Education should be Pakistan's top priority

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Pakistan's government has failed to provide its people with primary education, but for the country's long-term stability it's more important than spending on defence and security
A few months after the earthquake hit Pakistan in 2005, I toured the devastated town of Batal in the north where a community owned primary school had been rebuilt with donations from overseas. Inside the only functioning classroom located on a hillside, girls and boys of varying ages were seated together behind tiny desks. The boys all wanted to grow up to be doctors, the girls all wanted to be teachers.

A community elder, Ghulam Jan, who had donated his land for the building of the school, told me: "Our time is over ... We want our children to study so that they can become something when they grow up."

This plea has been echoed by communities in struggling coastal towns in the south to remote mountain valleys in the north of Pakistan. Wherever I have gone to cover stories from sea intrusion to glacier melt, I have heard the same demand – we want schools for our children; we want them to have better lives. But the community in Batal is just one of the lucky few to have a functioning primary school for its children.

For more than 60 years now, the government of Pakistan has failed abysmally to provide its people with primary education; a basic right enshrined in article 25A of its constitution which assigns the state with providing free and compulsory education to all children aged between five and 16 years. A recent report written by the Pakistan Education Task Force, a non-partisan body that includes representatives from the federal and provincial governments and NGOs, paints a dismal picture of the state of education in the world's sixth most populous country.

The report, Education Emergency Pakistan, was published in March, before David Cameron's recent visit to Pakistan where he announced £650m in aid for education. The report says that about 10% of the world's primary school-age children who do not attend school live in Pakistan. In the global ranking of out-of-school children, Pakistan is in second place.

"Pakistan is crippled by an education emergency that threatens tens of millions of children," the report says. "The economic impact of the education emergency is as expensive as a flood every year," according to the report. Last summer's extensive floods caused about $10bn worth of damage, including destroying or damaging a thousand schools.

To make matters worse, the Pakistani government is yet to announce its reconstruction strategy. The delay has meant that urgent rebuilding and recovery work has barely started eight months after the flooding, according to Oxfam.

Given such a bleak situation, any money that will go towards education is more than welcome, and Cameron's promise of aid, which is to be spent on 4m primary school places and 90,000 teachers will go a long way in improving the situation, provided the money is channelled through trustworthy organisations such as the community based organisation that built the school in Batal. At the moment, however, it appears that the funds are to be allocated to the provincial governments where the fear is the money might just slip through the cracks of poor governance.

The report also notes the striking gender disparity in schooling in Pakistan. Fewer than half of Pakistani women have had any formal education. The figure is even worse in rural areas, where just one in three women has ever attended school. For most families, the archaic thinking is that girls must marry and look after their husbands and in-laws, so why bother wasting precious money on their education? According to the report, there is "zero chance" that Pakistan will reach the millennium development goal for education by 2015.

"This is not just another emergency declared, this is a matter of Pakistan's survival," said Shenaz Wazir Ali, a member of the national assembly and co-chair of the Education Task Force, who also served as the head of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

The government has allocated less than 1.5% of the country's GDP for education. Cameron made it a point to criticise Islamabad for spending only 1.5% of its national income on education and asked it to improve its tax revenues.

Perhaps more important, the Pakistani government has to get its priorities right. Pakistan spends almost all its resources on defence and state security, leaving aside little for education. If it really wants improve its long-term security it should be pouring money into education, which – as David Cameron pointed out – is actually the best antidote to terror.

‘British responsible for Kashmir’

British Prime Minister David Cameron has held his own country responsible for many of the world’s historic problems, including the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan. Cameron’s remarks came during his one-day visit to Pakistan on Tuesday, when he was asked at a university in Islamabad as to how Britain could help to end the row over Kashmir.
“I don’t want to try to insert Britain in some leading role where, as with so many of the world’s problems, we are responsible for the issue in the first place,” The Telegraph quoted Cameron, as replying.

His remarks about Kashmir were greeted warmly by the Pakistani audience, but drew accusations from historians that the premier was wrongly apologising for Britain’s past.

Daisy Cooper, the director of the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit, said: “This is typical of the UK’s schizophrenic relationship with former colonies where it is both proud and embarrassed about its past.

Scientists find superbugs in Delhi drinking water

A gene that makes bugs highly resistant to almost all known antibiotics has been found in bacteria in water supplies in New Delhi used by local people for drinking, washing and cooking, scientists said on Thursday.

The NDM 1 gene, which creates what some experts describe as "super superbugs," has spread to germs that cause cholera and dysentery, and is circulating freely in other bacteria in the Indian city capital of 14 million people, the researchers said.
"The inhabitants of New Delhi are continually being exposed to multidrug-resistant and NDM 1-positive bacteria," said Mark Toleman of Britain's Cardiff University School of Medicine, who published the findings in a study on Thursday.
A "substantial number" of them are consuming such bacteria on a daily basis, he told a briefing in London. "We believe we have discovered a very significant underlying source of NDM 1 in the capital city of India," he said.
NDM 1, or New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1, makes bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics, including the most powerful class, called carbapenems.
It first emerged in India three years ago and has now spread across the world. It has been found in a wide variety of bugs, including familiar pathogens like Escherichia coli, or E. coli.
No new drugs are on the horizon for at least 5-6 years to tackle it and experts are concerned that only a few major drug companies, such as GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, still have strong antibiotic development programmes.
Toleman's study, carried out with Cardiff University's Timothy Walsh and published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, investigated how common NDM 1-producing bacteria are in community waste seepage -- such as water pools or rivulets in streets -- and tap water in urban New Delhi.
The researchers collected 171 swabs from seepage water and 50 public tap water samples from sites within a 12 kilometer radius of central New Delhi between September and October 2010.
The NDM 1 gene was found in two of the drinking-water samples and 51 of seepage samples, the researchers said, and bacteria positive for NDM 1 were grown from two drinking-water samples and 12 seepage samples.
"We would expect that perhaps as many as half a million people are carrying NDM 1-producing bacteria as normal (gut) flora in New Dehli alone," Toleman said.
Experts say the spread of superbugs threatens whole swathes of modern medicine, which cannot be practiced if doctors have no effective antibiotics to ward off infections during surgery, intensive care or cancer treatments like chemotherapy.
In a commentary about Walsh and Toleman's findings, Mohd Shahid from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Uttar Pradesh, India, said global action was needed.
"The potential for wider international spread of ... NDM 1 is real and should not be ignored," he wrote.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated April 7 as World Health Day and under the slogan "No action today, no cure tomorrow" it is campaigning about the risks of life-saving antibiotics losing their healing power.
"We are at a critical point in time where antibiotic resistance is reaching unprecedented levels," said Zsuzsanna Jakab, the WHO's regional director for Europe.
"Given the growth of travel and trade in Europe and across the world, people should be aware that until all countries tackle this, no country alone can be safe."

Stop flirting with extremism, Dhaka daily tells politicians

A prominent Dhaka daily newspaper has urged political parties to take note of ‘what has happened in Pakistan’ and ‘stop flirting with religious extremism’ as had happened during Monday’s strike.
The Daily Star Wednesday took serious note of some Islamist activists wearing ‘the Holy Quran around their necks or under their loosely fitted outer garments’, while being part of the strike called by a conglomerate of Islamist organisations. The strike was ‘tacitly’ supported by main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
‘Knowing full well what happens when there is a street fight with the police, bringing the holy book on to the streets is a clear indication that these people wanted the Holy Quran to be exposed to situations when it might be unwittingly and unintentionally desecrated,’ the daily said.
‘The aim appears to have been to show on TV screen and in newspaper photographs that our holy book was desecrated by police. This then could be used to fan anti-government sentiment,’ the newspaper wrote.
‘Such blatant, shameless, and cynical use of religion and of our Quran had never been seen in the past, and must be condemned by all,’ it said.
‘To us nothing exposes the moral bankruptcy of these agitators as the sight that they stooped to using our Holy Quran for their narrow political purpose.’
The newspaper said: ‘Pakistan serves as a good example as to what happens if extremism is not tackled with a firm hand…’
Supporting the government in fighting religious extremism, the newspaper said: ‘We must also acknowledge, other than Sheikh Hasina’s government none dared to take the bull by the horn, and fight extremism with courage, determination, and a lot of political and personal risk.’
‘The opposition must study what has happened in Pakistan, and stop flirting with religious extremism just because it gives an additional number of cadres to harass the government,’ the newspaper said.
Bangladesh was East Pakistan between 1947 and 1971.
‘During our time with Pakistan, the oft-used propaganda against Awami League was that it was a party against Islam. It is ironic that the slogans and propaganda tactics that we heard and saw in the late fifties, sixties, and in the freedom fighting days of the early seventies — are now being repeated,’ the newspaper noted.
‘We must remember that extremism has done no good to any people any where in the world,’ the newspaper’s editor in chief Mahfuz Anam wrote.

Pakistan lacks plan to defeat Taliban: US

situation in FATA deteriorating

Operation against Taliban in Mohmand Agency and Bajaur Agency hampered by terrorist resistance, poor weather, need to settle IDPs and discovery of caches of IEDsg Report says Pak-US military cooperation survived outcry caused by Raymond Davis shooting incident

WASHINGTON: Pakistan lacks a robust plan to defeat the Taliban and its security forces struggle to hold areas cleared of the al Qaeda-linked fighters at great cost, says a critical US report which came just three months before US President Barack Obama is scheduled to announce the pace at which American troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan.

