Saturday, October 18, 2014

Pakistan - The PPP’s strong stance

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/
By Riaz Ali Toori
Leaders from all political parties, including the PPP, have expressed their dissatisfaction over the election results yet the PPP is supporting the government for the principal reason of endurance of democracy.
October 18 is seen as another gloomy day in the blood-ridden history of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). On this day, in 2007, after the return to her motherland filled with hope in her heart after a long exile, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed was targeted in a huge bomb attack near Karsaz in Karachi. Benazir Bhutto survived but 177 of her workers lost their lives while 600 received serious injuries. This attack on her life could not deter her highest resolve of serving the people of Pakistan. She continued her struggle unabated, eventually concluding in her martyrdom on December 27, 2007.
October 18, 2007 was, in reality, a manifestation of the condemnation by the people of Pakistan, who declined to bow down to repression, dictatorship and radicalism. It was a referendum and protest against a dictator and the mindset that had been nurtured and developed by dictators in different eras, especially during Ziaul Haq’s period. October 18, in fact, was a day for disapproving radicalism, fanaticism and terrorism, all of which have resulted in the killings of thousands of Pakistanis in earlier decades, from Parachinar to Karachi.
On that day, Benazir Bhutto was leading a caravan of millions of democracy enthusiasts who wanted to see a Pakistan with equivalent rights for everyone. “I am returning to Pakistan on October 18 to bring change to my country. Pakistan’s future viability, stability and security lie in empowering its people and building political institutions,” said Mohtarma before leaving for her much-loved motherland, Pakistan. The bloody tragedy of Karsaz was nothing but a continuation of that particular mindset in which there is the belief in curbing and killing the voices that want to raise the flag of a progressive, democratic and peaceful Pakistan. In the October 18 bomb blast, Benazir Bhutto came out alive but suffered the wounds of her workers’ martyrdom in her heart. She did not surrender her struggle but sacrificed her life. The cold-blooded forces that attacked her caravan in Karsaz attacked her again in Liaqaut Bagh, Rawalpindi, where she breathed her last.
The Bhuttos gave up their lives but never looked for a middle ground on national uprightness and the people’s rights. Aware of all the threats to her life, Benazir Bhutto chose to return to Pakistan. As a matter of fact, Benazir Bhutto was the only politician who presented a real threat to the mindset that wishes for Pakistan to be the breeding ground of extremists where they can freely carry out all their nefarious activities to achieve their ends. The mindset of Ziaul Haq is horrified by the ideology of Bhuttoism and finds all others around them to be either best associates or kind apologists.
The PPP has always remained on the hit list of extremists, both national as well as international extremist organisations that have never desired to see the PPP in power in Pakistan. Likewise, in elections in the past, when international terrorist organisations abetted parties against the PPP — like in the elections of 2013 as well — the PPP came under immense threats that led to all political parties enjoying a free hand for their canvassing. The PPP could not campaign for elections nor could it hold any big public rally.
The PPP’s leadership carries the characteristics of bravery and courage that are transferred from generation to generation. After the fearless leadership of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the PPP was led by his progressive daughter, Benazir Bhutto, who, despite being an eastern woman, typically where a female is always suppressed, she challenged the most treacherous of forces, from the heartless dictator Zia till her martyrdom on December 27, 2007.
Today, Pakistan is passing through a political impasse, deadlock and turmoil. A section of the public is on the roads, having rejected the PML-N’s mandate, alleging it to be forged and orchestrated. Leaders from all political parties, including the PPP, have expressed their dissatisfaction over the election results yet the PPP is supporting the government for the principal reason of endurance of democracy because, over and over again, democracy has been derailed and the country pushed into darkness. The only democratic government that has completed its constitutional tenure has been the PPP’s last government under the leadership of Asif Ali Zardari.
The fact is that the PML-N left no stone unturned in incapacitating the nascent democratic process during the PPP’s era. It devised a cunning plot like ‘Memogate’ to slander the PPP’s leadership and overthrow its government. However, Asif Ali Zardari, following the reconciliation policy of Benazir Bhutto, forgot what had been done to him by Nawaz Sharif in the past, travelled all the way to Raiwind, met him and extended his party’s full support for democracy. It is clear that if the PPP had not supported Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, he would have gone home two months back in the wake of these sit-ins by Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri.
In the same way, a jirga, named the siaisi (political) jirga, convened by PPP leader Senator Rehman Malik, was given the task to defuse the current political uncertainty created after the PTI and PAT protests. Senator Rehman Malik has been playing an important role and providing full opportunity to the protesting parties and government to resolve their differences on the table rather than on the roads. It was Senator Rehman Malik’s effective role that led to all roads to and from parliament being cleared and the siege was brought to an end. This shows that the politics of principles is still alive and the PPP co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, is delivering and will continue to deliver into the future carrying on his policy of reconciliation. In such a complicated situation, surely Pakistan cannot afford further volatility and a continuous deadlock when the world around is progressing fast technologically, socially, diplomatically, economically and politically. Engulfed in huge problems, Pakistan cannot afford that its future leaders be of limited ideology that fuel only domestic political gimmicks to remain in power. In order to integrate ourselves with the modern, developed world, we need leaders of international standard like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
Among today’s politicians we find none other than Bilawal Bhutto Zardari characterised by all international standards as an emerging, strong political leader. Bilawal has always vehemently condemned human rights violations and has minced no words in speaking against atrocities committed by the Taliban, something that the present political stalwarts openly refrain from. He has challenged the malicious forces that killed his mother and has put himself in danger but has not given up the trait of bravery in condemning oppression.
Today, when he is practically in politics, let us give a chance to the heir of thousands of martyrs of democracy.

