Sunday, September 9, 2018
"په چندو ډیمونه نه جوړېږي" - #ڈیمز_پر_سیاست_بندکرو - #DamsForPakistan
د پاکستان وزيراعظم عمران خان په مشرۍ د تحريک انصاف
حکومت په هېواد کې د ډېم جوړولو لپاره پر خلکو د چندو ورکولو غږ کړی دی او د دې لپاره يې وزيراعظم فنډ جوړولو اعلان کړی دی.
د سپريم کورټ ميا ثاقب نثار وار له مخه له خلکو د چندو راټولو لپاره يو فنډ جوړ کړی دی. د وزيراعظم او چيف جسټس له خوا د ډېمونو جوړولو لپاره د چندو اعلان په پاکستان کې يو تود بحث رامنځ ته کړی. ايا په چندو ډېم جوړېدای شي او که څنګه؟
د پاکستان نوی حکومت د يو شمېر نورو ستونزو ترڅنګ په سمدستي توګه له اقتصادي بحران او د اوبو او انرژۍ له کړکېچ سره مخامخ دی.
د اقتصادي ستونزې د حل لپاره حکومت د پیسو نړيوال صندوق یا ای اېم ايف څخه د پورونو اخېستو خبره کړې ده خو د اوبو د کمښت د مخنيوي لپاره يې د ډېم جوړولو چېلنج په غاړه اخېستی دی.
د کارپوهانو په وينا، د يوه ډیم پر جوړلو د اندازو له مخې له ۱۲ څخه ۱۶ اربه امريکايي ډالر لګښت راځي چې پاکستان يې نلري.
حکومت د دې حل دا سنجولی چې د جمعې په شپه وزيراعظم عمران خان قام ته په خپله وينا کې پر ولس غږ وکړ چې د ډېم جوړولو لپاره ورته چندې ورکړي.
خو د انرژۍ او اقتصادي چارو پوهان فکر کوي چې په چندو دومره لويه منصوبه سر ته نشي رسېدلای.
په دوی کې يو هم په پېښور انجيرنګ يونيورسټۍ کې د انرژۍ لپاره د امريکا او پاکستان د ګډ مرکز استاذ پروفيسر ډاکټر عبدالباسط دی.
نوموړي د سېپټمبر پر نهمه مشال راډیو ته وويل چې چندې خلک هڅولی شي خو د ډیم لګښت نشي پوره کولای.
هغه زياته کړه، حکومت به اړ وي چې د بند جوړولو لپاره له نړيوالو بانکونو لکه ورلډ بانک يا ايي اېم اېف څخه پور وغواړي.
عمران خان په خپله وينا کې په بهرنيو هېوادونو کې مېشت پاکستانيانو باندې غږ وکړ چې هرکس دې زر زر ډالره د ډېم فنډ ته ورکړي.
خو د اقتصادي چارو خبريال اکرام هوتي بيا په دې نظر دی چې په کومه اندازه چې پر بند خرڅ راځي هغه د چندو له لارې نشي پوره کېدلای. دده په خبره، په دې لاره کې دويمه ستونزه د چندو راټولولو پروسه کې شفافيت دی.
د نوموړي په وینا داسې يو طریقه کار نه دی جوړ شوی چې له مخې یې خلک ډاډه شي چې دا پیسې به نه غلا کېږي.
د اقتصادي چارو ځينې کارپوهان دا هم وايي چې حکومت بايد له خلکو د چندو راغونډولو پر ځای حکومتي خرڅې کمې کړي.
د اقتصادي چارو پوه ډاکټر قيصر بنګالي مشال راډیو ته وويل، حکومت له پکار دي چې غيرترقياتي خرڅونه کم کړي او هغه پر پرمختيايي کارونو ولګوي چې پکې ډیم هم راځي.
عمران خان په خپله وينا کې دا وېره ښودلې وه چې که بند جوړ نه شو نو ښايې تر ۲۰۲۵ م کاله پورې پاکستان له وچکالۍ سره مخامخ شي.
هم دې ستونزې ته په کتو سره د پاکستان سپريم کورټ چيف جسټس شاوخوا شپږ مياشتې وړاندې د دیامير بهاشا او مومندو ډېمونو جوړولو لپاره له خلکو چندې غوښتې وې چې د عمران خان په خبره تر اوسه پکې يو ارب اتيا کروړه روپۍ جمع شوې دي.