The semi-annual White House report to Congress is designed to judge progress or otherwise towards key objectives of the war in Afghanistan and operations against al Qaeda in Pakistan.

The report notes a deterioration of the situation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in the country’s northwest alongside the Afghan border between January and March this year. It details an operation in Mohmand Agency and Bajaur Agency that started in January to clear insurgent strongholds – the third time in two years that the Pakistani army has attempted to complete the task. It says the operation had been hampered by terrorist resistance, poor weather, the need to settle internally displaced people and the discovery of several caches of improvised explosive devices.

The report acknowledges that “tremendous human sacrifices” were made by Pakistani forces in the region, but concludes “what remains vexing is the lack of any indication of ‘hold’ and ‘build’ planning or staging efforts to complement ongoing clearing operations”.

“There remains no clear path toward defeating the insurgency in Pakistan, despite the unprecedented and sustained deployment of over 147,000 forces,” the Obama administration says in the report.

The critical assessment, however, emphasises that the US “must strengthen our dialogue with both Pakistan and Afghanistan on regional stability”. It also hints at the Obama administration plans to hold next round of trilateral talks with the two countries in Washington.

On a more encouraging note, the report says US-Pakistan military cooperation had survived the outcry caused by a deadly shooting incident involving a CIA operative, Raymond Davis. It also touches on strains in relations and refers to incidents involving NATO and ISAF incursions and closure of Torkham border.

The survey, portions of which remained classified, also reflects rising recent bloodshed in Afghanistan, particularly among civilians. It also warns that Pakistan still had no clear path to triumph over insurgents and that Afghanistan’s Taliban were turning more and more to soft civilian targets.

According to declassified portions of the report, Pakistan is central to US efforts to defeat al Qaeda. The report determines that “progress in our relationship with Pakisttan over the last years has been substantial, but also uneven”. It shows slight progress in the last six months in involving the international community to help stabilise Pakistan, and overall, modest progress in the US surge strategy to subdue the Taliban. But, it says that absenteeism and attrition continued to pose a risk to the quality of the Afghan national security forces that are vital to Washington’s goal of eventually drawing down its troop presence in Afghanistan. The report issued on Tuesday was not accompanied by any public statement by Obama. But, the report states clearly what many administration and Pentagon officials have long said in private: Without pressure from the Pakistani side of the border, it is virtually impossible to wipe out terrorism.

Obama holds urgent budget talks with lawmakers

President Barack Obama held an urgent round of budget talks with U.S. congressional leaders on Wednesday evening to try to avert a government shutdown.

With the clock ticking toward a midnight Friday deadline, Obama met at the White House with Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat.

Republicans and Democrats have said negotiators were making progress on a compromise that would fund government operations past Friday's deadline and keep more than 800,000 workers in their jobs.

The two parties remain at odds over about $10 billion in spending cuts, according to a Democratic aide.

The final size of the cuts for the rest of this fiscal year will likely end up closer to the $33 billion Democrats have agreed on than the Republicans' $40 billion target, the aide said.

A government shutdown, the first in 15 years, would ripple through an economy still recovering from the worst recession since the 1930s. Obama urged both parties to compromise and said failure to reach agreement would hurt the economy just as it was gaining momentum.

"Companies don't like uncertainty, and if they start seeing that suddenly we may have a shutdown of our government, that could halt momentum, right when we need to build it up," he said at a town-hall style event in Pennsylvania earlier.

A FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP

Boehner criticized Obama for a failure of leadership in the budget showdown and said the House on Thursday would consider a short-term bill to cut an additional $12 billion in spending and fund the government for another week while negotiations continued.

Obama and many of his fellow Democrats oppose another short-term extension. Some Republicans said it could serve as a legislative vehicle for a final budget deal.

"That's not just bad policy, that's a fantasy," Reid said of the temporary extension. He said it would only put off the tough choices needed to reach a deal on the budget.

The White House painted a bleak picture of the potential impact of a government shutdown, saying it could hurt recovery in the housing market and spark reactions ranging from the closure of national parks to the suspension of the weekend cherry blossom parade in the capital.

A senior administration official told reporters the processing of some tax refunds and audits, as well as small business loans would be halted, and operations of the Federal Housing Administration would be curbed.

"Having the FHA not be able to guarantee loans during this period will have a significant impact if we shut down on the housing market, which is very fragile," the official said.

The investment firm Goldman Sachs estimated a government shutdown lasting more than a week could cost the economy $8 billion in missed federal spending, dragging down growth.
Both parties blamed each other for the political showdown, which will set the stage for more budget battles ahead and also promises to echo through the 2012 election campaign.

Reid said the budget talks were "constantly evolving" and accused Republicans of changing the terms of the debate before the midnight Friday deadline.

'MOVING THE MIDDLE'

"Every time we agree to meet in the middle they move where the middle is," Reid said. "We stand here with fewer than 72 hours on the clock. ... It's time to get the job done."

Negotiators had tentatively agreed on a figure of $33 billion in spending cuts earlier this week, but Boehner is now pushing for a target of $40 billion.

The budget showdown is the biggest political test for both parties since Republicans swept to power in the House and made big Senate gains in last year's elections on promises to slash government spending and reduce the federal government.

Boehner is under pressure to push for deeper cuts from fiscal conservatives aligned with the Tea Party movement who oppose any compromise. Democrats said the Tea Party was the driving force in the showdown.

Boehner told ABC News in an interview that there was "no daylight" between him and the Tea Party. "What they want is they want us to cut spending," he said.

A new Gallup poll showed that most Americans favored a compromise. Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed wanted government leaders who share their views to back a compromise. Just 33 percent said it would be better to hold out for a budget they agree with, even if that forced a shutdown.

SC to hear ZA Bhutto reference on April 13

Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) will hear reference filed by federation for revisiting the case of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on April 13.

According to the press release issued by SC, the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has been pleased to fix the Reference No. 01/2011, received from the President, Islamic Republic of Pakistan under Article 186 of the Constitution for revisiting the case of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in the Court on 13.04.2011.

Federal government filed reference to revisit the murder case of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto with the approval of President Asif Ali Zardari in the Supreme Court on Saturday through Ministry of Law, Government of Pakistan. The law Secretary Masood Chishti filed the reference in the office of the DR Faqir Hussain, Registrar of the SC.

The federation has contended in the reference that the judges of the apex court had given biased decision in the case of Zulifqar Ali Bhutto, so the court might reopen the case and suspend the death sentence of former Prime Minister. Federation has pleaded that the court may proceed against those judges who sentenced the former premier.

It has been contended in the reference that there was contradiction in the statements of the witnesses, adding that instead of giving the benefit of doubt to the former premier court awarded the benefit to the petitioner; court should also review this aspect of the case.

Federation has annexure the statement of Justice Naseem Hassan Shah in which, he allegedly admitted that the court gave the decision of Z.A Bhutto murder case under pressure.

Three questions have been raised in the reference that ‘whether the independent court gave the decision without any pressure?

Whether legally this case was registered against Z.A Bhutto and according to that implemented law the death sentence can be given to the PM if this sentence is legal than why court do not give the reference of this particular while proceedings of the cases in the apex court.

Zardari vows to rectify “historical wrong” in Bhutto decision

President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday vowed to rectify the “historical wrong” of the “judicial murder” of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and said it was now the judiciary’s obligation to clear its record.

He was addressing a large gathering here at the mausoleum of the Bhutto family on the 32nd death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the early hours of Monday.

President Zardari said he had filed a reference and desired the record to be corrected.

“We are not like Cromwell. We are not seeking revenge. We want the history to record that a wrong was committed and it needs to be corrected.”

“There should be no objection to the reference as it is the demand of the people of Pakistan,” Zardari said.

“We do not want a clash of institutions…we want to make institutions work like institutions. That’s why we have sent you a reference to clear the wrong that you had done,” Zardari said.

President Zardari said the judiciary of today was the one for whose independence the people had rendered sacrifices.

“They too (judiciary) had learnt from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to come out on the streets and fight for their rights,” he said.

He said in one year time the government had successfully transferred all powers to the Parliament.

“We do not believe in making headlines, we prefer in making history with our blood, like the Bhutto family did.”

President Zardari also invited political leaders to sit together to find solutions to economic challenges.

“Let’s find out how to save Pakistan, how to determine its destiny,” he said.

He said he believed in the policy of reconciliation and offered the ‘political actors’ to sit together and find solutions to their problems.

“We have come with a message of peace…talk to us…we are the largest political party …we have a philosophy and the people are with us.”

President Zardari said he still had more tests to undertake and had to hold the next general election.

He said the government restored the judiciary and the constitution and would also hold the general election on time.

“We will hold free, fair and transparent elections and if the people so desire we will return to power, or if they so choose, we will sit in opposition,” he said.

