September 2007
Mohtarma Bhutto
condemns brutal attack on opposition
Islamabad September 29,
2007: Former Prime Minister and
Chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has
condemned the brutal attack on Opposition members by the Musharraf regime on
the occasion of scrutiny of papers of Presidential candidates Saturday.
In a statement today she said eight years after seizing power and promising
to restore true democracy the present regime had failed to win public
support. It was relying on increasingly violent methods to stay in power,
she said.
The former Prime Minister said that the present dictatorship was responsible
for the civil war conditions in the country because it refused to allow
democracy to emerge.
Mohtarma Bhutto said the attack on Parliamentarian Chaudhry Zamarud, members
of the press, political workers and women activists was deplorable and
illegal.
She hoped the Supreme Court would take suo moto notice of the attacks and
punish the members of law enforcement that had violated the right of
citizens to peaceful protest.
Bhuttos, Pakistan N-Programme
and Dr. A.Q. Khan
By Wajid Shamsul Hasan -
September 29, 2007: At a
defining moment in Pakistan’s chequered history former Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto is to return home to lead the socio-economic and politically
deprived masses in what is being described as “mother of all elections” to
save Pakistan from being talibanised or be declared a failed state.
Her long absence from Pakistan and their connivance with the Establishment
had provided the obscurantist forces, religious extremists and all other
Bhutto haters/ doddering vestiges of the old order-- a golden opportunity to
play foul with the fate of the country.
A Pakistan designed to be secular and democratic by the founding fathers was
perforce allowed to be hijacked by the bigoted clerics who had opposed the
Quaid’s progressive and modern vision. And the land where its citizens were
not to be discriminated on account of their caste, creed or colour was
pushed to be fragmented by the theocrats in league with their undemocratic
mentors who preferred to lay down their arms before a foreign enemy rather
than surrender to the political will of the people and accept them as the
sole arbiters of power.
Now these elements have either camouflaged themselves in the garb of
so-called enlightened moderation when they actually are obscurantist wolves
in sheep’s clothing. As partners in the pillage of pelf and power in the
post 9-11 Pakistan, for the first time the very thought of Benazir Bhutto’s
return is causing them sleepless nights.
Ever since she announced that she would return home, come what may, to lead
the country in the transition to democracy through free, fair and
transparent elections her political adversaries—both in the corridors of
power and outside—have been trying to outdo each other in distorting her
image by their vicarious spins to her well-thought out mission to restore
the supremacy of the masses.
There is no strange co-incidence in the similarity of the concerted
anti-Bhutto campaign by the regime’s dirty mouth pieces and the MMA mullahs
who signed the death warrant for democracy by dancing to the Praetorian
bagpipers to merrily incorporate 17th amendment recently described by the
apex court as an extra-constitutional intervention—not by a military ruler
but the so-called elected representatives of the people represented by MMA.
I would not like to refer here in detail to the gall of those who bought
their freedom from the Attock jail through foreign intervention after
signing an agreement to keep out of politics for ten years. Having done the
“mother of all deals” to save their skin and their wealth, they should have
some qualm of remorse when they accuse PPP Chairperson of striking a deal
with the regime. Indeed, there has been an engagement between the two to
seek return of undiluted democracy and not to have the cases concocted by
Mian Nawaz Sharif’s notorious right hand man—Senator Saifur Rahman--
quashed. While the “mother of all deals” was directed to gain personal
freedom and palatial comforts—PPP’s thrust in the engagement has been to
seek free and fair elections through independent election commission under a
neutral government with level playing field for all political parties and
leaders—including Mian brothers and PML (N).
There is another orchestrated campaign by both the HMV’s of the regime that
wag their tongues and tails with equal ferocity and also the likes of Qazis,
Khans, Mians and et all--who accuse PPP Chairperson of being rather
pro-American. It is something like pot calling the kettle black. Those
currently occupying key positions in the regime—like Ejaul Haq—have
conveniently forgotten the fact that it were Pakistan’s military rulers who
have rendered Pakistan’s sovereignty and independence into a myth and not
Bhuttos.
Martyred Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had summed it up brilliantly in his historic
treatise “The Myth of Independence”—the pathetic plight of his country and
its military leader who used to look to the West for its nod of approval for
everything that he did since—like those of his uniformed colleagues who
succeeded him—he lacked domestic and popular legitimacy. Like all military
rulers he did not derive strength from his own people but his hold on power
depended on support from outside.
One would also like to recall here how a Pakistani prime minister had to
rush to President Clinton to plead to save Pakistan from the dreadful
fall-out consequences of the Kargil misadventure in 1999. Had the Americans
not intervened effectively then, a war with India could not be averted. And
indeed much earlier to that--in 1971-- had not President Nixon stopped Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi from advancing her conquering troops into West
Pakistan after having captured 5000 square miles of Pakistani land on the
western front, by now we would have become a foot note in history.
Please also recall how as the opposition leader Benazir Bhutto saved
Pakistan from being declared a terrorist rogue state in 1993. Even in
General Zia’s time —Benazir Bhutto—considered a ‘security risk’ by him had
used her good offices to save Pakistan from American sanctions. India Today
(May 15, 1984) reported: “During her whirlwind tour of Washington last
month, Benazir Bhutto worked a near political miracle that pulled General
Ziaul Haq’s chestnuts out of the fire. Almost single-handedly, she succeeded
in persuading the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—which had adopted a
resolution that could have ended all American aid to Pakistan—to change its
mind”.