د چندو راغونډولو دې رفتار ته په کتو، اکرام هوتي فکر کوي چې که حکومت تر راتلونکيو شپږو کلونو پورې د چندو مهم ته دوام ورکړي نو دده په اندازه ممکن ده زيات څخه زيات ۵۰ اربه روپۍ راغونډې کړي چې دده په خبره د ډېم يا بند جوړولو لپاره کافي نه دي.
How the U.S. Government Misleads the Public on Afghanistan
By ROD NORDLAND, ASH NGU and FAHIM ABED
Seventeen years into the war in Afghanistan, American officials routinely issue inflated assessments of progress that contradict what is actually happening there.
What U.S. Government Says
What Military Analysts Say
The Taliban controls or
contests 61% of districts.
The Taliban controls or
contests 44% of districts.
AFGHANISTAN
By The New York Times | Sources: Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (U.S. government data); FDD’s The Long War Journal (analysts’ data)
Notes: U.S. government data is as of May 15, 2018, and analysts’ data is as of May 16, 2018. District boundaries are as of 2014.
More than 2,200 Americans have been killed in the Afghan conflict, and the United States has spent more than $840 billion fighting the Taliban insurgency and paying for relief and reconstruction. The war has become more expensive, in current dollars, than the Marshall Plan, which helped to rebuild Europe after World War II. That investment has created intense pressure for Americans to show the Taliban are losing and the country is improving.
But since 2017, the Taliban have held more Afghan territory than at any time since the American invasion. In just one week last month, the insurgents killed 200 Afghan police officers and soldiers, overrunning two major Afghan bases and the city of Ghazni.
The American military says the Afghan government effectively “controls or influences” 56 percent of the country. But that assessment relies on statistical sleight of hand. In many districts, the Afghan government controls only the district headquarters and military barracks, while the Taliban control the rest.
On paper, Afghan security forces outnumber the Taliban by 10 to 1, or even more. But some Afghan officials estimate that a third of their soldiers and police officers are “ghosts” who have left or deserted without being removed from payrolls. Many others are poorly trained and unqualified.
What U.S. Government Says
What Afghan Officals Say
25,000
to 60,000
Taliban
207,000
Afghan forces
314,000 Afghan forces
77,000
Taliban
By The New York Times | Sources: Lead Inspector General for Overseas Contingency Operations; SIGAR; Fatiullah Qaisari and Shayestabaz Nasiri, members of the Defense Committee of the Afghan Parliament
The Afghan government says it killed 13,600 insurgents and arrested 2,000 more last year — nearly half the estimated 25,000 to 35,000 Taliban fighters an official United States report said were active in the country in 2017. But in January, United States officials said insurgents numbered at least 60,000, and Afghan officials recently estimated the Taliban’s strength at more than 77,000.
With the status of the battlefield looking grim, American officials say that at least the coalition has improved Afghan living standards — although often they use exaggerated claims there, too.
The most blatant example may be maternal mortality, one of the most important indicators of a society’s health. In 2002, American officials reported that 1,600 Afghan mothers died for every 100,000 live births, a rate comparable to Europe during the Middle Ages. By 2010, the United States Agency for International Development said the rate had improved drastically, falling to 327.
What U.S. Government Says
What Health Researchers Say
2,000
1,575 women die for every 100,000 live births
1,000
327 women die for
every 100,000 live births
0
1980
2000
2018
1980
2000
2018
By The New York Times | Sources: USAID; British and Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group
Researchers noted that not since the world discovered antibiotics has any nation seen such a big improvement in maternal health. The long-running security and development challenges Afghanistan faces are factored into health researchers’ estimates of maternal mortality. The British and Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group cited a study indicating that 1,575 women died out of 100,000 births in 2010. Other estimates cited by the group put the figure at 885 to 1,600 of 100,000 — meaning that nearly one in a hundred Afghan women will die giving birth. The rate in the United States is 24 in 100,000.
USAID points to a similarly drastic improvement in life expectancy, to 63 years in 2010, up from 41 years in 2002. But the figures were adjusted to ignore a high death rate in early childhood, which skewed results.
What U.S. Government Says
63 yearsAfghan life expectancy
What Health Researchers Say
48 yearsAfghan life expectancy
The World Health Organization, meanwhile, estimated in 2009 that Afghan life expectancy was 48 years. Even the C.I.A. does not agree with USAID’s number, estimating in 2017 that Afghans typically live to age 51.
The strategic city of Ghazni in southeastern Afghanistan was overrun last month by the Taliban, who took everything but a few government facilities. The local authorities denied there was any problem, telling President Ashraf Ghani only late on the third day how serious it was, officials said. They did regain control from the insurgents, but only after six days, and at the cost of nearly 200 police officers and soldiers killed. Throughout, the American military led the chorus of denial.