32nd death anniversary of Shaheed Z.A Bhutto observed

LARKANA

: The 32nd death anniversary of founder- chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and former prime minister Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was observed here on Monday with great fervour and solemnity.Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and PPP (Shaheed Bhutto) separately arranged programmes in this regard.Quran Khawani and Fateha Khawani were held in every corner of the country for the departed soul of Shaheed Z.A. Bhutto.People from all walks of life in their messages on the occasion paid rich tributes to Shaheed Bhutto for his services for the cause of poor and the downtrodden and for the progress and prosperity of the country.

The main death anniversary programme was held at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto near here.
On this occasion Quran Khawani was also held at the mazar of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
In this connection, the Co-Chairman of PPP and President Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Punjab Governor Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa.
Governor Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa Barrister Syed Masood Kausar, Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Chairman Senate Farooq H. Naek, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, Central Information Secretary of PPP Qamar Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Federal Minister Syed Raza Rabbani, other federal ministers, Speaker Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Provincial Ministers also visited the graves of the founder- chairman of PPP Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. They placed wreath at the graves and offered fateha.
The central leaders, leaders and workers of PPP from all over the country, including Gilgit-Baltistan, Northern Areas, AJK were also among those who placed wreaths and offered fateha on the graves of Shaheed leaders in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto.
Besides, Federal Ministers, Senators, MNAs, MPAs belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) and the Federal Council (F.C) of PPP also visited the mazars of Shaheed Z.A Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and offered fateha and laid floral wreaths there.
They also visited the graves of Shaheed benazir’s brothers Shaheed Mir Murtaza Bhutto and Shaheed Mir Shahnawaz Bhutto, laid wreaths there and offered fateha.
President PPP AJK, Central leaders of PPP AJK and other PPP leaders and workers from AJK also visited the mazars of their leaders Shaheed Z.A. Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, laid wreaths and offered fateha on Sunday night.
The central leaders, leaders and workers of PPP from all over the country, including Gilgit- Baltistan, Northern Areas, AJK were also among those who laid wreaths and offered fateha on Shaheed leaders’ graves in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto.
Besides, Federal Ministers, Senators, MNAs, MPAs belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) and Federal Council (F.C) of PPP also visited the mazars of Shaheed Z.A Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and others and offered fateha and laid wreaths.
Workers and leaders and workers of sister’s organisations of PPP besides Bhutto’s admirers arrived at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto from all over the country and laid wreaths and offered fateha at the mazar of their leader. Caravans of people kept flowing in here since Sunday evening to participate in the death anniversary programme and started departing after the programme was over.
The programme of the anniversary started with a Mushaira. The prominent poets from Sindh, Punjab and other parts of the country, paid tribute to Shaheed Z.A. Bhutto in poetic form.
As per past traditions, a meeting of Central Executive Committee (CEC) of PPP was held at President House Naudero on Saturday night, to make future decisions.
Chairman of PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari chaired the meeting.
The meeting was attended among others by the President and Co-Chairman of PPP Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Central Secretary General Jahangir Badar, Syed Raza Rabbani,Qamar Zaman Kaira, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Fauzia Wahab, Sherry Rehman, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Syed Naveed Qamar,Aftab Shahbaan Mirani, President PPP Sindh and Provincial Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, President PPP AJK, President PPP of Balochistan Nawabzada Lashkari Khan Raisani, Presidents of PPP NWFP, Balochistan, Punjab, presidents of sister organizations of PPP, MNAs, MPAs and the members of CEC.
The meeting took stock of the prevailing political conditions of the country. Rich tribute was paid to founder chairman of PPP Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and profound confidence was expressed on the leadership of Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Rich tributes were also paid to Shaheed chairperson of PPP Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for the sacrifice of her life only to achieve the rights of the down-trodden and to strengthen the democratic system in the country which is the only way to provide the poor masses with basic facilities in light of her party manifesto.
Peoples Doctors Forum (PDF) Larkana district established free medical camp to provide medical assistance to the participants of the death anniversary.
The Co-chairman of PPP and President Asif Ali Zardari, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Syed Mehdi Shah, Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, and other senior leaders of PPP addressing a public meeting outside of the mazar of Shaheed Bhutto in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto late Sunday night, paid homage to his services for the country, for establishment of a democratic order and struggle for the rights of the masses.
They reiterated their pledge to carry forward the mission for which Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto laid down his life.
They also paid rich tributes to Shaheed chairperson of PPP Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for her great sacrifice only for the survival of the poor people. They added that the present government was established due to the sacrifices of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and will work for the betterment of poor people in the country.
On this occasion a documentary film was also shown on the life of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, especially his speeches at the United Nations (UN) as well as the mass contact public meetings and his achievements for the development and the people of the country, the historic Simla Agreement through which more than 70000 prisoners of war were freed from the jails of India, the organising of Islamic Summit Conference at Lahore, establishment of Steel Mills and other industries in order to provide job opportunities to the poor people of the country as well as establishing of the historic relations with China, other neighbouring countries as well as the Islamic and European countries.
Meanwhile, the leaders and workers of PPP (Shaheed Bhutto) visited Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto to offer fateha and laid wreaths on the grave of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. They also visited the graves of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, Shaheed Mir Murtaza Bhutto and Shaheed Mir Shahnawaz Bhutto and offered fateha.
Later, Chairperson of PPP (Shaheed Bhutto) Ms Ghinwa Bhutto and other central leaders of PPP (SB) also addressed a big public meeting in connection with the 32nd death anniversary of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, in Garhi Khuda Bux Bhutto on Monday.
Provincial Police Officer (PPO) Sindh Fayyaz Ahmed Leghari had established a base camp in Naudero to monitor the security arrangements.

Bhutto’s 32nd death anniversary today

The 32nd death anniversary of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto observed across the country today (Monday).

The main ceremony in connection with Bhutto’s death anniversary will be held in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, where thousands of PPP workers and leaders have started gathering. Every street of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh has been decorated with PPP flags and banners inscribed with slogans of ‘Jeay Bhutto’ and ‘Zinda Hai BB Zinda Hai’.

Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza has directed the Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) to ensure foolproof security in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh during Bhutto’s death anniversary. The Sindh government has announced a public holiday today.

President Asif Ali Zardari, accompanied by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Sunday visited the ancestral graveyard of the Bhutto family. He offered fateha and laid wreaths at the graves of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto.

“Bhutto is the symbol of courage, he struggled for the democracy in Pakistan and sacrificed his life for the same cause,” Senate chairman Farooq H Naek said after reaching Garhi Khuda Bux.

A Sindh government official said about 6,000 policemen had been deployed for vigilance, and more than 500 Rangers personnel would perform their duties. The official said scanners had been installed at the entry point and visitors were being frisked if required. “Around 40 acres of land has been allocated for parking of 10,000 vehicles about four to six km away from the public gathering,” he added.

The daylong ceremonies in Garhi Khuda Bux will start with Quran Khawani at the mausoleum of the PPP founder today morning. In Islamabad, a ceremony will be held at the PPP Central Secretariat to observe the death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The ceremony will start with Quran Khawani and prominent PPP leaders will highlight achievements and services of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in their speeches.

All arrangements have been completed to observe the death anniversary of the PPP founder at Jinnah Park Rawalpindi (Old jail, where Bhutto was hanged) today at 10am. The local leadership will attend the ceremony and highlight services of Bhutto.

Various programmes including seminars and workers convention will be organised in different parts of the country to pay tribute to the PPP founder. Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television have also made arrangements for special transmission. The special transmission will highlight life, struggle, services and revolutionary achievements of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The Directorate of Film and Publication (DFP) of Press Information Department (PID) has prepared volumes of speeches of President Asif Ali Zardari in English, Sindhi and Urdu languages for distribution on the occasion of death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Naudero.

A three-member delegation of the MQM will also visit Garhi Khuda Bux on the death anniversary of the PPP founder.

Separately, talking to reporters at Sukkur Airport, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the Bhutto legacy was an asset of the PPP. She said the government needed the support and cooperation of all political parties on all national issues.

The minister said Bhuttoism was not confined to any single political party because the PPP founder taught the art of politicking to political parties, which were now carrying forward his philosophy.

Talking to reporters in Naudero, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said his party was working for welfare of the poor. He assured PPP workers that their problems would soon be resolved. Malik said politics of PPP was the provision of basic needs to the people, adding coming days would be dedicated to the party workers.

He said the investigation report on Benazir’s murder had been prepared and its details would be disclosed at the meeting of Central Executive Council (CEC). Paying rich tribute to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, Rehman Malik pledged to do everything to achieve the mission of the PPP leadership.

Talking to the media in Larkana, PPP Secretary Information Qamar Zaman Kaira said the execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a ‘historic crime’ and nobody in the country had accepted the verdict of the case as a correct decision.

He said filing a reference in the Supreme Court was necessary to remove stigma from the judicial history as everyone considered the execution a ‘judicial murder’. “Bhutto was not only the leader of Pakistan and Islamic Ummah, but also of the entire third world,” he added.