Video - Benazir Bhutto's Emotional Words In Speech At Larkana

Video - PPP Song Dilan Teer Bijan

Video - Pashto Song - A Tribute To Benazir Bhutto

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's PTI govt removes secretary for unmasking Rs2 billion corruption

Umar Cheema
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has removed a provincial secretary (making him an OSD) a day after he sent a case to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of massive corruption that he unmasked in a $20 million (Rs2.052 billion) donor-funded project for the crisis-hit areas.
Muhammad Ali Shahzada, who was the secretary of industries, commerce and technical education, wrote that “disasters in fact brought bounties for the corrupt... and favoritism, nepotism and non-professional approach has defeated the purpose of grant.”
He demanded sacking of the officials under whose watch “money was sanctioned and disbursed for reasons other thanmerit” but faced removal instead.
Inspection reports that Shahzada prepared after field visits found out that no procedure was followed in sanctioning monetary assistance and the beneficiaries were not even remotely affected either by terrorism or the 2010 flood.
‘The News’ rang and sent text messages to KP Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani for recording his version but he neither returned call nor responded to the messages. Shahzada, however, confirmed that he was made OSD a day after the letter sent to NAB. He was reluctant to go into detail.
Economic Revitalisation of KP and Fata (ERKF) is a multi-donor trust fund project being administered by the World Bank. It was started for economic revitalisation of crisis-affected private business and public sector institutions with a grant assistance of 20 million dollars. The project has three components and the biggest among them having a financial allocation of 9.1 million dollars is aimed at rehabilitating affected private businesses, which was hit by irregularities.
Over a period of time, Shahzada’s notes in his letter, there have been public and institutional complaints about violation of legal parameters by provincial office of SMEDA in the process of handling and disbursing financial assistance. This provincial office is headed by Javed Khattak.
“It transpires that while administering the grant component, parameters of transparency have been violated and decisions to facilitate private business enterprises have remained absolutely subjective and without a logical base,” the letter said.
Financial assistance was granted to some businesses cited as affected by terrorism but as a matter of fact they were not among the victims. The report quoted such examples of assistance to the businesses in Kissa Khwani Bazaar, Peshawar, which include Mushtaq Printing Press, Royal Photo Studio, and Shama Photo Studio. “Physical inspection to the sites on July 4, 2014 does not support even a remote link between them and the site where bomb explosion occurred on September 29, 2013.... Even the indirect effect of crisis on these businesses is not established satisfactorily,” notes the report.
In most of the cases under reference, the report indicates, there is hardly any official report which may justify adverse effect of terrorism or natural calamity on a business. Grant Review and Management Committee (GRMC) relied more on personal wish of members and subjective criteria instead of developing and following an objective and impartial mechanism to disburse financial assistance, according to the him. He also names various mills in Swat granted financial assistance that were found closed during physical inspection. They are: Javaid Silk Mills in Barra Banda, Iqbal Brothers Silk Mills and Dagai Silk Mills. “All these mills were found closed on the day of physical inspection. Spiders have spun webs on the machinery installed in these mills,” reads the report.
In most of the mentioned cases, explains the report, the money sanctioned to buy new machines has been consumed for purchase of old stuff.
Applications accepted for issuing grants don’t bear the date of their respective submissions which makes it rather difficult to understand if the principle of ‘first come-first served’ was adhered to. It appears that intentionally a space has been created in the existing mechanism to dispose of application on the basis of personal wish than any objective mechanism, according to the report.
“Complete silence and inaction of the project management over obvious irregularities in disbursement of financial assistance is unexplainable. There hardly appears any effort to verify if disbursement is being made to the deserving and if guide lines are being followed while doing so,” according to the report.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto - Song By Syed Yasir Sanaullah