It is generally perceived that the American administration is very unpopular
in Pakistan following 9-11, invasion of Afghanistan, Iraq and its sustained
inability to translate into reality its promise of an independent Palestine
state. Notwithstanding his own conduct and failure to restore democracy, his
supporters claim that much of the flak that General Musharraf receives from
within Pakistan is because of his being too pro-American.
Even his worst critics acknowledge today that ZAB had restored Pakistan’s
image of honour and respect in the comity of nations by his pro-active
foreign policy, his support to the Arabs and his sincere commitment to the
Third World. It was General Zia who pushed this revived image of respect
back to square one by receiving trunk loads of dollars from CIA chief Casey
to wage American Jihad in Afghanistan. Now GPM is also accused of sailing in
Ziaist boat.
What has prompted me to write this column is a well-orchestrated media
blitzkrieg launched against Ms Bhutto following her speech at the Middle
East Institute at Washington DC. Pakistani media seems to have gone berserk
on an alleged comment made by Ms Bhutto on the issue of Dr A.Q. Khan. One of
my friends instead of telling me what it was about urged me to “tell her all
her voters live in Pakistan and not Washington”. Before I could get to know
what the whole issue was about there was another long distance phone. This
time it was from a retired general. “What is wrong with your leader?” He
described her comment about Dr Qadeer Khan as anti-state—a charge later
orchestrated by Minister of State for Information.
Being a journalist of some experience—I got to the bottom of the matter that
caused such a hullabaloo. Those who consider Ms Bhutto as their arch
political rival, a challenger to their authority and those who consider her
as the main stumbling block between them and power—have armies of spin
doctors hired by them with watery mouths and well-lined pockets—sitting like
vultures to attack any utterances from her that they could vomit to the
media as ‘anti-state’, ‘anti-national interest’ and ‘anti-Pakistan’.
Since they throw up instantly, they get away by putting words in her mouth
before PPP media people come to know of the distortion and their
clarification to put the record straight. I am sure her portion of the
Middle East Institute speech that “each military dictatorship has undermined
the independent judiciary by sacking of judges. In the last twenty years, my
government is the only one which has neither removed a Chief Justice nor
attacked the premises of the Supreme Court” must have annoyed all
those-present as well as of the immediate past—who have played dirty with
the highest judiciary. I wish a mention was also made to the sacrifice in
blood given by the People’s Party Workers—more than 40 of them—for the
restoration of judicial honour and dignity.
To the crux of the so-called controversial matter. I got the text of her
speech at the Middle East Institute in Washington and also the transcript of
her answers to the questions raised on the occasion by the audience. No
where did she ever say that when she would come into power she would hand
over Dr Qadeer Khan to IAEA interrogators.
During the question and answer session Ms Bhutto was asked the hypothetical
question whether a government led by her would cooperate with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in investigating charges against
Dr. A.Q. Khan. She responded by saying that a PPP government would extend
full cooperation to the International Atomic Energy Commission. This
position is not very different from what the current government says or any
other responsible government in Pakistan would say. This simple statement of
a factual position has been distorted to imply that she promised any
unlawful handing over of anyone to foreigners. Not only that PPP spokesman’s
reassertion in the clarification that: “The PPP seeks to establish rule of
law and there is no question of violating Pakistani or International law in
relation to the freedom and personal rights of anyone, including Dr A.Q.
Khan” should be reassuring for all and sundry.
A little digression on Pakistan’s nuclear programme. No doubt a new book by
British authors Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark titled
“DECEPTION—Pakistan, the United States and the secret trade in nuclear
weapons” is loaded with hitherto not known facts and reveals threadbare the
extensive role of the uniformed and un-uniformed important Pakistanis in Dr
A.Q. Khan’s net work, I would comment about it when I complete reading it.
I would suffice here to mention briefly that ZAB preferred death than to
give up his pursuit for the nuclear glow for Pakistan. As the youngest
minister in Ayub Khan’s cabinet he set a nuclear goal for Pakistan’s
progress and defence deterrence. ZAB had believed that a self-reliant
Pakistan could face an adversary six times bigger than its size. More than
the generals, he used to underscore the need for strengthening of the
nation’s defence capability supplemented by self-sufficiency and economic
development.
Having started his march on the dream goal much before, it was in 1972 as
President of the country he put his major thrust for a nuclear course. He
told his nuclear scientists in Multan “we will eat grass and have the bomb”.
There was no turning back from then onward. Besides strengthening the
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, he set up yet another institution—the KRL—following
the Indian explosion in 1974. He brought in Dr A.Q. Khan in 1976 to be part
of his two-pronged pursuit of nuclear bomb. Pakistan would have crash-landed
in the exclusive nuclear club as early as late1977 or the beginning of 1978.
But then ZAB was made a horrible example by General Ziaul Haq.
In one of his last meetings ZAB emphasised to his daughter that Pakistan’s
nuclear programme should remain deterrent and at no stage transfer of
technology be permitted. According to him, those opposed to it might swallow
the bitter pill of a Pakistani bomb but they would unleash their wrath on
Pakistan if it passes the technology onto other Muslim or friendly
countries. They would not let Pakistani bomb become an Islamic bomb.
In order to secure it ZAB introduced impregnable security procedures that
became a permanent fixture and were later strictly followed by General Zia.
These security procedures worked smoothly until 1989 when Pakistan had cold
tested the nuclear device and its clandestine nuclear programme became a
major object of concern for our adversaries.
As prime minister in late 1988 Ms Bhutto was approached by military high
command to use her influence—courtesy her late father-- to get Pakistan
assistance in nuclear and missile technology from China and North Korea. The
military knew the enormous extent of high esteem that late Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto was held by the Chinese and North Korean leadership. She could have
had made the Chinese and North Korean assistance conditional to the
completion of her tenure in office but instead of getting foreign countries
involved in the internal politics, Benazir Bhutto decided to give benefit of
the doubt to the generals.