Salute To Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

M WAQAR



Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was executed on April 4, 1979, a darkest day in the history of Pakistan. Bhutto wrote a book from his death cell, Titled "If I am assassinated," its last pages contained a quote from Russian author Nikolai Dostoevsky: "Man's dearest possession is his life, and since it is given to him to live but once, he must so live as not to be scared with the shame of a cowardly and trivial past, so as not to be tortured for years without purpose, that dying he can say, 'All my life and my strength were given to the first cause in the world - the liberation of mankind.' " As death stared the Z.A Bhutto in the face, he stared back. His past has no shame of cowardice. His daughter, too, gave her life in courage. "If India builds the bomb we will eat grass or leaves, we will go hungry. But we will get one of our own." This statement by Zulfiar Ali Bhutto should open up our eyes and bring back the passion of patriotism, unity and love for each others for the sake of Pakistan. I would like to express that this man is and was hero of Pakistan. Historians, Retired Judges of the Superior Courts and eminent lawyers have now unanimously admitted that Mr. Z.A Bhutto was hanged by a military dictator General Zia-Ul Haq by orchestrating a judicial trial to get rid of a popular leader. He gave Pakistan its first constitution, nuclear programme, held peace talks with India and brought 90,000 POW who were in Indian prison and were going to face war crimes. He liberated the small farmers and peasants from the repression and cruelty of big landlords and banished the jagirdari and sardari system declaring that all citizens are born equal and must live with equal rights. Z.A Bhutto was a Legend, who lived and died like a hero with courage, determination and devotion to his principles, when cruel dictator Zia was going to kill him, Z.A Bhutto could sign few papers and could live in exile but he was a real man, he was not a coward. He too could have made a deal and lived to fight another day; but only great men with principles sacrifice their life for their cause. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto earned everlasting fame in the pantheon of leaders from the Third World in the struggle against colonialism and imperialism. He had the privilege of interacting with many of those leaders who played a great role in the epic struggle for national independence in the 20th Century including Mao Tse Tung, Soekarno, Chou-en Lai, and Gamal Abdel Nasser. He belonged to a category of anti-imperialist leaders who included Jamal Nasir of Egypt and Jawahir Lal Nehru of India. He was a brilliant Diplomat who negotiated some of Pakistan's most enduring diplomatic policies as well as bargaining from a position of weakness against Indira Gandhi in Simla.

He was a great diplomat; there is a story that the American President John F. Kennedy was much impressed with then Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. When they met, Kennedy walked with him in the Rose Garden and said, "Bhutto, if you were an American, you would be in my Cabinet". To which Zulfikar Ali Bhutto smilingly replied, "No, Mr. President. If I were an American, you would be in my cabinet". A Pan Islamic socialist who weakened the Feudal and tribal system.. He also pushed through Pakistan's nuclear programme despite enormous International pressure. He was also a brilliant politician whose popularity and powerful speeches impressed even his worst opponents. It took a great man to get Pakistan out of the 71 trauma.

A dynamic leader, who stood up against imperialism and looked to China and other progressive countries for an alliance. When he was Prime Minister, the country prospered and was set on a course of industrial and agricultural development. He gained popularity in villages and poor industrial areas. Bhutto was the only true leader in our history who gave us constitution, identity in international relations. You will be surprised to know when Bhutto became as Foreign Minister, at that time; we did not have ambassador level relations with so many big countries of the world like Indonesia etc. He empowers the poor of his country. Such people like Z.A BHUTTO are born rarely, who will forget his capabilities as an extempore speaker, as an writer, as an diplomat, as an leader and above all as lover of poor. On the day of his martyrdom his opponents called him as a culprit but same are now calling him as an innocent. The simple reason for this is that Zia tried his best to create divisions among people in order to finish the popularity of Bhutto. The irony is all those who hatched conspiracy against him are no more in this mortal world, all of them died a horrible death. Bhutto was the greatest leader we can think in the modern history. In his book "If I Am Assassinated", Bhutto clearly mentions his fear of 120 million Pakistanis under a defenseless sky in comparison to a nuclear India. What a vision! India could have swallowed Pakistan long ago if thanks to Bhutto we were not an atomic power. On the economic front Bhutto vision for nationalization was that Pakistanis will work hard like Chinese, but here Pakistanis failed him. The labor and the management of nationalized industry had no interest to take advantage of this opportunity. Using this as a golden opportunity, the industrialists, bureaucrats, and above all corrupt army declared him as an unsuccessful leader. Bhutto loved poor and poor loved Bhutto. This relationship is ever lasting. The first leader who legislated labor laws and enforced in Pakistan and nobody could do it till now. This is the reason of his popularity among labors. He tried to unite the Islamic world. The Pakistan is still under developing country because Bhutto is not alive. Z.A Bhutto is the first person in Pakistan who has given the voice to the common people. Z.A Bhutto was great charismatic leader, man of masses, top class negotiator, excellent communicator, a visionary, known for mercurial brilliance, wit and a highly well read person. He attracted mammoth crowds where ever he addressed public meetings even in remote regions of the country. He was a man of masses because of his personal charm and charisma and the one who spoke in the language of workers, laborers, peasants and the people in the streets. He would make the people feel that he was one of them, understood them, had solutions to their problems and give them roti, kapra aur makan. He might have given all these things to them if his government had not become target of the establishment's conspiracies. ZA Bhutto's Powerful Political Legacy Cannot be eliminated. In no time Bhutto had made a tremendous impact all around. As Minister for Fuel and Power, he had diverse explorers tapping into Pakistan's underground hidden energy resources. For the first time Russians were involved in oil and gas exploration. His time as Minister for Science and Technology was well spent. He could measure the advancements made by India in the atomic field. I can't help grieving the tragic death of a Hero who paid with his life to set an ultimate example of principled politics. I hope we honor Shaheed Bhutto by giving to the weak and less fortunate people of Pakistan the gift of unconditional empowerment through democracy and moral governance and not trade his dream for our illusions. Bourgeois battled Bhutto's populist economic and political enforcement, the bourgeois and the petty-bourgeois became ready instruments in carrying out their social propaganda against Bhutto. He was the man behind introducing democracy in the country by kicking out the dictatorial rule and finally gave a consensus constitution of 1973 with guarantees to basic human rights under the supremacy of parliament. Cruel dictators like Zia and Musharraf are responsible for bringing fundamentalists into the corridor of power, Mush, who is now trumping against them just an eye wash. Political Leaders must posses' qualities of power, vision, ethics, courage, knowledge, decision making, integrity, enthusiasms and devotion and should have principles, Z.A BHUTTO had all those qualities. Mr. Bhutto lived consciously to make history and to leave a legacy in the form of the development of his nation. He is right credited with saving Pakistan at the darkest moment of its history, as French President Giscardd' Estaing said he was the man,'' who incarnated Pakistan at a dramatic hour of its history''. Z A BHUTTO was indeed a great leader, a leader we must salute today; who gave voice to the voiceless and helped them shape their own destiny. It was under his leadership that every Pakistani given the right to passport. Education was nationalized and made available to every child. Scores of Universities were built to turn the children of the discriminated and downtrodden into lawyers, doctors and engineers liberating them from a destiny of backwardness. Bhutto pushed politics out of the posh drawing rooms into real Pakistan-into the muddy lanes and villages of the poor. The ever-lasting contribution of Bhutto was to raise the consciousness of the people for democracy. He awakened the masses, making them realize they were the legitimate fountainhead of political power. He enlightened the peasants, the industrial workers, the students, the women and the rest of the common people of their importance and of their right of franchise, which is the definite means of bringing changes and improvement in the lives of the common people. He deeply cherished democracy and democratic values and in the end gave his life for the cause of freedom. In the case of Pakistan, he viewed military rule as a negation of the very genesis of the country that came into being as a result of a democratic process and a vote. Today as the Nation pays tribute to one of its greatest sons; it is destined to move forward in the spirit of Federalism, Democracy, Autonomy and Egalitarianism which he lit through his example of courage in the defense of principles and ideals. Z.A BHUTTO was a people leader, a legend and a poet and he remained so till the last breath in his body. He was a true revolutionary; his revolution was against imperialism, against bourgeois. He was a charismatic leader and his charisma still rules the nation. Z.A Bhutto ruled the hearts of people when he was alive and till date he rules their hearts. Z.A Bhutto was a principled friend to the poor, downtrodden and oppressed. He was fearless in his beliefs and refused to bow before any man or power other than the Almighty. His contributions to an impregnable Pakistan are seen in the Kamra Aeronautical factory, Heavy Mechanical Complex at Taxila, modernization of Karachi Shipyard, creation of precision engineering works, Pakistan Steel Mills, Port Qasim, Pakistan Automobile Corporation to name a few. By signing the Simla Accord of 1972 he negotiated longest peace between India and Pakistan. His social reforms laid the foundation of an egalitarian society, his non-aligned foreign policy earned Pakistan respect in the comity of nations. He lifted the nation drowning in a sea of despair to Himalayan heights. The death cell in which his killers kept him failed to break his will or his determination to challenge military rule and stand up as the leader of the people. Bhutto was a modernizer and saw nationalism as the key to unity. He rejected fanaticism. He gave pride to the poor. As leader of the Third World he spoke boldly against racism, colonialism and imperialism. He fearlessly defended the right of nations to independence. When the 1973 Ramadan War broke out, he sent Pakistan's military to defend the borders of the Muslim countries including the Golan Heights of Syria. Bhutto's short life of fifty years was spent in the service of many international, regional and national causes. Today Pakistan is at the crossroads. Its policies relating to Nuclear, Taliban, India, Militancy, Religious Parties, Democracy and Economy are in shambles. Shaheed Bhutto believed that the army could protect its institutional competence by keeping out of politics. He said, "Those soldiers who leave the barracks to move into Government mansions lose wars and become prisoners of war as happened in 1971; his words reverberate as a warning and a guide to the country to save its honor, respect, pride and position by reverting to the golden principles that gave it birth. April 4 falls at a time when Pakistan is faced with a critical situation. The dark shadow of military dictatorship clouds the political horizon and spawns fissiparous tendencies striking at the solidarity of the country. Rocket launchers and bomb blasts kill innocents while the military is involved in operations against its own people. The rise of the suicide bomber and armed struggle is reminiscent of an earlier military dictatorship. The tyranny of General Zia's military rule led to the Kalashnikov culture where young men picked up automatic weapons. That culture has reasserted itself under the military dictatorship of General Musharraf. Except that the weapons are more dangerous than the Kalashnikovs of yesterday. Every time a General ruled Pakistan, innocent people were being killed. Today many people in Pakistan must be scared as Mr. Zardari is shaking hands with MQM, let's not forget that Mr. Bhutto and Benazir were killed by two presidents,who supported MQM.As Asfand Wali Khan has some reservations about MQM,I agree with him. Z.A Bhutto was born in 1928. He was martyred in 1979. Yet he lives in the hearts and minds of the people still shining like a star that brightens the sky motivating those caught in the prisons of oppression. No doubt, the age of Bhutto was an age of revolution. At the time of his over throw; Bhutto was emerging as a spokesman of the world of Islam and the leader of the third world. Although his life and political career were cruelly terminated, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto will always be remembered as one of the great leaders who took part in the liberation of the third world from the yoke of Imperialism and Neo Colonialism during the twentieth century. "It is better to live like a lion for one day than to live like a jackal for a thousand." Z.A.BHUTTO''.
Long Live Bhuttoism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Grim Reality of Afghan Children