Video - Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's Speech (Power for downtrodden people)

Former President Asif Zardari’s Message on the 7th anniversary of Karsaz tragedy

mediacellppp.wordpress.com
The 18th day of October is an occasion to pay homage to the memories of those brave sons and daughters of the nation who laid down their lives and suffered immeasurably in the cause of democracy and fighting against extremism. It is also an occasion to reiterate the pledge to fulfil the mission of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The jalsa organized by the Party today in Karachi is aimed at reiterating the pledge loudly and clearly
Seven years ago on this day Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan from exile defying all odds and warnings. She decided to return because she sensed that Pakistan was faced with existential threat from the militants on the one hand and dictatorship on the other. She wanted to lead from the front the fight against dictatorship and militancy. Once she made up her mind nothing could stop her. The enemies of democracy and Pakistan and the cowards were waiting. They brutally attacked her caravan resulting in the martyrdom of nearly two hundred Party workers and democrats. But nothing could deter the party workers; indeed nothing will.
Within a year the dictator was sent home packing on August 18, 2008. The democratic journey continued resulting in the restoration, to a large extent, of the 1973 Constitution, grant of unprecedented provincial autonomy, a new NFC Award on the basis of a revised formula and the strengthening of the Parliament as the President voluntarily returned powers to the Parliament.
However, the struggle has not ended. A great threat today is from those who are seeking to assault democracy in the name of democracy itself. The fight against this dictatorial and anarchical mindset must also continue; it will. Let there be no doubt or mistake about it.
The extremists and militants and their political backers who could not stand the power of her call are continuing their attacks on the progressive and democratic forces behind the façade of religion. The battle lines draw on this day Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto have only sharpened. We will continue this battle till final victory inshaAllah.
On this day we salute the courage, devotion and loyalty of martyrs and fans of democracy who laid down their lives or were wounded while protecting Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. They have raised our hopes and steeled our determination. They are the strength of the nation. While honouring the martyrs today let us also rededicate ourselves to fighting extremism as well as the new forms and manifestations of dictatorship. Parliament is our shield against dictatorship. Let us reiterate our resolve to strengthen the Parliament.
On this day, I call upon all political workers and the nation to remember martyrs of democracy in their prayers. Let us also remember in our prayers the personnel of the armed forces, civil law enforcing agencies and the people who have made untold sacrifices in the fight against extremism.

Pakistan: ‘Baghi’ may be new Punjab governor

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/
By Asim Qadeer Rana
The government is mulling over the option of replacing Governor Punjab Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar with Makhdoom Javed Hashmi as the matter was discussed in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday.
In the said meeting, the PM reviewed the country’s political and security situation and exchanged notes with his “kitchen cabinet”. The meeting discussed the country’s overall political situation in the light of the protests and rallies being held by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as well as the recent by-election in Multan, which saw the defeat of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi.
Sources said the PM also considered the option of having Javed Hashmi appointed as next Punjab governor. The premier reportedly said he has great respect for Javed Hashmi who “did great job to save the democracy in the country”.