By this time Pakistan was approached by some Muslim countries for help in
their nuclear programmes. In her meetings with her top brass—she underscored
Bhutto’s N-Doctrine. She recalled what her father had told her. While taking
promise from her to continue his nuclear mission, ZAB had told her that
Pakistan was on the threshold of a nuclear breakthrough and she should do
her best to protect it with her life Pakistan’s nuclear programme and two of
the institutions that he had painstakingly built i.e. KRL and Pakistan
Atomic Energy Commission.
ZAB had also told her to ensure that Pakistan’s nuclear technology is not
transferred to any one since its transfer would be of suicidal consequences
for Pakistan. “For our adversaries it would be difficult to swallow the fact
that we have managed to make a bomb—but the transfer of nuclear technology
to any of the Muslim countries would provoke their wrath to obliterate ours
as well. That we must not allow to happen” were some of the last words of
ZAB who staked his life to provide a nuclear bomb for Pakistan as a
deterrent.
It has been Benazir Bhutto’s mission to protect Pakistan’s nuclear programme.
According to her, our nuclear programme was a matter of life and death for
Pakistan. No one would be allowed to roll it back nor would be permitted to
stop its further development solely as a deterrent. In her nuclear doctrine
there is total ban on transfer of nuclear technology for “money or
friendship”. Bhutto, it needs to be mentioned, got a consensus agreement on
her nuclear doctrine from her top brass and had succeeded in putting a bar
on the export of nuclear technology in December 1988.
Like all patriotic Pakistanis Ms Bhutto has always been rightly stressing
upon the need for a bipartisan parliamentary investigation into the
violation of Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine and its proliferation. Such an
inquiry is a must to reassure the international community that Pakistan is a
responsible nation and it can secure its nuclear arsenal through an
impregnable command and control system under a strong democratic government.
This shall have to be done post haste to nip that Western lobby in the bud
that believes that in order to attack Iran’s nuclear programme Pakistan’s
shall have to be destroyed first to ensure it does not fall in the hands of
Taliban and religious extremists. An in-depth inquiry is a must to know
whether the powers that be made Dr Khan a scapegoat to save their skins and
the huge financial benefits thereof or Dr Kan was the sole beneficiary of
the proliferation racket. Pakistani nation also needs to be satisfied that
their national hero has not been victimised by those who remain invisible
but are actually the sole villain of the piece.
Constitutional
petition if nomination papers of General Musharraf accepted by CEC today
Islamabad
September 28, 2007: Commenting on the Supreme Court verdict today
spokesperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party has issued the following
statement today.
“A complete reaction to the verdict can be made only after reading the full
judgment of the Supreme Court.
“As of now however, it seems that the verdict today is more of a technical
nature in as much as the Court has simply admitted the prerogative of the
Election Commission to decide on the issue of the eligibility.
“If on Saturday September 29 the CEC decided the issue of eligibility in
favour of General Musharraf the PPP will file objections against it and
challenge it through a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court.
"The PPP has already said that if General Musharraf was allowed to contest
elections in uniform the Party will consider the option of resigning from
the Assemblies unless General Musharraf took steps for the restoration of
democracy and for national reconciliation.
"If the CEC decided against the eligibility of Musharraf then the PPP’s
candidate Makhdoom Amin Fahim will remain in the field as Presidential
candidate.
Musharraf not out of
woods yet: Benazir
WASHINGTON, Sept
28: President Pervez Musharraf is not out of the woods yet and
the real challenge to him will come after the scrutiny of his nomination
papers, says former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
“This is a temporary reprieve and the real test will come when the
nomination is challenged,” said Ms Bhutto while commenting on the Supreme
Court’s decision on Gen Musharraf holding of two offices. In an interview
with Dawn, Ms Bhutto said the judgment was expected to favour Gen Musharraf
because the petitions filed against him dealt with an old issue, whether he
can hold the offices of the army chief and the president together. The
Supreme Court, she said, left it to the Election Commission to determine the
eligibility of Gen Musharraf to contest once again for the office of the
president while continuing as the army chief.
“If the EC decides in favour of Musharraf, there will be fresh legal
challenges in the Supreme Court. The old challenge was not a serious work,
the next will be,” she said.
She said the old petition pertained to the validation that has already been
given to the president. The new challenge, she said, would follow the
scrutiny of the nominations papers. The EC is already perceived to be under
the presidency’s pressure, and recently amended a disqualification clause
relating to Gen Musharraf, so it would likely decide in his favour, she
added. “Then the candidates will go to the Supreme Court to challenge that
decision, given that he is still a government servant and does not fulfil
the mandatory lapse of two years after retirement, the petitioners will have
a valid ground.”
Asked how Friday’s decision would impact the progress towards democracy, Ms
Bhutto said it would affect it adversely, leading to a fresh period of
uncertainty. This uncertainty, she said, would also be exploited by the
militants trying to create a civil war in the country. The preoccupation
with legal challenges, she added, would divert the government’s attention
from real issues.
The PPP will not
accept a President in Uniform, Rehman
Islamabad,
September 27: The Pakistan Peoples Party has reiterated its
principled position that it would not accept a President in uniform.
Central Information Secretary of the PPP, Sherry Rehman has said that while
the party respects the decision of the superior courts, the party has an
established political stance on the controversial blurring of lines between
military and civilian rule.