Recently, the United Nations Human Rights Council in its 16th session has given a full day to discuss and find out the root cause of problems surrounded the children living or working on the streets.

The children are today under extreme stress of poverty and vulnerability. Everywhere we only find kids running on the streets selling hand stuffs or cleaning the cars to feed their families.

Today many children living in urban slums end up working on the streets. More recently, the NATO and U.S. led military operations in the some parts of the country have caused more casualties most of whom were children and increased in the number of orphan children in Afghanistan.

According to the human rights studies, each street child has rights to be protected from harassment, torture and humiliating treatment and access to healthcare and education like any other children. Naturally, they are more vulnerable than children protected by parents or extended families.

In fact, street children are more likely to be targeted in conflict and are less capable of defending their rights. Basically, they are continuingly ignored of their fundamental rights and protection especially in countries like Afghanistan.

Most probably, the police and other childcare protection organization generally come in contact with street children only in front of media or when they are raped, killed, tortured and forcefully married or they are involved in any criminal activities, either as victims or suspects. Rather than, there is no specific action taken before it appears on the ground. Surrounded in such situations, the children may be spoiled to delinquency, vagrancy or begging, drug abuse, sexual harassment or exploitation, torture, child trafficking and child labor. Mostly, the police intervention is not part of preventive strategy but a reaction to criminal behavior.

In most of the under developing countries like Afghanistan, the street children are very likely to be recruited into terrorism and live a short live than children who are nourished by their parents or extended families.

How street children are perceived by the police, public and government plays a crucial role in shaping the force’s response. An ordinary policemen or public including government only sees a street child as a problem and violator of the law rather than the victims of those unhealthy and cruel circumstances that made him a street child or the violator of law and atmosphere. The situation is further compounded by a lack of awareness and sensitization as well as the inadequacy of legal safeguards for children.

Perceiving the children’s sever vulnerabilities, there is an urgent need to develop a holistic approach to child protection. However, numerous factors are hampering the creation of an environment that ensures the best interests of the child. The main challenges in this regard are an inadequate legislative framework, discriminatory law, particularly those related to a girl’s age of majority and undecided matters such as the age of criminal responsibility.

Additionally, terrorism and other security issues are eating away at our already limited resources in the country, while there is often a lack of sensitization among people involved in the welfare and rehabilitation of children. Limited access to education further complicates and worsens the situation.

The national commission on the Rights of Children seems to have been abandoned. There has been always a considerable concern over the rights of children and about the consequences of the child streets whom are recruited to terrorist activities and other criminal involvements.

On the other hand, improvement has been noticed in some areas of the country by various NGOs working on child rights. They are well-cognizant of their constant accomplishment on childcare protection on various platforms. They prove and bring out the vulnerabilities of children in Afghanistan and make it visible to the whole world. The children of Afghanistan not doubt remained the most effect ones in the world.

Unfortunately, on the welfare of children the government has very rare participation. Every year international community spends millions of dollars in Afghanistan but still the children rights is vulnerable.

It is said, that “charity first begins from your own homes” so we must make a law to spend that big amounts of money on our own children who are suffering from hunger, diseases and who really need our support and sympathy. Such planning will surely improve the situation but the enormity of the challenges requires a more coordinated strategy and the accordance of due importance to the issue of street children.

Various departments, including social welfare, education, health, local government and the police have to play their role in protecting the rights of children living or working on the streets. As far as police response is concerned, it should be seen in isolation as the force needs to work in tandem with other organizations.

The right approaching would be linked with public response to the overall goal of child protection and reaffirm, institutionalize and replicate the good practices of one province in the other three. Capacity-building is likely to bring considerable improvement in the police department’s dealing with street children.

The proposed legislation on the National Commission on child Rights, the Child Rights Protection Authority and other bills needs to be expedited. At the same time, civil society must come forward and assist the police in implementing preventive strategies.

Above all, the government needs to set up a monitoring system to meet the requisite standards of child protection. Otherwise, meaningful and sustained improvement cannot be achieved. These efforts ought to be supplemented by vocational training and skill-building courses for out-of-school children.

Last but not least, the childish Working Group set up by the law and Justices Commissions of Afghanistan should be activated to develop rehabilitation programes for children at risk of offending in general and street children in particular.

Bahrain bans main opposition daily

The Bahraini government has banned the publication of a leading independent newspaper due to its coverage of the popular revolution in the Persian Gulf littoral state.


Bahrain's Information Affairs Commission suspended Al-Wasat daily, which has been critical of the government's brutal crackdown on demonstrators in the country, BNA state news agency reported without giving further details.

The commission also ordered a case to be opened for further investigation by the Public Prosecution.

Masur al-Jamri, a former opposition activist during the uprising in the 1990s, is the editor-in-chief of the Bahraini newspaper.

Last week, Bahrain's state television accused Al-Wasat of publishing "fabricated and false news" about the "security developments in Bahrain."

The Bahraini police, backed by Saudi and UAE troops, have intensified the clampdown on anti-government protesters who demand a constitutional monarchy.

Rights groups and opposition parties say hundreds of people have been detained or have gone missing since the protests began in mid-February, with at least 25 people killed and 1,000 others wounded so far.

Protesters gather in Syria as president names new PM

Syria's president appointed a new prime minister Sunday, state television reported, as angry protesters gathered for the funeral processions of four demonstrators killed on Friday.
President Bashar al-Assad appointed Adel Safar, a former agriculture minister, as prime minister Sunday.
The government resigned last week in the face of protests.
On Sunday angry protesters in the Damascus suburb of Douma chanted anti-government slogans as they gathered for processions expected to start after noon prayers, according to a human rights activist who asked not to be named for security reasons. The processions are for the four people killed in Friday clashes.
At least 10 people, nine of them in Douma, were killed on Friday, according to human rights activists.
Another person was killed in Al Sanameen near Daraa.
The anti-regime demonstrations pulsating across Syria resulted in a security hunt for armed snipers and a wave of arrests Saturday.
Syria security forces were searching for members of an "armed group" that killed "a number of citizens and security forces" in Douma on Friday, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported on Saturday.
SANA reported that a girl was killed when the armed group opened fire on civilians in the city of Homs.
The agency cited an official source as saying that snipers from the group fired at citizens and security forces from rooftops.
"Security forces are pursuing the members of the armed group that terrorized the citizens through firing randomly," SANA reported, citing the source without identifying the official or the alleged armed group.
Activists and witnesses dispute the government account, telling CNN that government snipers fired shots at unarmed protesters and government forces beat demonstrators.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces in the volatile southern city of Daraa and in Homs arrested about 20 people on Saturday after demonstrations the day before.
Along with the protests in Douma, Daraa, Homs, and Al Sanameen, people also took to the streets in Latakia, Baniyas and Kamishli on Friday, activists told CNN.
Before Friday's fighting, dozens of people were killed in the last two weeks across Syria, with many deaths reported in the southern city of Daraa, where popular demonstrations started, and the coastal city of Latakia, activists say.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto continues to rule hearts and minds

Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States once said: “Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” That was true of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. When he took oath as the fourth President of Pakistan on December 20, 1971, he took over the reins of a country that was surrounded by great problems. After the disastrous 1971 war with India, Pakistan was facing its greatest crisis since Independence.
East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) had become a separate country. Pakistan had lost an entire province of 70 million, 56 per cent of the total population, and over 54,501 sq.miles of territory.
There were over 90,000 prisoners of war in India and Bangladesh. West Pakistan was left with four provinces Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).
It was a time when people seemed to have lost their confidence in their abilities to do great things. Disillusionment and pessimism and uncertainty prevailed everywhere. But as a president, Bhutto’s spirit of optimism, patriotism and personal pride in his country proved to be infectious.
He was just what Pakistan needed. A courageous, bold and skillful leader. He inspired the nation to look forward with hope and renewed commitment.
As President, he addressed the nation via radio and television, saying: “My dear countrymen, my dear friends, my dear students, labourers, peasants. those who fought for Pakistan. We are facing the worst crisis in our country’s life, a deadly crisis. We have to pick up the pieces, very small pieces, but we will make a new Pakistan, a prosperous and progressive Pakistan.”
His intentions to raise people’s confidence and give them a ray of hope were in several shapes. He spoke about democracy, a new Constitution, and a modified parliamentary system. He united the country after its breakup and brought back 90,000 war prisoners after a peaceful settlement with India.
All that was achieved without giving up an inch of Pakistan’s space or its stance over the Kashmir issue.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto took numerous steps to ameliorate poverty and revitalise country’s economy, industry and agriculture. Through the creative slogan of ‘food, clothing and shelter’, he raised the consciousness of the people for democracy.
He awakened and made them realise that they were the legitimate fountainhead of political power.
He gave the country its third Constitution in 1973 and established civilian authority over the armed forces. After the promulgation of the Constitution, Bhutto was elected by the House as the Prime Minister of Pakistan and sworn-in on August 14, 1973.
As Prime Minister, he introduced social reforms to build an egalitarian society and adopted a non-aligned foreign policy. The credit for country’s nuclear programme and the building of social, economic and military infrastructure of the country also goes to him.
Bhutto united the Muslim world towards the revival of the Islamic heritage as a message of love, peace and brotherhood.
He was the pioneer of China Friendship during the cold war and further strengthened Pakistan’s alliance with the west.
This great leader of Pakistan was martyred at the age of 51 on April 4, 1979 by those who could not bear to see Pakistan and its people at the heights of glory.
But even after over three decades of his martyrdom, he lives in the hearts and minds of people. History cannot forget the prophetic words - to that effect in The Guardians (London) obituary on Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, “the man is dead but he shall rule from his grave for ever and ever.”

If Bhutto was alive, the dreams fulfilled

By Ghazal Khubaib
Strangling of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) on April 4, 1979, also strangled the hopes and aspirations of millions of Pakistanis and if Pakistan was poor and unstable when Bhutto grabbed power, it is yet poorer and more unstable after 32 years of his execution.Fact is that ZAB held the reins of the country under tough circumstances,but successive regimes could not consolidated the gains earned in his tenure.Bhutto put together a uniquely popular movement (Pakistan Peoples Party),one which thirty two years after his martyrdom remains Pakistan’s most vital political force.The personal and moral character of late Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was exceptional. He was distinguished by unwearied perseverance, the steady purpose and the magnanimous soul which are essential to glorious achievements.Bhutto was provident in council and vigorous in execution and possessed personal intrepidity in the highest degree.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto emerged as phenomenon on the political horizon.His speeches in United Nations had challenged India to fight for a thousand years; his reaction to Tashkent Agreement and the spirited public speeches had won admiration and with his exit from Ayub’s cabinet he emerged as saviour for millions of Pakistanis.
He bestowed upon people the courage to raise questions and hold oligarchy responsible if it go astray.
Bhutto perhaps most closely resembles Jamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, the man who dominated Middle East politics in the decades of fifties.
The country is beset with multitude of problems these days. The country saw unprecedented wave of terrorism and extremism due to the follies of the past, had Bhutto been alive today he would have nurtured an environment of tolerance, moderation and co-existence.
Bhutto enjoyed rare qualities of moral courage and fearless determination. The visionary Button laid foundation of the country’s atomic programme which officially culminated in 1998 when Pakistan opted to go nuclear in a tit-for-tat response against Indian nuclear detonation.
In the aftermath of Dhaka debacle, nation’s moral was at its lowest ebb. Bhutto’s sagacity gathered leaders of entire Muslim Ummah at Lahore under umbrella of Islamic Summit. Merely one year after such massive debacle, it had been a captivating sight witnessing the leaders of Islamic world gathering in Lahore expressing solidarity with Pakistani nation thus conveying a message of solidarity with Pakistan.
Bhutto’s achievements are by no means ordinary. The foundation stone of vital and gigantic project of Pakistan Steel Mills was laid on 30 December 1973 by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
When country felt that a facility to maintain and rebuild the tanks was needed, the Heavy Rebuild Foundry Project was conceived, with Chinese assistance and technology.
In the late, 1970s the Heavy Rebuild Factory (HRF) was established in Taxila to undertake rebuild and modernization.
After he had been overthrown by a military coup in July 1977, his friends advised him to contact foreign friends and secure a timely release in order to escape the wrath of military establishment but Bhutto preferred to remain in the country and remove stigma on his personality in an infamous case whose verdict against him had already been decided.
Condemned to death, he could have asked for grace from General Zia, but he refused to bow before a military dictator and even restrained his family members to utilize the appeal procedure.
In fact Ali Bhutto wished his blood to be, in his own words, “manure to the young men and women of this subcontinent”. His guts to embrace the reality of death was by no means resignation to life, but his firm conviction in the future.
In his exemplary death, Bhutto succeeded, to nurture values whose implementation he thought indispensable for the prosperity of Pakistan but which were over looked in the multiplicity of other circumstances.

Obama Calls for Tolerance in Afghanistan After UN Mission Attack, Protests

http://www.bloomberg.com/
President Barack Obama called for tolerance in Afghanistan after the burning of a Koran in the U.S. prompted an attack that killed seven United Nations workers and sparked violent anti-U.S. protests in the country.

“Now is a time to draw upon the common humanity we that share,” Obama said in a statement yesterday issued by the White House in Washington. “The desecration of any holy text, including the Koran, is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry. However, to attack and kill innocent people in response is outrageous.”

The seven UN workers were killed in the city of Mazar-e- Sharif, in northern Afghanistan on April 1. Florida pastor Terry Jones last month oversaw the burning of a Koran, carrying out the act after last year backing away from a threat to torch the Muslim holy book amid U.S. government warnings such an act would hurt Middle Eastern relations.

At least nine people were killed in two days of protests, including a demonstration in the center of the southern city of Kandahar yesterday, the provincial authority said.

Demonstrators stormed a UN compound in Mazar-e-Sharif, killing four Nepalese security guards and three workers from Norway, Romania and Sweden, the UN said.

“No religion tolerates the slaughter and beheading of innocent people, and there is no justification for such a dishonorable and deplorable act,” Obama said about the deaths of the UN workers. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the attacks “cowardly,” adding such acts “cannot be justified under any circumstances.”

Kandahar Protest

Protesters shouted “Death to America” as they spread from the center of Kandahar, Zalmai Ayoubi, a spokesman for the Kandahar province, said by phone yesterday.

“Police had to open fire, aiming their shots in the air, to stop them marching on the United Nations office,” he said. “The police were trying to stop them but they attacked the police.”

Ghulam Yahya Toryalai, a 27-year-old shopkeeper, said he joined the protests to show his anger over the burning.

“A bloody person by the name of Jones insulted our most holy book,” Toryalai said. “He should have been hanged by someone.”

The casualties were all Afghan civilians caught in the protests, Ayoubi said.

Jones oversaw the burning of a Koran at his church in Gainesville, Florida, on March 20, USA Today reported. The burning was done by Wayne Sapp, a colleague of Jones, the newspaper said. Jones threatened last year to burn a copy of the sacred book of Islam on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S.

Karzai’s Call

Afghan President Hamid Karzai called Ban Ki-moon to express his “grief over the attack” and convey “the sadness of the people and the government of Afghanistan to the mourning families of the victims,” according to a statement from Karzai’s office yesterday.

Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman representing the Balkh province in Mazar-e-Sharif, said the attack was conducted by the Taliban. The group rejects the allegation, its spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said in an interview yesterday.

Shaheed Z.A Bhutto death anniversary arrangements finalised

Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and PPP (Shaheed Bhutto), have finalised the arrangements to observe the 32nd death anniversary of former prime minister and founder-chairman of PPP Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on April 4. PPP will start the programme of the anniversary at mid-night of April 3 and on the early morning of April 4 there will be a public meeting at President House Naudero. A documentary, depicting the life and achievements of Shaheed Z.A. Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto will also be shown on the occasion.

Obama re-election announcement

President Barack Obama

plans to send supporters a text or e-mail message with a video announcing his intention to run for re-election, multiple Democratic sources tell CNN.
The message could come as early as Monday morning. The sources say his campaign team also hopes to file papers with the Federal Election Commission Monday to launch his 2012 re-election campaign.