What U.S. Government Says
What New York Times Reporting Says
Day 1, Aug. 10, 2018
“Initial reports indicate minimal Afghan security force casualties. This is yet another failed Taliban attempt to seize terrain.”Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, chief spokesman for the United States military in Afghanistan
More than 1,000 Taliban insurgents launched an offensive against the city of Ghazni shortly after midnight.
Day 2, Aug. 11, 2018
The Afghan government said it was in control of Ghazni. “The city was relatively quiet Friday evening ... clearing operations are ongoing and sporadic clashes are occurring.”Colonel O’Donnell
Taliban were seen in control of every city intersection. Fighting appeared to be spreading to districts bordering Ghazni.
Day 3, Aug. 12, 2018
The Afghan government continued “to hold their ground and maintain control of all government centers. Tactically, operationally and strategically, the Taliban achieved nothing with this failed attack.”Colonel O’Donnell
The Taliban appeared to be in control of most of the city. More than 100 Afghan police officers and soldiers are confirmed dead.
Day 4, Aug. 13, 2018
“Ghazni City remains under Afghan government control, and the isolated and disparate Taliban forces remaining in the city do not pose a threat to its collapse as some have claimed.”Colonel O’Donnell
Taliban insurgents took over most of the rural areas of Ghazni Province, even as they battled over control of the provincial capital.
Day 5, Aug. 14, 2018
“What we observed as these Afghan-led operations drove a large portion of Taliban from the city over the last day or so, was the retreating Taliban attacking the more vulnerable surrounding districts, which Afghan forces are reinforcing.”Colonel O’Donnell
After the Taliban’s brief seizure of the city, the insurgents were reported to be pulling out of Ghazni. Residents said there were large numbers of bodies in the streets and the river.
The end of the siege
“I do not have an updated statement at this time.”Colonel O'Donnell when asked if the United States military had any revised assessment of the situation in Ghazni the previous week
Relying on the support of United States and Afghan special forces, government officials regained control of most areas. At least 165 soldiers and 65 civilians were reported dead.
#Pakistan - یہ کوئی اور نہیں، ہم خود ہیں
ٹی وی لگا کر کوئی ٹاک شو دیکھ لیں، کسی محلے میں تھڑے پر بیٹھ کر گفتگو کر لیں، اپنے ڈاکٹر سے بحث کر لیں، گھر کے ڈرائنگ روم میں دوستوں سے گپ شپ کر لیں، عام آدمی سے پوچھ لیں، کسی کالج میں نوجوانوں کے گروپ سے سوال کر لیں، سرکاری اہلکاروں کو کٹہرے میں کھڑا کر کے باز پرس کر لیں ،سیاست دانوں کے بیانات پڑھ لیں، جیل کے قیدیوں سے پوچھ لیں، تاجر برادری سے سوال کرلیں،مولوی حضرات کی رائے لے لیں یا پھر سوشل میڈیا میں سروے کر وا لیں..... آپ کو کچھ اِس قسم کی ملی جلی آوازیں سنائی دیں گی کہ ہم سب ملک کی ترقی و خوشحالی چاہتے ہیں، قائداعظم ہمارے رول ماڈل ہیں، حرمت دین کے لئے جان بھی حاضر ہے..... وغیرہ وغیرہ۔ مگر مجھے آج تک یہ سمجھ نہیں آئی کہ جس ملک کا ہر شہری ملک کی محبت کا دم بھرتا ہو، جس ملک کے سکولوں میں قائد اعظم اور علامہ اقبال بچوں کو نصاب میں پڑھائے جاتے ہوں، جس ملک میں کروڑوں عاشقان رسول ﷺ بستے ہوں، جس ملک میں تمام ٹی وی چینلز صبح شام ملک کو مسائل کے گرداب سے نکالنے کے لئے پروگرام کرتے ہوں، جس ملک کی ہر محفل میں یہی بحث ہوتی ہو کہ پاکستان کیسے ترقی کرے گا، جس ملک کے اعلیٰ تعلیم یافتہ نوجوان اپنے سوشل میڈیا پروفائل پر true Pakistaniلکھ کر فخر کرتے ہوں، جہاں کے تارکین وطن اپنے ملک کے لئے تن من دھن قربان کرنے کو تیار ہوں اور جہاں اعلیٰ سطح پر مسائل کا ادراک بھی ہو اور اُن مسائل کو حل کرنے کی صلاحیت کا دعویٰ بھی..... اُس ملک میں پھر وہ کون لوگ ہیں جو بجلی کے کُنڈے ڈالتے ہیں، جو گلی محلوں میں کوڑے کے ڈھیر لگاتے ہیں، جو سڑکوں پر ڈنگر وں کی طرح گاڑی چلاتے ہیں، جو پلاٹوں پر قبضہ کرتے ہیں، جو لوگوں کے گردے نکال کر بیچتے ہیں، جو کم سِن بچوں پرڈنڈے برساتے ہیں، جو دفتروں میں رشوت دیتے اور لیتے ہیں، جو دواؤں اور کھانے پینے کی اشیا میں ملاوٹ کرتے ہیں، جو تھانوں میں بے گناہ لوگوں پر تشدد کرتے ہیں، جو اختیار کا ناجائز استعمال کرتے ہیں اور جو طاقت میں اندھے ہو کر قانون کو روند ڈالتے ہیں! ہم سب تو بہت اچھے اور محب وطن شہری ہیں اور کروڑوں کی تعداد میں ہیں ..... تو پھر یہ کروڑوں لوگ کون ہیں جو دن رات ہماری آنکھوں کے سامنے قانون کی پامالی کرتے ہیں، کیا یہ کسی اور سیارے کی مخلوق ہے؟ یقیناً نہیں۔ یہ ہم خود ہیں ۔
یہ ہم ہی ہیں جو ٹی وی چینلز پر دن رات قانون کی بالادستی کے بھاشن دیتے ہیں مگر ’’یہ نہیں جانتے‘‘ کہ اُنہی میڈیا ہاؤسز نے باہر آدھی سڑک غیرقانونی پارکنگ سے قبضے میں کی ہوئی ہے، یہ ہم ہی ہیں جو خود کو proud Pakistaniکہتے ہیں اور ساتھ ہی غلیظ گالیاں بک کر اپنے محب وطن ہونے کا ثبوت دیتے ہیں، یہ ہم ہی ہیں جو رسول اللہ ﷺ سے عشق کا دعویٰ تو کرتے ہیں مگر آپ ﷺ کی بتائی ہو ئی تعلیمات پر عمل کرنے کو تیار نہیں، یہ ہم ہی ہیں جو قائداعظم کو رول ماڈل کہتے ہیں مگر قائد کی کسی ایک بات کو بھی اپنی ذات پر لاگو کرنے کو تیار نہیں، یہ ہم ہی ہیں جو پڑھ لکھ کرشوخ و شنگ ڈگری حاصل کرتے ہیں مگر گنواروں کی طرح سڑک پر گاڑی چلاتے ہیں، یہ ہم ہیں جو کوڑا گھر کے باہر پھینک کر سمجھتے ہیں کہ اب اسے اٹھانا حکومت کا کام ہے، یہ ہم ہی ہیں جو بجلی چوری کرتے ہیں اور پھر اسی سانس میں حکومت کو کوستے ہیں کہ ملک میں ناانصافی کیوں ہے، یہ ہم ہی ہیں جو اندھا دھند پانی ضائع کرتے ہیں اور پھر دعویٰ کرتے ہیں کہ پاکستان سے ہمیں بہت محبت ہے، یہ ہم ہی ہیں جو نماز پڑھنے کے بعد سیدھا اپنی دکان میں واپس جاتے ہیں اور اللہ کی قسم اٹھا کر جعلی مال بیچتے ہیں، یہ ہم ہی ہیں جو اپنی سوشل میڈیا پروفائل پر قرانی آیات لگا کر بہتان تراشی سے بھی باز نہیں آتے، یہ ہم ہی ہیں جو فرانس میں حجاب پر پابندی کو سیکولرازم کے اصولوں کے منافی کہہ کر آسمان سر اٹھا لیتے ہیں مگر اسی اصول کے تحت اپنی اقلیتوں کو آئین میں دیئے گئے جائز حقوق دینے کو تیار نہیں، یہ ہم ہی ہیں جو اس ملک میں غربت پر ماتم کرتے ہیں مگر اپنے کارخانوں میں مزدور کو اُجرت بھی بیگار کی طرح دیتے ہیں اور یہ ہم ہی ہیں جن کے عقیدہ ایمان میں صفائی شامل ہے مگر چاروں طرف پھیلی (ظاہری اور باطنی) غلاظت کو دیکھ کرنہیں کہا جا سکتا کہ ہم میں سے کوئی بھی صاحب ایمان ہے!
