Category — Politics

A lot of us have seen the video on GEO TV, Express News etc of the ex-Chief Minister of Sindh Arbab Rahim getting treated in an insulting manner. From getting pushed around to being called names, to actually getting a shoe hit on his head, Arbab Rahim seems to be facing considerable humiliation at the hands of ‘normal’ people.

Almost every commentator on TV has condemned such acts of uncivilized behavior from the people toward Arbab Rahim. And I agree.

But where was the media and the commentators when Arbab Rahim, in his capacity as CM, was slapping around ‘normal’ people? This is what is called tit-for-tat.

As I write I am watching political events unfolding in Zimbabwe and this is truly historic. It will go down in history for Zimbabwe and Africa, as historic.

The fact that the ruling Zanu-PF have lost the majority in Parliament after having been in power since independence suggests that the winds of change are beginning to take root in Southern Africa.

Just a few months ago, and with the country reeling with 140 000% inflation and 80% unemployment, one could not even imagine that a scenario such as that currently being played out could ever be a reality.

The delays in the announcements of the various results have suggested massive rigging or a getting together to negotiate a peaceful transition of power. I tend to think that this is a negotiation for a graceful exit. 

I concern myself more about the Mugabe hoodlums that have assisted him in sucking the economy. Mugabe may arrange a safe removal from power, but what about his ‘entourage’ of apologists?

Zimbabweans are, by nature, a peace loving and non-violent people. I see a post Mugabe era in which Mugabe would be allowed to live in relative comfort and respect as was allowed Mr Ian Smith(Prime Minister of Rhodesia prior to independence).

The road to recovery will be a long and winding journey and my own opinion is that, Zimbabwe will never be the same again. The ability and the work ethic of the white man cannot be overemphasised. They have proved it in many aspects of daily life in Zimbabwe that it needs that type of commitment to get things done.Sadly, the blacks do not have that type of selfless commitment. Nevertheless, it is great news that we are now seeing history being made in Zimbabwe and I hope that we will have a better future. 

As I sit 10 000km away from the land of my birth and of which I am very proud, I cannot over emphasise the feeling of “pre-emptive ecstacy” in a possible major upset in the recently concluded elections in Zimbabwe.

I amke the assumption that the peoples voice will be allowed to stand and that Robert Mugabe will relinquish power after 28 years, most of which has been satisfactory but which has brought mass trauma for the population of Zimbabwe, both within and outside. Just the thought that this may well be a probability within the next 24 to 48 hours fills my eyes with tears of joy. Even if it does not happen. Its just the joy of the ’hope’ that that feeling brings me.

This is a population that has been collectively raped for 8 years and who are now in real terms so poor, that it will take a great deal of hard work to get back to some form of respecatbility. I am also proud to say that Zimbabweans are hard working and are able to handle the challenges that lay ahead.

The international community, of which Pakistan has been a part, has chosen to overlook the desperation of that once prosperous nation, by not supporting sport boycotts against the regime. We are disappointed at the lack of compassion that has ben shown around the world and yet the super powers felt it necessary to spend US$1 million a second on the war on terror and yet not concern themselves about the freedom and “democracy” they keep wanting to export around the world in a country that would have required almost negligible international fund support to be allowed to carry on in peace. 

Zimbabwe had the best education record in Africa, including South Africa, of 96% of the population. It was considered the bread basket of Southern Africa and was the second largest producer of Burley tobacco and coffee in the world behind Brazil. We had a commercial farming community that was able to stand amongst the community of nations with their heads held high in the knowledge that they were productive and efficient. We had a road and communications network was second in Africa only to South Africa. We had a country of which we were extremely proud and it has ben rubbed into the dirt.

But we will rise again! With or without the support of the Western/International community, we are able to pick ourselves up and get back to our rightful position. I salute my countrymen for having to endure such pain for so long. The light at the end of the tunnel shines bright. Pamberi ne Zimbabwe! Makorokoto! Amhlope!

The long waiting game has finally come to an end as Pakistan People’s Party spokesman Mr. Babar announced on Saturaday March 22nd, 2008 that Mr. Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has been nominated as the parliamentary majority’s choice to be Pakistan’s next Prime Minister.

Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani: our new Prime Minister, the present Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, former Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan (1993-1996) and former Federal minister (1985-1988) is set to take oath on March 25th, 2008 (God be willing).

“Mr. Gillani, a journalism graduate from Punjab University in Lahore, has spent most of his life in politics, first in the Pakistan Muslim League-N, and then in the more populist Pakistan Peoples Party. He was minister with portfolios including railways, housing and environment.

He served four and a half years in prison on charges of having put too many people on the payroll when he was Assembly speaker, though he was not convicted, said his brother, Ahmed Mujtaba Gillani. Some of his prison term, which ended in 2005, coincided with Mr. Zardari’s 11 years in prison on corruption charges.”

PPP Senior Vice Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim on Saturday congratulated Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani on being named the party’s nominee for the post of prime minister. Although he was not consulted on Gillani’s name for nomination, he exclamied.

So let’s just hope that our new PM will prove himself fit for this job and take this country in the right direction. And we wish our new PM good luck for the good of our country.

As ever, we have our fingers crossed!
Cheers!

PPP’s Dr. Fehmida Mirza, has been elected as the eighteenth but first lady speaker or ‘Madam speaker’ of National Assembly of Pakistan. Asrar Tareen received 70 votes whereas Fehmida Mirza received 249 votes. She took oath under 1973 constitution, administered by former NA speaker Ch. Ameer Hussain. First Pervaiz Elahi, later Makhdoom Ameen Faheem and Makhdoom Javed Hashmi welcomed the first lady speaker in the Parliament House.
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Pakistan’s first lady speaker, Fehmida Mirza was born on December 20, 1956 in Karachi, is an agriculturist and business woman by profession and is politically affiliated with the PPPP. She was previously elected MNA in 1997. She did her M.B.B.S degree from Liaquat Medical College, Jamshoro in the year 1982. Married, with two sons and two daughters, she has travelled to U.S.A, U.K, Canada, Switzerland, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

Now lets see what kind of job the ’speaker’ of the National Assembly has to perform.

The Speaker’s is the highest office of the National Assembly of Pakistan. He presides over the Session composed of the people’s representatives elected on the basis of universal franchise. The Speaker is second in the line of succession to the President and he occupies fourth position in the Warrant of Precedence, after the President, the Prime Minister and the Chairman of Senate. In addition, the Speaker is the spokesman of the House to the outside world, and is non-partisan in his approach. In order to exercise the great authority that stems from the respect, affection and consideration which every Member of the House bestows upon the holder of this high office, the Speaker shows complete impartiality in the discharge of his functions. When the National Assembly is dissolved he continues in his office, till a new Speaker is elected.

Now lets just hope that our very own First Madam Speaker will be able to handle rowdy parliamentarians (sadly, it’s just an inconvenient truth i guess), maintain law and order in the assembly, and keep herself fit to discharge her future duties.

Wish her good luck everyone!

I have always considered ‘activists’ to be cool people. People who have found a drive, a purpose, a channel for their energies, thoughts and actions. I not only sometimes think they are cool, I also think they are lucky, having found a cause to struggle and fight for. Nothing gives peace and tranquility more than a well-directed, well-oriented life/lifestyle.

Probably one of the main reasons I am biased toward activists is that I am not one. So the curiosity gets the better of me, I guess. And when today, after eventually casting my vote for NA-125 (Lhr Cantt), I walked out of the polling station, I had that eerie feeling that, ‘yes, I have played my part.’ I call that eerie because I never thought I would bother that much, come election day, but there I was, walking out of the polling station with a smile on my face and a blue mark on my thumb.

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‘They’ tried it when she landed. ‘They’ got the desired affect but seemingly missed. This time around, not only did ‘they’ bombed the area but opened fire as well. The details are not available as to how the firing took place ‘after’ the 4kg explosive went off, but one thing is now a certainty: the first Muslim lady prime minister of the World and twice prime minister of Pakistan is dead.

Every so often, we hear about ‘the moment when everything changes for all times to come’. Right now, it is that moment.

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