"The PPP gave the nation its first consensus constitution in 1973, and if
the spirit of that has been distorted by amendments made to concentrate
power in the hands of one person, then the whole point of a democratically
run federation is systematically undermined. If General Musharraf continues
to keep the post of army chief while attempting a presidential re-election,
then he is violating fundamental norms that are enshrined in a civilian
parliamentary system" said Rehman. The party will not allow a clear field to
either the General nor the Q League in this presidential election, and has
fielded Makhdoom Amin Fahim to block any such attempts for an uncontested
poll.
All following decisions will be taken on October 3 in the PPP's CEC meeting
in London.
" Pakistan has gone through enough military rule for the whole world to see
how this great nation has had to pay the price of non-democratic take-overs,
rubber-stamp referendums, and the subversion of popular aspirations over its
checquered history, and it is high time that we got past having to fight
over fundamental issues such as who will govern, and how. The nation has had
enough of dictators who never want to leave power because they invariably
start to see themselves as above the law, and end up ignoring the issues
that afflict the vast majority. Instead of worrying about how to reduce
wheat and food-stuff prices, building better schools and healthcare
facilities in the public sector, the entire political class and the 160
million people they represent is kept busy in struggling for basic rights
over and over again, said Rehman
"The country needs relief from political polarisation and the instability
that invariably follows such tussles over issues that were long since
decided by the people of Pakistan. We need to establish democratic
traditions where clinging to power is not the only driving factor, where
military strongmen see the writing on the wall and relinquish their posts to
the process of natural evolution. Pakistan is indeed a strategically vital
country, but that does not mean that a military chief should rule by force.
What is sorely needed today is a free and fair election, so that at least
the country can resume the process of democratic institution building.
The PPP seeks a transparent, accountable civilian government that is brought
to a sovreign parliament by the power of the ballot, not the bullet, she
added. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto will be given a befitting reception to
Pakistan on October 18, as workers all over the country in each district
have already begun their celebrations and arrangements. After that, no one
will be able to stop the party from seeking its mandate from the people.
Democratization in
Pakistan
The Middle East Institute
Washington, DC - September 25, 2007
Benazir Bhutto
1. Ladies and gentlemen. I thank Ambassador
Chamberlin and the Middle East Institute for the invitation to be with you
this morning. I visit at critical and uncertain time in Pakistan. When the
history of my nation is written, we will look back to the fall of 2007 as a
genuine turning point in Pakistan.
2. It is a critical fork in the road between democracy and dictatorship and
between moderation and extremism. In its resolution lies not only the future
of Pakistan, but also its ability to contain the spread of militancy and
extremism which now threatens the territorial integrity of Pakistan. The
stakes could not be higher.
3. Four times in history, Washington has supported military dictatorship in
Pakistan. Three times the US acted out of perceived self-interest to
constrain communism. Today Islamabad enjoys the support of Washington
because General Musharraf’s military regime is viewed as a vital asset in
fighting extremism and contributing to regional and global security.
4. Some argue that extremism can better be confronted by a military backed
regime. As such, a controlled dictatorship is seen as a stable and reliable
ally, as opposed to a truly elected government that has the support of the
people.
5. It will not surprise you that I disagree with this view quite vigorously.
I think it is a strategic miscalculation that has had a negative impact in
the battle against violent fanaticism, posing grave dangers both to Pakistan
and the larger world community.
6. The recent German investigation into a terrorist conspiracy simply
reinforces this view. It certainly makes Pakistan uncomfortable that whether
it is John Reid the Shoe bomber, or Tanweer the tube bomber, or Khalid
Sheikh the CEO of Al Qaida, or the German plot — unfortunately the steps
lead back to our country. But none of these high-profile terrorist acts took
place when I was the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The attacks on the World
Trade Towers, the Cole ship at Yemen, the embassies in africa, the blasts in
bombay and in the indian parl took place when I was in opposition
7. Since 9/11 the Musharraf regime has professed support for confronting
militancy. But actions on the ground have not matched the rhetoric. Indeed,
the only nation on this planet that has ever signed an actual peace treaty
with the Taliban and al Qaeda militants is the current regime in Islamabad.
8. Large sections of Pakistan’s tribal areas have been ceded to non
Pakistanis in the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militias. In fact, after defeat and
demoralization following the fall of the Kabul, these violent elements have
re-organized themselves under the shadow of the military regime. They attack
NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan every day. They conduct suicide
attacks within Pakistan killing innocent people. On September 20, 2007, Al –
Qaeda declared war on the Pakistan army.
9. Military dictatorship has fueled extremism. A democratically elected
government enjoying the support of the people can bring peace to the people
of Pakistan and eliminate extremism. Eliminate terrorism by taking extremism
off the radar screen of the region.
10. I was the civilian female leader of a democratic Pakistan that invested
political capital in the tribal areas that a military regime has failed to
control. As Prime Minister I brought the rule of law and the fruits of
development to the people in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. My
government broke up the international drug cartel’s militias that have now
reasserted themselves under the Musharraf rule and are funding Al – Qaeda to
have a narco-fiefdom. My Administration brought the authority of the
government and the rule of law to FATA in the 1990s. And we can do it again.
11. I would also add that as Prime Minister I took the necessary steps to
close down political madrassas whose curriculum taught hatred and para-military
terrorist techniques. I did this before they became a threat to the world
community. I considered them a threat to the stability, security and
progress of the people of Pakistan.
12. Since the dismissal of my government by military hardliners that had
fought the Afghan Jihad of the eighties, there has been an explosion in
these militant training schools, educating a successor generation of
extremists, reinforcing irregular armies in Pakistan who have made my nation
the Petri dish of the international extremist movement.