پاکستانی سوسائٹی کا اِس وقت سب سے بڑا مسئلہ منافقت ہے۔ منافقت میں اب ہم اُس درجے پر فائز ہو چکے ہیں جہاں ہمیں منافقت کا احساس ہی نہیں ہو رہا، ہم خود کو درست سمجھتے ہیں، اپنے ہر عمل کی توجیہہ ہمارے پاس ہے چاہے وہ عمل خلاف دین ہو یا خلاف قانون، ہمیں اِس بات کی پروا نہیں، جس چیز کو ہم اپنی ذات کے لئے نفع بخش سمجھتے ہیں اُس کا حصول ہمارے لئے جائز ہے، اگر کوئی بات ہمارے کسی نام نہاد نظریئے کے مطابق درست ہے تو ہم اُس کی تاویل کہیں سے بھی تلاش کرکے اُس کو صحیح ثابت کرنے کے لئے اڑ جائیں گے مگر یہ تسلیم نہیں کریں گے ہم غلط بھی ہو سکتے ہیں ۔مثلاً ہم میں سے کچھ لوگ ایسے ہیں جنہوں نے گزشتہ چند برسوں میں بغض معاویہ میں ایک مخصوص بیانئے کی اندھا دھند حمایت کی، میڈیا پر حالیہ بندشیں غالباً اس بیانئے کی حمایت کا نتیجہ ہیں، اگر آپ گاڑی میں پٹرول ڈال کر لاہور موٹر وے سے اسلام آباد کی طرف جائیں گے تو اسلام آباد ہی پہنچیں گے، کابل نہیں (واضح رہے کہ کچھ لوگ میڈیا کی آزادی کی حقیقی جنگ لڑ رہے ہیں مگر اُن کی تعداد آٹے میں نمک کے برابر ہے) اسی طر ح جو لوگ قائداعظم کو ایک آئیڈیل سیاست دان مانتے ہیں وہ قائد کی بتائی ہوئی اُن باتوں کو ماننے کو تیار نہیں جو انہوں نے اقلیتوں کے باب میں سمجھائی تھیں، وہ قائداعظم کی زندگی کا رنگ ڈھنگ اپنانے کو بھی تیار نہیں، تو پھر رول ماڈل کاہے کا، ہر دو صورتوں میں یہ منافقت کی معراج ہے۔ دراصل ہم لوگ تضادات کا مجموعہ بن چکے ہیں، ایک ہی سانس میں ہم کسی ایک بات کا دعوی کرتے ہیں اور پھر اسی سانس میں ہم اس کے بالکل برعکس عمل کرتے ہیں، ہمارا دین ہمیں صفائی کا درس دیتاہے، حسن اخلاق کی تعلیم دیتا ہے، ایمانداری کا سبق سکھاتا ہے، مگر حال ہمارا یہ ہے کہ حج کرنے جاتے ہیں تو اضافی سامان چھپا کر لے آتے ہیں تاکہ پی آئی اے کو اِس کا جرمانہ ادا نہ کرنا پڑے۔
جس حج فلائٹ سے ہم واپس آتے ہیں اُس میں گندگی کے ڈھیر لگا دیتے ہیں اور جو بندہ ہماری بات سے اختلاف کرے اور جواب میں کوئی دلیل نہ ہو تو اسے گندی گالیوں سے نواز کر بتاتے ہیں کہ ہم کتنے ’’دین دار‘‘ ہیں ! اس ملک میں جس گروہ، لیڈر، تجزیہ نگار اور لکھاری نے مذہبی تنگ نظری کو فروغ دیا اور اپنا چھابہ لگا کر محض اس لئے یہ سودا بیچا کہ اُس وقت یہ اُن کے مفاد میں تھا، اب وہی تمام لوگ اِس پر ماتم کناں ہیں کہ ہائے ہمارا یہ مطلب تو نہیں تھا، قائد کا پاکستان ایسا تو نہیں تھا، ہمارے پاکستان میں تو اقلیتوں کے حقوق تھے، اب کیا ہوگا..... اب جو ہونا تھا ہو چکا، یہ ہم ہی تھے جنہوں نے اپنے مفاد کے لئے یہ سب کچھ کیا تھا، جو بویا تھا وہی کاٹنا پڑے گا۔
#Pakistan's Ahmadi Muslims - #AtifMian - Surrendering to bigots
By Ghazi Salahuddin
Friday, September 7, 2018 was a day of shame. Dr Atif Mian, as PTI leader Faisal Javed Khan tweeted, “was asked to step down from the Advisory Council and he has agreed”. We know that this act of cowardice was prompted by the protest against the nomination of an Ahmadi on the Economic Advisory Council.
