do not see why we should give another chance to Zardari and Nawaz.Mr.Zardari ,no offence neither to you and nor to Nawaz but Sir the crises you two have created is bigger than yourselves.No one is indispensible and Pakistan is far more precious and its people are far more intelligent and capable than to dance to your tunes.Shake hands or get ready for the one way ticket to the MOON.

My special recommendation is Fatima Bhutto in the next scenario.

Faroque Abdullah ,a traitor tells where to take the bullet from him

farrah, k.raja — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:12:31 +0000

Musharraf was better :N K Narayan

farrah, k.raja — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:59:40 +0000

Gen Musharraf ;Two questions I would like to ask?

farrah, k.raja — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:36:50 +0000

Gen Musharraf took a very bold decision to visit India .Considering particularly last six months of verbal hostility between the two Nations ,taking place in the media and people’s mind.

The questions and the concerns raised were genuine but audience was hostile, for example starting to laugh and clapping for sentimental outburst of immature people who appeared to be sophisticated which I find in-appropriate.

Musharraf knowingly stepped into it maybe thinking can bridge the gap. Most of the questions put to the General were actually political statements from stereo type India, questions like Daood Ibrahim , like Farooq Abdullah on Kashmir and a Maulana preaching on the freedom and Equality of Muslims of India.

The prejudice , with which Musharraf was approached and attacked by various people representing various sections of Indian society were all blind to their own contribution to the hatred and war mongering.

If they would have tried to approach issues genuinely they might have built a bridge.

None the less Musharraf did his bit for Peace and Reconciliation in the region.

The Questions I would like to ask Musharraf after recent Indian visit:

Do you have any regrets that your family migrated to Pakistan?

Did you notice any difference between the India of today and of 1965 & 1971?