13 General Musharraf’s team, many of them linked to a military dictatorship
of the eighties, that founded the Afghan Mujahideen to fight the Soviets in
Afghanistan, has presided over the rise of political Madrassas and private
militias while neglecting social issues and governance.
14. The people of Pakistan want a government that can build a school system
giving their children a chance for a better life. Education was the
centerpiece of my social agenda. My government built 48,000 primary schools
in its two stints in government.
15. If the people of Pakistan wish me to lead them again, education will be
the center-piece of a new PPP government.
16. General Musharraf has tried convincing the world that he is the only
thing standing in the way of an extremist takeover of a nuclear armed
Pakistan. In fact military rule is the cause of this anarchic situation in
Pakistan. Extremism thrives under dictatorship.
17. When Osama Bin Laden declares war on Musharraf, it makes the West rally
around Musharraf’s dictatorship. This in turn extends the environment that
enables Osama to thrive.
18. Neither Musharraf nor Osama Bin Laden wants democracy for their own
reason. One considers democracy a threat to his dictatorship; the other
considers democracy a threat to the environment of chaos and fear in which
he thrives.
19. Both know that the people of Pakistan have never supported dictatorship
or extremism.
20. It is only dictatorships which have used the Islamic card to legitimize
their rule at the expense of the neglected people of Pakistan.
Dictatorships, lacking a popular base, need the religious card, played in
one shape or another, to justify their stranglehold on power. They need a
crisis to obtain international support, both political and financial.
Extremists have never been able to achieve more than 11% of the vote in a
free election, and they will do worse, not better if free elections are held
today.
21. The Musharraf dictatorship like its predecessors is only establishing
the prerequisites for the radicalization of Pakistani society. As our people
continue to be deprived of basic political and human rights, and as the
social needs of our working families go unmet, people lose faith in the
ability of government to respond to their needs. When they lose faith, they
become hopeless, they become desperate and they tend to become vulnerable to
the hysterical appeals of extremists.
22. Ladies and gentlemen, dictatorship in Pakistan is not containing
extremism, it is fueling it.
23. The suppression of democracy in my homeland has had profound
institutional consequences.
24. Each of Pakistan’s four military dictatorships has assaulted the major
infrastructural building blocks of democracy -- by attempting to marginalize
political parties, dismantling NGO’s and undermining civil society, by
constraining labor and student unions, and allowing the intelligence
agencies and government members to physically assault and intimidate the
free press.
25. Each military dictatorship has undermined the independent judiciary by
sacking of judges. In the last twenty years, my government is the only one
which has neither removed a Chief Justice nor attacked the premises of the
Supreme Court.
26. Let me tell you what dictatorships do allow to flourish.
27. Under General Musharraf, the military intelligence agencies have
received over ten billion dollars in unaccountable assistance from the U.S.
government. Retired military officers from the security forces who fought
the Afghan Jihad of the eighties are running our intelligence and
administration.
28. The ones who recruited the Mujahideen who morphed into Taliban and
Al-Qaeda are in charge of our homeland security. Under their watch religious
extremists have expanded in Pakistan. Radical mosques and madrassas have
been encouraged as an alternative to recognized political institutions. They
are awash in money and weapons while the people of Pakistan bear the burden
of unemployment, inflation, poverty and hunger.
29. Dictatorships, by dismantling the infrastructure of democracy, allow the
mosques to become the only outlet of political expression in Pakistan.
30. The Musharraf regime has appointed extremists to head many of the
mosques. For example the head cleric of the Red Mosque in Islamabad who led
a mutiny in the summer of 2007 was appointed by the regime of General
Musharraf. When he was caught smuggling weapons into Islamabad in 2004, he
was released by the Minister of Religious Affairs. The same Minister has
twice defended suicide attacks before a Pakistani audience while retracting
them for the international community.
31. When Pakistanis gather to pray on Friday in the mosques they are often
subjected to long lectures by radical clerics appointed by the government
even as the government claims publicly to be against extremism. The voices
of moderation are exiled or imprisoned. The voices of extremism are
protected.
32. We are all united in the common effort of the world community against
violence and extremism that would destroy our values and the social fabric
of our societies. I am returning to Pakistan to coalesce the forces of
moderation against extremism and to prove that the fundamental battle for
the hearts and minds of a generation can only be accomplished under
democracy.
33. Extremism looms as a threat, but it will be contained again as it has
been contained in the past, if the “moderate middle” can be mobilized to
stand up to fanaticism. And I intend to lead that struggle. I intend to
mobilize the moderate center of my nation to assert control of our future
and protect us from the threat of extremism and fanaticism.
34. Moderate and centrist political parties, thriving human and political
rights NGOs, the media, and progressive leadership within our security and
intelligence agencies must be brought together to confront extremists who
pose the greatest internal threat to Pakistan.
35. This is a battle that can only successfully be waged in a democratic
Pakistan by a legitimate government that enjoys the support of the people.
This is a battle that I am prepared to wage, to lead and to win.
36. I am well aware that some in Pakistan have questioned the dialogue I
have engaged in with General Musharraf over the last several months. I
entered into that discussion with my eyes wide open. My goal from the
beginning and to this day is to have free and fair elections in Pakistan
that constitutionally elects a civilian president who recognizes the
supremacy of the Parliament – which embodies the will of the people through
their elected representatives.