Now, imagine the coincidence that September 7 is the anniversary of the passage of the second amendment in the constitution of Pakistan. This happened in 1974, though the dark passions that this issue has aroused are somewhat of a recent origin.
One searing milestone in our journey into the lower depths of humanity was the assassination of Salmaan Taseer on January 4, 2011. There is a touch of a Greek tragedy – and also a certification of our insecurity – in the fact that the murderer was one of his own guards, professionally and morally bound to protect him. Add to this the ignominy of that person who fired the shots becoming a hero or some kind of a saint.
But we need to focus on this week’s saga of Atif Mian and the meaning of what has happened in the context of the decision-making process of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s new government. The message that has been delivered is to be deciphered carefully. The most significant feature of this episode is that only three days before, this government’s official spokesperson, Fawad Chaudhry had valiantly vowed that “we should not bow down to extremists”.
In light of what has happened, we should ask the PTI to remove ‘naya’ from its logo because it has quickly landed into ‘purana’ Pakistan. All that talk about ‘tabdeeli’, at least on this front, has withered away in the first flurry of harsh winds. So, they have not done things any differently from previous regimes.
Ah, but there is a big difference. The PTI should have known what was coming because it was fully aware of Atif Mian’s religious orientation. On the face of it, there was a resolve to confront bigots and socially regressive political elements on the professed grounds of merit and the constitutional edict of minorities being equal citizens of the country.
Yes, the challenge was formidable. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) of Khadim Hussain Rizvi has demonstrated both its street power and the patronage it receives, if you bear in mind that Faizabad Interchange sit-in in Islamabad. At the same time, Imran Khan has painstakingly cultivated the image of a fighter who can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Here was an opportunity to take on a big band of extremists and win against them, irrespective of the bloody battle that could be necessary. That would change the country’s ideological sense of direction and truly herald a ‘naya’ Pakistan that is modern and enlightened.
After all, Imran Khan draws a lot of his support from the modern, urban sectors and the educated youth, mainly women. But another problem is that the PTI, like many other parties, had cynically played the Khatam-e-Nabuwwat card against the PML-N on the issue of a change in the oath for Muslim members of the National Assembly. Besides, the PTI represents various shades of political and ideological opinion. There is, for instance, the information minister in the Punjab government. He plays the role that Captain Safdar played in the PML-N, meaning that he can be very obnoxious. Be that as it may, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry’s bravado on Tuesday was short-lived. In contrast to the confidence with which Fawad defended the choice of Atif Mian, the removal of the economist of global recognition from the Economic Advisory Council was revealed in a rather surreptitious manner when Faisal Javed tweeted early Friday morning. Fawad did (sheepishly?) defend it in his tweets but all seemed quiet and no top PTI leader seemed willing to speak his or her mind.
However, this was a bombshell for all forward-looking and progressive Pakistanis everywhere. This, by any measure, is not an ordinary development. It rattles one’s confidence in the intellectual and moral credentials of a party that has no reason to feel vulnerable. On Thursday, Imran Khan was the chief guest in the Defence Day ceremony held on the lawns of the GHQ. This was a veritable show of strength that was not facilitated for any other civilian leader.
So, when I learnt that the prime minister was to speak to the nation in the evening, the only guess I could make was that he would explain the Atif Mian embarrassment. As we know, he did not play ball. Sadly, I do not have the space to comment on what he actually said. This plan to crowd-fund a major dam also bears some evidence of how this government is struggling to find its feet and is not able to understand the complexity of governance.
In the same vein, the speech that Imran Khan made at the GHQ also demands meticulous analysis. It is interesting that he dismissed the civil-military divide as a myth, unmindful of the unfortunate history of Pakistan. In any case, the outcome of all this is that Imran Khan was not able to stand up for an appointment he had himself made.
It goes to Atif Mian’s credit that he has graciously accepted a decision that has unfairly dragged his name into controversy. One of his tweets: “For the sake of the stability of the Government of Pakistan, I have resigned from the Economic Advisory Council as the Government was facing a lot of adverse pressure regarding my appointment from the Mullahs (Muslim clerics) and their supporters”. Asim Ijaz Khwaja, a Harvard economist, was also appointed a member of the council. This was his tweet: “Have resigned from EAC. Painful, deeply sad decision. Grateful for chance to aid analytical reasoning but not when such values compromised. Personally as a Muslim I can’t justify this. May Allah forgive/guide me & us all. Ever ready to help. Pakistan Paindabad”. They were then followed by another member of the council, Imran Rasul.
