Eric Margolis, foreign correspondent for Sun National Media in Canada, discusses the turmoil in Pakistan, the Pakistani population’s growing hatred for the United States for propping up their dictatorship and growing belief that the U.S. is waging a war on Islam itself, Musharraf’s relationship with the Pakistani Army, Benazir Bhutto’s People’s Party, the possibility of a power-sharing arrangement, their conflict with India over Kashmir, American backing of various terrorists against Iran and the catastrophe that is Iraq.
MP3 here. (20:56)
Award winning author, columnist, and broadcaster Eric S. Margolis has covered 14 wars and is a leading authority on military affairs, the Middle East, South Asia, and Islamic movements. He is the author of War at the Top of the World. See his website.
Pakistan has an inherrent fibre riddled with complexcities: Given the cards …. Musharraf played very well! He has brought all the players into the arena …. let the match begin. America has to live up to its flawed foreign policy.
The so called turmoil in Pakistan is self inflicted so the healing will have to begin from within.
Musharraf’s able Leadership kept the middle-East turmoil to its source. History will judge Musharraf for the Renaissance unleashed in the environment he gernerated.
Well played Mr.President!
Pakistan has been passing through periods of relative stability and upheavel. It seems that we are going through a vicious circle, which is uneding. Our intellectuals generally ascribe this to lack of education and absence of democracy. But they conveniently forget that the elite which is running the show are higly qualified, often foreign educated people.
Every nation has some norms and expectations. Successive governments have broken their hopes, consistantly. 97% of our population is Muslim which grows up hearing tales of Khulfae Rashedin. Their selfless service, justice and fairplay and except a welfare state similar to the one established by rightly guided caliphs. All necessities of the populace are provided irrespective of its financial status and accidents and mishaps are covered through a balanced system.
But their political leaders in a bid to make best of their tenure, do not dare annoy the powers that be and keep the lid tight on the status quo. A party serves the interests of landed aristocracy and other is happy with protecting manufacturers and aders. Nobody thinks of the common man being presed under the wheels of unemployment and rising cost of living. Pursuing policies that make rich richer and poor more poor, they almost invariably become unpopular and people become disgusted with them, in two three years time. Sixty long years have been wasted, but the collective conscince of the nation has failed to respond to its responsibility.
Our problem is not only the corrupt politicians and outrageous civil and military bureaucrats, but also our press. Most of the newspapers are supportive of one political party or the other for a price. Real independent newspapers and periodicals representing the silent majority hardly exist. Blackmialing and asking for favours in return of support are rampant. Urdu’s largest newspaper group has been getting 50% of expenses, to toe the government line. No wonder prsess and media ownership has become burgeoning business. “Jang ” newspaper is the largest business group of the country whereas Nawae Waqt is 9th with “Dawn” faring in between.
A famous American statesman had said: “Give me a corrupt executive, give me a dishonest judiciary and I will handle them providing you give me an independent press”.
But corrupt press columnists keep confusing the people.The success of Pakistan movement owes much to free journalists like Muhammad Ali Jauhar, Zafar Ali Khan and Hasrat Mohani. Our present day generation cannot believe that we ever had a free press and journalists gave even their lives to the cause of nation. Not only polictical chicanery, but also licentious and free for all advertising in blatant disregard of our values is going full throtle,as if these people do not have to show their face to Almighty Allah. Joint sessions of the press barons take place, but the subjects discussed only cover more protection, more previleges and never a word is spoken about jointly rejecting amoral advertisements. Even programs as harmless as news buletins and cricket matches are often loaded with dancing beauties and free mixing of sexes.
All this went through my mind in a fraction of second,when I heard the first Ayat of Surah Al-Anbia:
” The Day of Reckoning has drawn nigh, but people are heedlessly busy in their mischiefs ”
In fact a big sign of the day of Justice is that people would become
least borthered about it!.
by Javed Iqbal Kaleem
sajjad
“America has to live up to its flawed foreign policy.”
I wonder what it will take for people to stop believing that.
It is no wonder that the multitudes and compassionate learned in Pakistan want Sharif back. Power to the people everywhere.
I always thought USA was a great friend of Pakistan and believed that we could always count on it. But the last 20 years have proved just the opposite. The Western Foreign Policies have taken 180% turn against Muslims. It is this shift in Policy that has marginalized support for USA in Muslim Countries.
The West in general and USA in particular insists on side-linning Muslims, in favour of minority groups: Isreal and India. The current Global divide is a direct result of this policy. In the interest of peace and fairness this trend must be changed and Muslims must be made mainstream in Global affairs. The lack of which will change the world forever, as the so called third world has emmpowered itself economically and will not be USA or WEST fixceted.
I fail to understand, why the foreign journalists try become experts on Pakistan, ignoring the ground realities? Why people like Eric think they are aware of the views of the silent majority? The silent majority supports President Musharraf, due to his visionary policies that stabled Pakistan’s economy & under him we got our best infrastructure. Pakistan is progressing ahead!
The USA has been bogged down in Afghanistan and Iraq, due to its infleuntial neo-conservative policies. How many more countries need to be taken down in order to secure your Caspian Sea Gas reserves & Iraqi oil reserves? Pakistan will survive no matter how much the world conspires…we have a leader who is GOD protected and a nation who is no more ignorant!