Video - BENAZIR BHUTTO, A TRIBUTE TO OUR GREAT LEADER

Bilawal vows to continue mission of his mother

As workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) streamed into the city from across the country for Saturday’s show of political strength, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that he has come to “continue the mission of his mother and grandfather”.
Arrangements were finalised for the PPP’s rally at Mazar-e-Quaid which will commemorate the deadly bombing on the homecoming rally of Benazir Bhutto, on October 18, 2007. Bilawal will address the gathering which is being described as ‘historic’ by PPP leaders, and kick off his political career. According to sources, Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari will also make an important announcement at the rally about his party’s future strategy.
Before shifting to his container on Friday, Bilawal addressed PPP workers and supporters from the roof of Bilawal House. It is the same but refurbished bulletproof container in which Benazir had travelled on October 18, 2007 when her massive rally was targeted with a huge bomb.
In an emotional speech, Bilawal called himself the successor of the Bhutto family and the protector of the country. “I’ve come to continue the mission of my mother and grandfather [ZA Bhutto]… It is my priority to resolve people’s issues and make this country prosperous,” he added. The PPP chairman called himself a true patriotic Pakistani and said his party was the only true democratic party in the country. “Today, as I stand on this container, I want to continue the journey to protect democratic values and strengthen the country. This journey was started by my mother on October 18, 2007,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Bilawal visited the grave of a 19th century Sindhi freedom fighter in Hyderabad district before coming to Karachi. In the sleepy village of Budho Siyal, Bilawal paid his respect to Hosh Muhammad Sheedi – the Talpur army general who had fought to the death against the British colonial power.
A large number of PPP workers and supporters have already reached Karachi from across the country. The party has arranged their accommodation at the KMC Sports Complex and other places.
“We can’t give you an exact figure, but hundreds of thousands of people from all over Pakistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan will participate in the rally which will start at 3pm,” said the secretary general of PPP’s Sindh chapter, Taj Haider. “It will be PPP’s biggest event since Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming rally in 2007, which was attacked while passing through the Karsaz area.” Special trains from Punjab, other cities of Sindh and the rest of the country carrying PPP supporters are set to arrive in Karachi today (Saturday). Over 22,000 vehicles carrying party activists will be coming from just rural Sindh, sources said.
“Around 4,000 vehicles have already reached Thatta district,” PPP MPA Owais Muzaffar told The Express Tribune on Friday. “Karachi has always been PPP’s fort and the Mazar-e-Quaid rally will prove which party is the biggest in Pakistan,” he said.
Muzaffar added that despite the attacks carried out on the PPP in the past, more than 2,000 of the party’s ‘janisars’ (diehard activists) will be providing security for the Mazar-e-Quaid gathering. “Every PPP leader is ready to sacrifice his life,” he added. A total of 150,000 chairs have been placed inside and outside Bagh-e-Quaid, and a two-kilometre area around the venue has been sealed off with the help of shipping containers.
A spokesperson for the central police office said some 22,500 policemen will be deployed for the rally’s security. Around 200 sharpshooters would also be deployed on rooftops of buildings in the vicinity, he said. “The venue of the rally and all routes leading to it will be monitored by the police through CCTV cameras,” the spokesman added.

Pakistan: Jiyalas head to Mazar-e-Quaid for PPP's grand show

As the day of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) rally dawns upon Karachi, crowds from different parts of the country make their way to Mazar-e-Quaid where party patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto is due to speak to his supporters, Express News reported Saturday.
All preparations for the rally – which will mark the anniversary of Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming in 2007 - have been finalised.With thousands of supporters travelling to Karachi to attend the rally, strict security measures have been taken to avoid any untoward incident in the city.
Over 150 walk-through gates have been installed on the way leading to the venue while a check post has also been set up at the mausoleum.
With Bilawal scheduled to speak at 3pm, the PPP rally is expected to be the biggest party gathering since the one in 2007.

Pakistan: Oct 18 occasion to pay homage to martyrs of democracy

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/
Former president Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday that October 18 (today) is an occasion to pay homage to the memories of those brave sons and daughters of the nation who laid down their lives and suffered immeasurably in the cause of democracy and fighting against extremism.
Zardari said it is also an occasion to reiterate the pledge to fulfil the mission of Benazir Bhutto. He said the sit-in being organised by the party today (Saturday) in Karachi is aimed at reiterating the pledge loudly and clearly. “Seven years ago on this day Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan from exile defying all odds and warnings. She decided to return because she sensed that Pakistan was faced with existential threat from the militants on the one hand and dictatorship on the other.”
Zardari said BB wanted to lead from the front the fight against dictatorship and militancy.
“Once she made up her mind nothing could stop her. The enemies of democracy and Pakistan and the cowards were waiting. They brutally attacked her caravan resulting in the martyrdom of nearly two hundred party workers and democrats. But nothing could deter the party workers; indeed nothing will.”
The PPP leader said within a year the dictator (Pervez Musharraf) was sent home packing on August 18, 2008. The democratic journey continued resulting in the restoration, to a large extent, of the 1973 Constitution, grant of unprecedented provincial autonomy, a new NFC Award on the basis of a revised formula and the strengthening of parliament as the president voluntarily returned powers to parliament.
“However, the struggle has not ended. A great threat today is from those who are seeking to assault democracy in the name of democracy itself. The fight against this dictatorial and anarchical mindset must also continue; it will. Let there be no doubt or mistake about it.
The extremists and militants and their political backers who could not stand the power of her call are continuing their attacks on the progressive and democratic forces behind the façade of religion,” Zardari said. He added that the battle lines drawn on this day by Benazir Bhutto have only sharpened. “We will continue this battle till final victory, inshaAllah.”
The PPP co-chairman said that on this day “we salute the courage, devotion and loyalty of martyrs and fans of democracy who laid down their lives or were wounded while protecting Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto”. He said “they have raised our hopes and steeled our determination. They are the strength of the nation. While honouring the martyrs today let us also rededicate ourselves to fighting extremism as well as the new forms and manifestations of dictatorship. Parliament is our shield against dictatorship. Let us reiterate our resolve to strengthen the Parliament”.
“On this day, I call upon all political workers and the nation to remember martyrs of democracy in their prayers. Let us also remember in our prayers the personnel of the armed forces, civil law enforcing agencies and the people who have made untold sacrifices in the fight against extremism.”