This is what has happened within the first month of the new PTI government that was ushered into office by unbounded promises. Meanwhile, where do we locate the country that was founded by Jinnah and what has happened to the dream he had dreamt about religion not being the business of the state?
#Pakistan's Ahmadi Muslims - #AtifMian - The #PTI’s bigotry
Well, that did not take long. Just two days after the Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry took to the airwaves to demonstrate that the PTI has a spine, defending its decision to appoint Atif Mian to the Economic Advisory Council (EAC), the government showed its true colours by backtracking and declaring that Prof. Mian has been asked to step down from the EAC. For those who have not been following the news, the facts of what happened this week make for incredibly depressing reading; Atif Mian, a world-renowned economist of Pakistani origin currently based at Princeton University, was appointed to the EAC considering his impeccable credentials, only for the decision to be met with a storm of disapproval. The problem with Prof. Mian’s appointment was not his suitability for the post, which is beyond question, but because of his faith. The fact that Prof. Mian is an Ahmadi automatically disqualified him from holding any public office in the eyes of the more reactionary elements of Pakistani society, who wasted in no time in kicking up a fuss on social media. As the controversy spread, sixteen senators belonging to opposition parties, including the MMA, the PML-N, and the PkMAP, signed a resolution condemning Prof. Mian’s appointment, and Khadim Rizvi’s TLP was predictably quick to issue threats of its own.
When Fawad Chaudhry first declared that upholding the rights of minorities was the responsibility of any Islamic republic, many ‘liberals’ and PTI supporters rightly congratulated the government on taking a stand against the religious bigotry and hatred that has increasingly become a part of mainstream discourse in Pakistan. Following the ugliness of the past few years, in which the veneration of Salmaan Taseer’s killer Mumtaz Qadri, and the use of the issue of Khatam-e-Nabuwwat to pressurize governments and discredit politicians, Chaudhry’s statement in defence of Atif Mian was an unexpected step in the right direction. However, those surprised by the government’s U-turn on this issue should not be; as has been argued by many observers over the years, Imran Khan and the PTI have long displayed a willingness and, indeed, desire to accommodate and cooperate with the forces of religious extremism in Pakistan. For years, Imran Khan has been accused of nurturing a soft spot for the Taliban, extremists who he has referred to as ‘our estranged brothers’. During the Musharraf years, Khan abstained from a vote on a Women’s Protection Bill that sought to address the loopholes in the notorious Zia-era Hudood Laws, choosing to align himself with the Jamaat-i-Islami and the JUI-F on this issue rather than supporting a combined opposition that worked with the government to have the law passed. More recently, Khan portrayed himself as a champion crusading against blasphemy, joining some of his electoral candidates in falsely accusing the PML-N of questioning the finality of prophethood due to that party’s role in passing an Elections Bill that slightly altered the oath taken by lawmakers that compels them to declare their belief in Khatam-e-Nabuwwat. Just last week, Shah Mehmood Qureshi shared a platform with representatives from the TLP as the government took credit for the cancellation of contest to draw blasphemous cartoons in the Netherlands.
These and other instances indicate a pattern of behaviour that should make one thing very clear; while the PTI may have some ‘liberal’ leaders and supporters, its conduct has always demonstrated a lack of desire to effectively confront or tackle the extremism enveloping Pakistani society. Indeed, it is telling that this most recent capitulation to the forces of religious bigotry was not even prompted by anything near the mass protect and opposition previous governments have endured; where the PML-N, for example, was brought to its knees after a month-long sit-in by the TLP at Faizabad, the PTI has chosen to surrender in the face of a small storm on Twitter!
Perhaps most damning of all, however, is the language used by Fawad Chaudhry to justify Prof. Mian’s removal from the EAC. Citing Imran Khan’s statement that his inspiration for the perfect state comes from early Islamic Medina, Chaudhry claimed that the PTI and the cabinet could not be anything but individuals wholly and completely committed to the defence of the finality of prophethood, thereby sending a very clear and disturbing signal to Pakistan’s minorities: they are not welcome in government, will always be seen as second-class citizens, and will inevitably be judged more on the basis of their faith than their achievements of any contribution they might make to society.
Imran Khans cheerleaders in social media are currently going through the usual mental gymnastics to defend the indefensible. The more honest ones openly admit that they think the PTI did the right thing, while others have taken to saying that this all part of the mythical strategy the Prime Minister has for slowly mainstreaming and then moderating religious extremists. The truth is far simpler and far uglier; the PTI and Imran Khan have never stood for progressive values and have no evident interest in pushing back against the religious bigotry and hate.