37. The goal of my dialogue with Musharraf has never been personal. The goal
was always to ensure that there be fair and free elections in Pakistan,
pursuant to the Constitution, supervised by a robust team of international
monitors and observers, as quickly as possible. My goal was quite literally
to save democracy in Pakistan, to give democracy a chance to nurture and
grow and strengthen.
38. The fight against extremism requires a national effort that can flow
only from legitimate elections. Within our intelligence and military are
elements who sympathize with religious extremists. If these elements are not
answerable to Parliament and the elected government, the battle against
religious militancy, a battle for the survival and future of Pakistan, could
be lost. The military must be part of the battle against extremism, but as
the six years since Sept. 11 have shown, the military cannot do it on its
own.
39. Many issues remain unresolved in our political structure. Musharraf is
precluded by law from seeking reelection in or out of uniform. Pakistani law
requires a two-year lapse before a member of the military can run for the
presidency.
40. The general can respond to the people's desire for legitimate
presidential, parliamentary and ministerial elections, or he can tamper with
the Constitution. The latter choice would risk a fresh confrontation with
the judiciary, the legal community and the political parties.
41. It is perhaps this reason that General Musharraf embarked on
negotiations with the PPP for a transition to democracy. The understanding
has stalled because extremist sympathizers in his party refuse to accept a
democratic process. Musharraf couldn’t deliver on commitments because of
these extremist sympathizers in his party — over whom he seems to have
little control.
42. Once General Musharraf files his nomination papers, the PPP would decide
whether it would resign from the present Parliament or whether it would
boycott the elections. While the PPP would not vote for General Musharraf as
President from this Parliament unless there is a constitutional amendment,
it would not resign if he took the necessary steps to show that he was
moving toward fair elections and a level-playing field.
43. If General Musharraf will retire from the post of Army Chief by October
5 - given his pledge to retire before the year’s end; second seek national
reconciliation by passing an immunity law for those parliamentarians not
proven guilty in the last decade; and third repeal the ban on a twice
elected prime minister seeking office — a law that he put into place
contrary to the constitution; the PPP will not resign from the Assemblies.
44. The Pakistan People’s Party is holding a meeting with its ARD allies to
decide this issue on October 3.
45. Islamabad’s Election Commission created a new controversy when it
attempted to change constitutional provisions to facilitate Musharraf’s
election in uniform. In a government of law, laws are changed by an elected
parliament, not an official appointed by the military regime. This action
alone demonstrates why presidential and parliamentary election held under
the supervision of the present Election Commission worry civil society. The
Election Commission is also viewed as a partisan by civil society and
political parties for its failure to draw up a credible electoral list.
46. As a pretext for the declaration of martial law, the forces of
regression in Pakistan deliberately want to provoke a mass uprising. More
and more, Pakistanis are coming to this sad conclusion. It seems that some
in the President’s ruling party, a party created in the headquarters of the
I.S.I in 2002, believe that they can only continue in power if they seize
power, and not earn it through the people’s trust. They will do any thing;
force an emergency or martial law or rig elections to prevent the
restoration of democracy. They fear that democracy would mean a roll back of
their structure which has permitted the expansion of extremism and militancy
to threaten an Islamist take over of nuclear armed Pakistan.
47. Civil unrest is what the extremists want. Anarchy and chaos suits them.
48. The political element in Musharraf's party that presided over the rise
of extremism has worked with every Pakistani administration since my
government was destabilized in 1996.
49. Its members have done everything possible to block the democratic change
I have tried to achieve through dialogue with Musharraf. They fear that
democracy will be difficult to manipulate to the benefit of extremists and
militants. In this, they are absolutely right.
50. My dialogue with Musharraf aims to bring change by promoting democracy
and stopping a dictatorship that has failed to stop the tribal areas
becoming safe havens for militants. The extremists are now spreading their
tentacles into Pakistan's cities. It is a process that must be stopped, if
the people of Pakistan are to have security, employment, education and a
better quality of life and if Pakistan is to be saved from the clutches of
extremists.
51. My party and I seek fair, free and impartial elections to be held by an
independent election commission under an interim government of national
consensus. We want a level playing field for all candidates and parties. The
Musharraf Election Commission has failed to give civil society and the
opposition confidence.
52. Joseph Stalin is thought to have once said, "Those who cast the vote
decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything." That's why we
have stressed electoral reforms -- although our efforts have so far been in
vain.
53. The people of Pakistan want change. Change of systems, change of
programs, change from a climate of threat to one of stability and
prosperity. They don’t want to see the sham of 2002 repeated again,
resulting in an illegitimate government that has no mandate to govern and
fails to give security of life or economic growth that can provide hope and
opportunity to those unemployed or living on the margins of poverty.
54. President Bush has rightly noted, “The most powerful weapon in the
struggle against extremism is not bullets or bombs -- it is the universal
appeal of freedom. Freedom is the design of our Maker, and the longing of
every soul.”
55. I plan to return to Pakistan next month, to land in my home town of
Karachi on October 18th.
56. I chose Karachi as the city to return to because it is the city where
the founder of Pakistan rests. Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah campaigned
to create Pakistan as a democracy where all citizens would be equal
irrespective of their race, their religion or their gender. I go to Karachi
to rekindle the dream of Quaid e Azam for the people of Pakistan.
57. Quaid e Azam believed that every Pakistani should be free to go to the
mosques, the churches or the temples. The extremists who oppose democracy
today oppose Quaid e Azam. But they were defeated; and they will be defeated
again, God willing, because most Pakistanis are moderate. Most Pakistanis
yearn for security, for democracy and for economic progress.
58. My father gave his life standing up for Quaid e Azam’s dream of
Pakistan. And so Karachi is full of symbolism for me.