The timing of the announcement and the filing could change depending on outside events. The White House is closely watching negotiations on Capitol Hill over the 2011 spending bill, which must be resolved this week to avoid a government shutdown.
This would come more than a week before the president hosts his first re-election fund-raiser in Chicago on April 14. These Democrats say no public event is planned because the White House wants to downplay the announcement and minimize the political distraction.
The president is making his campaign official slightly earlier than is typical for an incumbent so he can get a jump on fund-raising in a season that's likely to shatter all records. Obama’s team has been asking campaign bundlers to raise $350,000 each, no easy task since campaign finance laws limit gifts to $2,500 per donor. Two sources tell CNN the campaign team hopes that in total their bundlers will raise $500 million, leaving the campaign to raise another $500 million and amass a record-breaking $1 billion war chest.
According to these sources, the president has made calls to top donors and conference calls are planned this week to supporters and key Democratic groups. Vice President Joe Biden is already planning to be in New Hampshire Monday and will meet with key supporters in that crucial early voting state. For the past few weeks, Jim Messina, who will manage the campaign, and Patrick Gaspard, executive director of the DNC, have been flying around the country meeting with frustrated donors working to get them re-engaged.
So far no Republican contenders have formally announced. But these days the likely Republican presidential contenders are making endless visits to key early voting states and meeting with supporters across the country.
One top Democrat says, "The Republicans are out there day in and day out beating up on the president - they're basically running without filing. So to say we're going first isn't totally fair." This person adds, "No one wants to start running now. The president is engaged in the country, this is about getting (campaign) staff up and running."
Additionally, top Democrats say two former White House staffers are likely to set up a third-party outside spending group. Former Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney, former aide to then-Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, have been approached by Democratic donors who are concerned about countering the influence of Karl Rove and the Koch brothers in the upcoming 2012 election.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's execution, a ‘historic crime’

Secretary Information Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Qamar Zaman Kaira terming the execution of former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, a ‘judicial murder’ said it was not a mistake rather, it was a ‘historic crime’. Talking to PTV on Saturday he said the courts, lawyers and public did not consider the verdict of the case against founder chairman of PPP, a correct decision. Filing a reference in the Supreme Court was necessary to wash off a stigma from the judicial history as public consider the execution was a judicial murder, he said adding, so, correction of the record was need of the time. He said, it is not too late.
He said, a reference has been filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan to reopen the murder case of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto which was mandatory for the PPP.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was not only declared an innocent but also called a ‘hero’ which is the reason that despite the passage of 32-year of his murder, people were giving vote to the party on the name of the founder chairman. The slogans ‘Bhutto Zinda Hay’ (Bhutto is still alive) are voiced in every nook and corner of the country, he added.
The judicial murder of Bhutto is present in the books but no one accepts it, he added.
The reference will strengthen the judicial system as judiciary in the country is free and can deliver big decisions, he replied to a query.
Qamar Zaman Kaira said, PPP has never intended to take revenge but it wants to correct a historic crime, and vindicating the position of its founding chairman.
To a question about the performance of the government he said that it has fulfilled 70 percent of the party manifesto and also implemented 80 percent Charter of Democracy (CoD) which is a big achievement. But, unfortunately due to worldwide phenomenon of price hike and its impact on Pakistan, the achievements of the government are not so obvious.

Karzai expresses ‘grief’ to UN’s Ban over killings

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday voiced sympathy for the deaths of seven UN staff in an attack on their office during anti-US protests, his office said. Karzai telephoned UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to give his condolences over the incident, it said. Seven UN foreign staff -- three Europeans and and four Nepalese guards -- were killed on Friday when an angry mob attacked the United Nation's headquarters in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif following the burning of a Koran in the US. Karzai "spoke this morning (Saturday) on the phone with UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon to convey his grief over the attack on the UN office in Mazar-i-Sharif in which seven of his staff were killed", the president's office said in a statement. Karzai described the attack as "ruthless" and said his administration "is committed to launching an all-out probe into the incident and bringing to justice those responsible", the statement said. The president called on Ban to "play his role in raising public awareness on the significance of resorting to non-violence and non-desecration of faith... particularly in countries where such sacrilegious practices were carried out", it said, in an apparent reference to the US. The burning of the Koran by evangelical preacher Pastor Wayne Sapp in a Florida church last month has sparked angry protests in Islamic countries. At least nine people were killed and dozens more injured during a fresh anti-US protests in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Saturday.

India win launches billion-person party

A billion Indians launched the world's biggest party Saturday, as their adored national team lifted the cricket World Cup, triggering celebrations and firework displays across the country.
From the megacities of Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi to India's rural heartland, where entire villages had gathered around television sets to watch the final, this cricket-obsessed nation went into delirious meltdown.
"The whole of India is not going to sleep tonight," said Sania Singhvi, an 18-year-old college student from Mumbai, where the Wankhede Stadium, the match venue, was engulfed in a sea of dancing, cheering Indian fans.
Motorbikes with pillion passengers waving the saffron, white and green Indian tricolor roared up and down Mumbai's sweeping Marine Drive promenade, weaving in and out of the traffic, as cars hooted their horns in accompaniment.
In the streets of the country's financial capital, people danced and banged drums, cheered on by entire families who had come out onto their balconies and rooftops to watch the party unfold, chanting "India, India, India!"
Jaywant Nikam, a 50-year-old architect who was among the 32,000 spectators inside the sold-out stadium who watched India down their South Asian rivals Sri Lanka, was almost overcome by the occasion.
"I was 23 years old when India won the World Cup the first time, and it's so good after so many years to see them win again with my children," a tearful Nikam said, hugging his son and daughter.
His 11-year-old son Vedant was dressed head-to-toe in the Indian team kit, the price tag still dangling from his cap and his face painted in the colours of the national flag.
There were tears of another kind in the Sri Lankan capital, as some fans wept with disappointment after watching their team fall at the final hurdle.
Colombo's Galle Face promenade, where tens of thousands had gathered in expectation of a victory party, took on the atmosphere of a wake, as fans made their way home in silence, shaking their heads and offering each other consoling pats on the back.
Some still managed to put a brave face on their disappointment.
"We must be happy that the World Cup was lifted by a fellow South Asian nation," said Palitha Perera. "We have only another four years to wait."
The victory was especially sweet for the people of Mumbai.
The World Cup final was the city's highest-profile sporting event since the 2008 attacks, which saw 10 Islamist militants kill 166 people at landmark targets, including the Taj Mahal Palace hotel where the teams were staying.
"We are very, very proud of our team," said college student Beenish Shaikh.
"It is truly something to win the trophy after 28 years. We are so happy. We are going to party all through the night."
In Kolkata, thousands of ecstatic fans thronged the city's three kilometre-long (two-mile-long) Park Street boulevard, singing and hugging.
"Many of us were not born in 1983 when India last won the cup," said Neha Keshri, 18.
"We waited through the years, and six editions of World Cups passed by. The moment has come now," she laughed.
Some 3,500 police personnel had been deployed to ensure the safety of the two teams and the spectators in Mumbai, who included both countries' presidents.
Khaki-clad police equipped with bamboo sticks were joined by paramilitaries with full body armour and automatic weapons, as coastguard and navy patrols kept watch on the Arabian Sea and a no-fly zone was imposed over south Mumbai.
Indians from cycle-rickshaw drivers and Bollywood film stars to the prime minister had been swept up in the anticipation, with an Indian swimwear model now stuck with fulfilling her pledge to strip naked for the team if they won.
Cycle-rickshaw driver Sheru Khan, 35, showed his dedication by riding nearly 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from his home in northern Uttar Pradesh state to Mumbai after being promised a free ticket by a local politician.
Black market tickets for the match had exchanged hands for as much as to $3,300 each, and cricket's governing body was criticised for only making 4,000 tickets available to the general public.
The Mumbai Mirror tabloid said that customs officers at the city's airport even offered to waive import duty on a replica of the World Cup trophy in return for seats at the final.

Spy Chief’s Tenure Is Extended in Pakistan

The Pakistani government has given another one-year extension to the chief of its powerful spy organization, the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announced the decision Friday evening in a television interview with the state-run PTV News and the private network Dawn News. Mr. Gilani said his government had decided to retain Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the director general of the ISI, owing to the “prevailing security situation in the country.”

“We need continuity in the current situation, and the extension was very necessary,” Mr. Gilani said.

The interview was the first public confirmation that the tenure of General Pasha, who is second only to the army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, in terms of power and influence, is being extended. This is the second extension given to General Pasha, whom General Kayani has sought to keep by his side as Pakistan grapples with the Taliban insurgency.

General Pasha’s previous extension ended March 18, but there was no official public notification, in contrast to last year, when Mr. Gilani issued a brief statement announcing the extension.

General Kayani was given a three-year extension in July 2010. He is scheduled to retire in 2013, when the terms of both President Asif Ali Zardari and the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, will also end.

There was speculation here that the army was pushing for a two-year extension for General Pasha, to ensure that he also retained his job until 2013. There was little doubt that General Pasha would retain his job after General Kayani again put his weight behind his chosen spy chief.

In his televised interview, Mr. Gilani skirted a question as to why his government could not choose another officer to replace General Pasha. “Why is there confusion over the extension of the ISI chief?” he said. “It is very much the right of the government, and we have given him one year’s extension in the same position.”

The Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate is often described as a state within a state, given its unfettered powers and general lack of accountability and transparency. It has influenced the country’s domestic and foreign policy for decades and continues to do so, leaving a weak civilian government no choice but to play second fiddle.

General Pasha, a career soldier, was appointed head of the directorate in October 2008. He had previously headed military operations and overseen the army’s campaigns against Taliban militants in Pakistan’s volatile northwest region, and he had forged a good relationship with United States officials.