Pakistan : Bilawal to address supporters: Stage set to launch Bhutto scion into practical politics

The stage has been set to launch the young chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, into practical politics when he establishes his first direct contact with the masses by addressing a public meeting at Bagh-i-Jinnah adjacent to the mausoleum of the Quaid-i-Azam on Saturday.
The meeting would be a show of strength of liberal and progressive forces and break all previous records of political rallies held so far in the metropolis, said Sindh PPP president and Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, a founding member of the PPP, who reached Karachi from Mirpurkhas at the head of a big procession, said the public meeting would on the one hand reaffirm the PPP’s commitment to the federation and on the other energise the party’s rank and file.
PPP senator Saeed Ghani said the enthusiasm shown by people in the rally proved that they had complete trust in Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s ability to accomplish the mission left incomplete because of his mother’s assassination — the mission of strengthening democracy and creating a society based on social justice.
He said the number of people to attend the public meeting could be easily gauged from the reports that people from the interior of Sindh alone were coming in 25,000 four-wheelers while 3,000 buses had been arranged in Karachi to help people to reach the meeting venue from different parts of the city.
He said that they expected a million people would come who would fill the ground to capacity and necessary arrangements had also been made on adjacent roads for the spillover.
The over 35-acre ground, according to Sindh PPP Information Secretary Syed Waqar Mehdi, could easily hold an estimated number of 350,000 people. Six standby generators had been arranged to ensure lighting in case of a power breakdown, he said.
Twelve multimedia screens and over a thousand speakers had been installed so that people did not face any difficulty in viewing proceedings and speeches, he said.
He said that all vehicles would be parked two kilometres away from the meeting venue and people would have to walk to it while a special enclosure had been made for journalists and their vehicles would be parked at Nishtar Park.
All participants would have to pass through walk-through gates after undergoing thorough body search. The outer security had been given to police and Rangers and the movement of people would be monitored through closed-circuit television cameras, he said.
Five entry points have been designated at the venue — three for men, one for women and one for VIPs’ movement — while the entire area has been closed by containers. Bomb disposal teams and fire brigades will be available until the conclusion of the meeting, according to Mehdi.
The party has tried to infuse enthusiasm among people with regard to the public meeting by setting up reception camps across the city where party workers were seen dancing to the tunes of party songs and anthems.
Besides, rallies were taken out over the past two days by PPP activists from all parts of the city on motorcycles holding party banners, portraits of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Mr Bhutto-Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
Party flags, hoardings and banners have been put up along the main arteries of the city, at the roundabouts and at vintage points. The party secretariat and the nearby roundabout have also been illuminated profusely.
‘Mmother’s mission’
PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that he is an heir of martyrs and is ready to finish the incomplete mission of his mother.
“The PPP is people’s power and symbol of the federation and by ascending this truck we are starting the caravan of democracy for the protection of democracy,” said Mr Bhutto-Zardari while inaugurating the “Karwan-i-Jamhooriyat Truck” on Friday at Bilawal House which would take him to the venue of the public meeting at Bagh-i-Jinnah.
When he climbed the truck the party workers cheered him by raising slogans of “Ya Allah Ya Rasool, Benazir Bequsoor; Charon Soobon kee Zanjeer, Benazir and Jiye Bhutto, Jiye Benazir”.
He said the journey was started by her mother on Oct 18, 2007, on returning from a long exile and “… now we’ll accomplish her mission”.
He said: “All those who live in Pakistan are our people, people of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa are my shoulders, Balochistan is my dignity and those in Punjab are my life while people who live in Sindh are my power.”