59. When my plane touches down on the tarmac, I know I will be greeted with
joy by people who are longing to see an end to military rule, and a chance
for democracy.
60. I do not know what awaits me, personally or politically, once I leave
the airport. I pray for the best and prepare for the worst.
61. But in any case, I am going home to fight for the restoration of
Pakistan’s place in the community of democratic nations. I do not fear the
extremists for I have put my fate in the hands of the people of Pakistan,
and my faith in God.
62. Thank you for coming here today, and thank you for your support for
democracy in Pakistan.
Remarks over Dr. A. Q
Khan clarified
Islamabad
September 26, 2007: A spokesperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party
has issued the following statement today.
“During the question and answer session at a public event in Washington DC,
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was asked the hypothetical question whether a
government led by her would cooperate with the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) in investigating charges against Dr. A.Q. Khan.
“Mohtarma Bhutto responded by saying that a PPP government would extend full
cooperation to the International Atomic Energy Commission. This position is
not very different from what the current government says or any other
responsible government in Pakistan would say.
“It is unfortunate that Mohtarma Bhutto’s words are being distorted to imply
that she promised any unlawful handing over of anyone to foreigners.
“The PPP seeks to establish rule of law and there is no question of
violating Pakistani or International law in relation to the freedom and
personal rights of anyone, including Dr A.Q. Khan.”
Mohtarma Bhutto
addresses Middle East Institute in Washington
Says People do not want repeat of sham 2002 elections
Dictatorship fuelling, not containing extremism
Islamabad, 25
September 2007: "The people of Pakistan want change. Change of
systems, change of programs, change from a climate of threat to one of
stability and prosperity. They don't want to see the sham of 2002 repeated
again, resulting in an illegitimate government that has no mandate to govern
and fails to give security of life or economic growth that can provide hope
and opportunity to those unemployed or living on the margins of poverty",
former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party, Mohtarma
Benazir Bhutto said this while speaking at the Middle East Institute, in
Washington today. A large number of opinion makers, intellectuals, scholars,
lecturers and students attended the function. Former US ambassador to
Pakistan, Wendy Chamberlain heads the Middle East Institute.
The former Prime Minister giving a detailed account of prevailing situation
in Pakistan said, "It is a critical fork in the road between democracy and
dictatorship and between moderation and extremism. In its resolution lies
not only the future of Pakistan, but also its ability to contain the spread
of militancy and extremism which now threatens the territorial integrity of
Pakistan. Some argue that extremism can better be confronted by a military
backed regime. It will not surprise you that I disagree with this view quite
vigorously. I think it is a strategic miscalculation that has had a negative
impact in the battle against violent fanaticism, posing grave dangers both
to Pakistan and the larger world community. The attacks on the World Trade
Towers, the Cole ship at Yemen, the embassies in Africa, the blasts in
Bombay and in the Indian Parliament took place when I was in opposition".
Regarding the military regime's inability to control the spread of extremism
in Pakistan, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said, "Large sections of Pakistan's
tribal areas have been ceded to non Pakistanis in the Taliban and Al-Qaeda
militias. In fact, after defeat and demoralization following the fall of the
Kabul, these violent elements have re-organized themselves under the shadow
of the military regime. They attack NATO forces across the border in
Afghanistan every day. They conduct suicide attacks within Pakistan killing
innocent people. On September 20, 2007, Al - Qaeda declared war on the
Pakistan army. Military dictatorship has fueled extremism. A democratically
elected government enjoying the support of the people can bring peace to the
people of Pakistan and eliminate extremism. Eliminate terrorism by taking
extremism off the radar screen of the region. I was the civilian female
leader of a democratic Pakistan that invested political capital in the
tribal areas that a military regime has failed to control. As
Prime Minister I brought the rule of law and the fruits of development to
the people in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. My government broke
up the international drug cartel's militias that have now reasserted
themselves under the Musharraf rule and are funding Al - Qaeda to have a
narco-fiefdom. My Administration brought the authority of the government and
the rule of law to FATA in the 1990s. And we can do it again. I would also
add that as Prime Minister I took the necessary steps to close down
political madrassas whose curriculum taught hatred and para-military
terrorist techniques. I did this before they became a threat to the world
community. I considered them a threat to the stability, security and
progress of the people of Pakistan. It is only dictatorships which have used
the Islamic card to legitimize their rule at the expense of the neglected
people of Pakistan. Dictatorships, lacking a popular base, need the
religious card, played in one shape or another, to justify their
stranglehold on power. They need a crisis to obtain international support,
both political and financial. Extremists have never been able to achieve
more than 11% of the vote in a free election, and they will do worse, not
better if free elections are held today. Dictatorship in Pakistan is not
containing extremism, it is fueling. Each of Pakistan's four military
dictatorships has assaulted the major infrastructural building blocks of
democracy -- by attempting to marginalize political parties, dismantling
NGO's and undermining civil society, by constraining labor and student
unions, and allowing the intelligence agencies and government members to
physically assault and intimidate the free press. Each military dictatorship
has undermined the independent judiciary by sacking of judges. In the last
twenty years, my government is the only one which has neither removed a
Chief Justice nor attacked the premises of the Supreme Court."
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto expressing grave concerns about the political
element in Musharraf's party that presided over the rise of extremism and
said, "Dictatorships, by dismantling the infrastructure of democracy, allow
the mosques to become the only outlet of political expression in Pakistan.
The Musharraf regime has appointed extremists to head many of the mosques.