But the relationship between the ISI and the Central Intelligence Agency has not been easy, and it suffered a new blow after Raymond Davis, a C.I.A. security contractor, was arrested in January on charges of killing two people in Lahore.

PPP to observe Shaheed Bhutto anniversary with solemnity

Provincial president PPP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Syed Zahir Ali Shah has said that like other parts of the country 32nd death anniversary of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto would be observed with great solemnity and political enthusiasm in the province. Addressing a meeting here Saturday in connections with arrangement for the death anniversary of the PPP founding chairman, he said that April 4 is the day for the renewal of pledge for the leadership and workers of PPP that they will not hesitate from rendering any kind of sacrifice in the achievement of the party mission.
He said that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

wanted the strengthening of democracy in the country and accepted gallows in the struggle for the rights of the downtrodden classes of the society. He said that Zulfikat Ali Bhutto declined to bow before the military dictator and his daughter Benazir Bhutto also followed the suite and martyred in the struggle for restoration of democracy in the country.
He said that due to these reasons once again a PPP government has been established in Pakistan under the leadership of the co-chairman, President, Asif Ali Zardari and the graph of the popularity of the party is on rise.
Paying tributes to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on the eve his 32nd death anniversary, he urged the party workers to promote his philosophy and utilize their all available resources for the promotion of democratic culture in the country.
Syed Zahir Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of health in the provincial cabinet, said that PPP is top popular political party and having roots in the masses. He said that the party founded by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has become as top popular political party.
He said that all conspiracies against the party would be foiled, saying whenever PPP come to power, anti-democratic forces indulged in such attempts.
However, he warned such forces that though the leadership of the party could be physically eliminated, but they will never succeed in the elimination of the party.
The provincial president PPP said that though today Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Shaheed Benazir Bhutto are not amongst them, but their philosophies are still guiding them and will continue in future also.

Female boxer shot before fight in Germany

Germany’s female world lightweight boxing champion Rola El-Halabi was recovering in hospital on Saturday after being gunned down before a title fight.

The 25-year-old, born in Lebanon, but raised in Ulm, Germany, was preparing for a WIBF title fight against Bosnia’s Irma Balijagic-Adler in Karlshorst, Berlin, on Friday when she was shot in her dressing room.

A 44-year-old man, believed to the boxer’s step-father and her former manager, fired at El-Halabi’s legs and hands, as well as wounding two security guards in the process, before police arrested him.

All three victims later needed emergency operations in hospital.

El-Halabi received three wounds and is recovering in hospital, but there are fears her injuries could threaten her career.

She is undefeated after 11 fights with six knock-outs.

Afghanistan: when gentle Mazar-e-Sharif erupted in violence

UN workers warn killings in surge of anger prompted by Qur'an burning could end Afghan mission

Syed Jamal had a front-row seat for Friday's sacking of the UN compound in Mazar-e-Sharif. The small building containing offices for the provincial mission are separated from the bread shop owned by the 17-year-old's family by just an open drain and a few dozen yards of rutted, unpaved road.

The day after the attack, a group of 20 bored policemen were lounging around in the front of the gutted building, biding their time by reading UN leaflets that had become strewn in front of the building, and standing guard in front of a pair of burned-out trucks.

But the dramatic events of Friday – events that shocked the world, imperilled the entire UN mission and raised serious doubts about how Afghanistan will handle the handover of power from its foreign backers – were of marginal interest to Jamal and the boys messing around on the corner.

And there were mixed feelings about the rights and wrongs of an incident that cost the lives of seven UN staff – four Gurkha security guards and three European UN diplomats – making it the worst crisis to hit the international organisation in Afghanistan.

Yes, they thought what happened on their doorstep was wrong – particularly the beheading of two UN staff, who they accepted were only in Mazar to "serve Afghanistan". But, they said, "the foreigners" needed to understand the level of anger at the desecration of the Qur'an by a Christian extremist on the other side of the world.

"Why do they not respect us?" asked Jamal. "We do not burn their Christian books, so they need to understand that the Qur'an is our most holy book."

It was a question repeated in other parts of Afghanistan as anger over the Qur'an-burning fuelled a second day of violence, sparking riots in the southern city of Kandahar in which nine protesters died and more than 80 were injured. Demonstrations in cities such as Kabul and Herat against Florida pastor Terry Jones's stunt were reported to have stayed peaceful, in stark comparison to Friday's drama in Mazar.

It was in the city's exquisite Blue Mosque, where Jones's Qur'an-burning was the subject of a Friday-prayers sermon, that the afternoon's bloody sequence of events began to unfold. Upon leaving the mosque, worshippers found another set of religious leaders in a Toyota Corolla kitted out with loudspeakers urging people to join them at the burning of Jones in effigy.

But then the crowd turned and started walking the one-mile journey towards the UN compound.

Atiullah Ansari, head of the Blue Mosque, said there had been no plan to do that and claimed that radical madrasa students from outside the city were to blame. These "agents of the Taliban and Hezb-e-Islami [a Taliban-allied insurgent group]" were solely responsible for the violence, he argued.

That view was also being pushed by provincial government officials keen to blame a small minority for inciting the violence, although few analysts accepted it. Unusually, one of the Taliban's spokesmen, Zabiullah Mujahid – a man not usually given to missing an opportunity to claim credit for mayhem – sent a text message to the Observer denying involvement.

If the glimmer of popular sympathy for violence in Mazar is disturbing, so too is the fact that such a terrible attack on western civilians should have happened there at all. Mazar is a highly secure city of ordered streets, where cars are regulated by traffic lights which, almost uniquely in Afghanistan, not only work but are obeyed.

When Liam Fox, the defence secretary, toured Afghanistan, he made a point of adding Mazar to the usual British itinerary of Kabul and Helmand. "It was a totally unthreatening environment," he said at the time. "It's a city the size of Bristol and it felt just like any safe city in Central Asia."

Indeed, there are few signs of the concrete bastions and blast walls that encrust important buildings in other Afghan cities. The newly opened US consulate, which has taken over an old hotel, does not even have razor wire along its not particularly high walls.

And the UN compound looks, with hindsight, absurdly under-protected. Little stood in the way of Friday's crowds except a metal car barrier and a couple of Gurkhas who, on being overwhelmed by the crowds, were beaten with the butts of their own assault rifles, eyewitnesses said.

The image of a furious mob cutting down the white men who had come into their midst conjured up parallels with the west's previous forays into the country, not least the first Anglo-Afghan War, which was preceded by a crowd overwhelming a British position and killing the famous diplomat Alexander Burnes in 1841.

That incident had in part been due to the dissolute behaviour of foreigners that had been gradually enraging the locals in the conservative Islamic country for some time.

Many believe the same is happening again. "There is a lot of anger after years in which western military operations have caused an accumulation of civilian casualty cases," wrote Thomas Ruttig, director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network. "Afghans are tired of the repeated initial denials, then admission that something may have gone wrong and then apologies. Paying compensation might be nice gestures but cannot bring anyone back to life."

Politicians, including the president Hamid Karzai, tap into public anger in order – claim his many critics – to mask his own shortcomings. The day before the Mazar riots, the Afghan president fuelled the controversy by condemning the Qur'an burning and calling for Jones to be arrested.

In days gone by, the UN liked to think it stood above the many conflicts in Afghanistan, working as a vital independent arbiter. Today, however, the international organisation is regarded as too weak to be truly useful by the Americans and partisan by both the government and much of the insurgent movement.

The Karzai government's displeasure with the UN was illustrated earlier this month when Ban Ki-moon, the organisation's secretary general, received an extraordinary letter from the Afghan foreign minister demanding radical changes to its mandate in the country. The government demanded that the UN close down many of its offices, limiting its presence to just "six recognised zones throughout the country."

The tragedy is that the UN had just started preparing for potentially greater risks to its staff in future, as the country starts a multi-year process of "transition" from Nato to Afghan security control.

By the end of 2014, the entire country is meant to be in the hands of the Afghan National Army and its police force, with certain cities and provinces due to be transfer this year – including Mazar. But in a sign that they are not fully confident in Afghanistan's security services, UN officers have been looking at ways to improve the safety of their staff in areas that are soon to be handed over.

Even in Bamiyan, by far the most benign and anti-Taliban area in the country, which is also slated to be transferred away from Nato control this year, the UN has drawn up plans to move from the compound that has served it well for years to the other side of the town and a more secure area.

It is the sort of development that is likely to further erode already rock-bottom morale among many UN staff who, over the last two years, have seen their freedom to operate drastically curtailed in the name of security. Today they live and work in increasingly fortress-like facilities and only see everyday Afghanistan through the thick glass of their armoured vehicles.

Now things could get even worse, with many UN staffers predicting that – as with the aftermath of an attack on a Kabul guesthouse in 2009 that left five dead – many people might be sent out of the country altogether to work remotely for Afghanistan from Dubai.

Writing on her personal blog in response to Friday's attack, one aid worker called Una Moore said that the episode did not represent the beginning of the end of the international presence in Afghanistan; "this is the end," she wrote.

"Unless we, the internationals, want our guards to fire on unarmed protesters from now on, the day has come for us to leave Afghanistan."