The first month of the PTI’s government has so far inspired very little confidence. At present, the government seems to be paralyzed, either incapable or unwilling to sit down and make decisions about anything. From the economy to the reform of the bureaucracy, all that we have seen so far is carefully choreographed statements and gimmicky stunts accompanied by the usual campaign rhetoric of change, with little in the way of actual policy. The only area in which the government has been active is in the advertisement of its ‘Islamic’ credentials, first with the Dutch cartoons and now with the appointment of Prof. Mian to the EAC. These are not good portents for the future, and do not bode well for the fight against extremism. Moreover, the PTI has also demonstrated that its stated commitment to ‘meritocracy’ is little more than empty words. There are few people in the world, let alone in Pakistan, who were as qualified to be on the EAC as Atif Mian, and his removal from this body on grounds that have nothing to do with his expertise is Pakistan’s loss, just as it was when the same sequence of events played out with regards to Prof. Abdus Salaam, Pakistan’s first Nobel laureate. All the PTI has done is tell the world that the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is so insecure about its faith and identity, it will join the ranks of some of the most repressive regimes in history by denying basic rights to some of its citizens just because they happen to believe in the wrong god or profess the wrong faith. The PTI and its enablers are no different from the bigots, racists, and fascists they rightly accuse of committing atrocities against Muslims around the world.
#Pakistan's Ahmadi Muslims - #AtifMian - 'Disappointing': Imran Khan's ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith slams Pakistan govt over Atif Mian's removal
Jemima Goldsmith, the UK-based former wife of Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan, has launched a scathing attack on her ex-husband's government for withdrawing the nomination of noted economist Atif Mian from a newly-constituted economic panel "because of his minority faith".
Goldsmith (44) who is prolific on social media, tweeted her disappointment at Khan's apparent bowing to far-right pressure to remove Mian over his Ahmadi faith.
Ahmadis are designated non-Muslims in Pakistan's Constitution and their beliefs are considered blasphemous in most mainstream Islamic schools of thought. They are often targeted by the extremists and their places of worship vandalised.
She said:
Indefensible & v disappointing. New Pak gov asks renowned & respected Prof of economics to stand down because of his Ahmadi faith. NB: The founder of Pakistan, “Quaid-I-Azam” appointed an Ahmadi as his Foreign Minister.
Goldsmith, a leading columnist and campaigner in the UK, went on to re-tweet a second message in reference to this, which quoted Jinnah from 1947 when Pakistan was created as a result of Partition with India.
"You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state," Jinnah's quote reads.
Goldsmith, who has two sons with Imran, had been among the first to congratulate him on his victory in the general elections but had also sounded a note of caution in her Twitter message back in July.
"It's an incredible lesson in tenacity, belief and refusal to accept defeat. The challenge now is to remember why he entered politics in the first place. Congratulations."She said at the time: "22 years later, after humiliations, hurdles and sacrifices, my sons' father is Pakistan's next prime minister.
The sister of Conservative party MP Zac Goldsmith is known for her outspokenness.
The attack on her ex-husband's methods comes in the wake of mounting criticism of the Imran-led government for giving in to extremist pressures by withdrawing the nomination of the leading economist because he belonged to a minority faith.
The move triggered resignations from other members of the Economic Advisory Council, including London-based economist Dr Imran Rasul, who said he "profoundly disagree(s)" with the circumstances in which Mian was asked to resign from the council.
"Basing decisions on religious affiliation goes against my principles, or the values I am trying to teach my children," he said.
Earlier, Dr Asim Ijaz Khwaja, professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, had also announced his decision to resign from the advisory council in protest.
The first meeting of the recently reconstituted 18-member council was presided over by Imran on Thursday.
With the resignation of Rasul, all three international economists of Pakistani-origin on the council are no longer part of the advisory body.
Succumbing to pressure from the hardliners, the Pakistan government on Friday withdrew the nomination of noted economist Mian from the newly-constituted Economic Advisory Council, according to media reports.
Mian, an Massachusetts Institute of Technology-educated Pakistani-American economics professor at the prestigious Princeton University, was recently named member of the 18-member EAC to advise the government on economic policy. He is the only Pakistani to be considered among International Monetary Fund's list of 'Top 25 brightest young economists'.
His appointment embroiled in a controversy after it was opposed by several individuals and groups, including the hardline Islamist party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), who objected to his Ahmadi faith.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/imran-khans-ex-wife-jemima-goldsmith-slams-pakistan-govt-over-atif-mians-removal-calls-it-disappointing-5146871.html