For example the head cleric of the Red Mosque in Islamabad who led a mutiny
in the summer of 2007 was appointed by the regime of General Musharraf. When
he was caught smuggling weapons into Islamabad in 2004, he was released by
the Minister of Religious Affairs. The same Minister has twice defended
suicide attacks before a Pakistani audience while retracting them for the
international community. When Pakistanis gather to pray on Friday in the
mosques they are often subjected to long lectures by radical clerics
appointed by the government even as the government claims publicly to be
against extremism. The voices of moderation are exiled or imprisoned. The
voices of extremism are protected. Moderate and centrist political parties,
thriving human and political rights NGOs, the media, and progressive
leadership within our security and intelligence agencies must be brought
together to confront extremists who pose the greatest internal threat to
Pakistan. This is a battle that can only successfully be waged in a
democratic Pakistan by a legitimate government that enjoys the support of
the people. This is a battle that I am prepared to wage, to lead and to
win."
Regarding dialogue with General Musharraf, she said, "The goal of my
dialogue with Musharraf has never been personal. The goal was always to
ensure that there be fair and free elections in Pakistan, pursuant to the
Constitution, supervised by a robust team of international monitors and
observers, as quickly as possible. My goal was quite literally to save
democracy in Pakistan, to give democracy a chance to nurture and grow and
strengthen."
On the issue of presidential election in Pakistan, she said, "Once General
Musharraf files his nomination papers, the PPP would decide whether it would
resign from the present Parliament or whether it would boycott the
elections. While the PPP would not vote for General Musharraf as President
from this Parliament unless there is a constitutional amendment, it would
not resign if he took the necessary steps to show that he was moving toward
fair elections and a level-playing field. If General Musharraf will retire
from the post of Army Chief by October 5 - given his pledge to retire before
the year's end; second seek national reconciliation by passing an immunity
law for those parliamentarians not proven guilty in the last decade; and
third repeal the ban on a twice elected prime minister seeking office - a
law that he put into place contrary to the constitution; the PPP will not
resign from the Assemblies. The Pakistan People's Party is holding a meeting
with its ARD allies to decide this issue on October 3. Civil unrest is what
the extremists want. Anarchy and chaos suits them. The political element in
Musharraf's party that presided over the rise of extremism has worked with
every Pakistani administration since my government was destabilized in
1996."
About the general elections in Pakistan, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said, "My
Party and I seek fair, free and impartial elections to be held by an
independent election commission under an interim government of national
consensus. We want a level playing field for all candidates and parties. The
Musharraf Election Commission has failed to give civil society and the
opposition confidence."
Regarding her return home from exile, she said, "I chose Karachi as the city
to return to because it is the city where the founder of Pakistan rests.
Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah campaigned to create Pakistan as a
democracy where all citizens would be equal irrespective of their race,
their religion or their gender. I go to Karachi to rekindle the dream of
Quaid e Azam for the people of Pakistan. My father gave his life standing up
for Quaid e Azam's dream of Pakistan. And so Karachi is full of symbolism
for me. I do not know what awaits me, personally or politically, once I
leave the airport. I pray for the best and prepare for the worst. But in any
case, I am going home to fight for the restoration of Pakistan's place in
the community of democratic nations. I do not fear the extremists for I have
put my fate in the hands of the people of Pakistan, and my faith in God."
Bhutto Says Pakistan
at a Crucial Point
By Gary Thomas
Washington
September 25,
2007: Exiled former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto says
she plans to return home, even without reaching a political deal with the
country's military ruler. VOA Correspondent Gary Thomas reports the former
leader blames what she calls extremist elements for the failure to reach
agreement with President Pervez Musharraf.
Speaking in Washington Tuesday, Benazir Bhutto said Pakistan is at a
critical juncture.
"When the history of my nation is written, I think we will look back to the
fall of 2007 as a genuine turning point in Pakistan," she said. "It is a
critical fork between democracy and dictatorship, and between moderation and
extremism."
Ms. Bhutto says negotiations between her Pakistan People's Party, the PPP,
and General Musharraf have stalled. She blamed the roadblocks on hard-liners
with General Musharraf's party who, she says, do not want a return to
civilian democratic rule in her country.
"General Musharraf has embarked on negotiations with the PPP on a transition
to democracy," she said. "But the dialogue that we have held over so many
months has stalled because extremist sympathizers in his party refuse to
accept a democratic process. General Musharraf has not been able to deliver
on commitments because of these extremist sympathizers in his party over
whom he has little control."
The former prime minister also criticized the United States for supporting
General Musharraf, just as it had supported three earlier military leaders
of Pakistan.
"Three times the United States acted out of perceived self-interest to
constrain communism," she said. "And today Islamabad enjoys the support of
Washington because General Musharraf's military regime is viewed as vital
asset in combating extremism and contributing to regional and global
security."
General Musharraf, who took power in a bloodless military coup in 1999, is
seeking another term in office in an October 6 election. The president of
Pakistan is elected by an electoral college comprised of the national
parliament and provincial assemblies.
Elections for new parliament and assemblies are to be held sometime after
that, most likely in early 2008.
Ms. Bhutto's key demand is that General Musharraf be barred from holding the
dual posts of army chief and president. She says he must resign his army
post before contesting the election and that he lift the ban on a
twice-elected prime minister from running for another term.
Ms. Bhutto was twice elected prime minister of Pakistan, but was never
allowed to complete either term. Facing charges of corruption, she has lived
abroad in London and Dubai, but plans to return home October 18. She says
she does not know how the government will react and she prays for the best,
but is prepared for the worst.
Earlier this month, the prime minister ousted by General Musharraf, Nawaz
Sharif, tried to return home, but was promptly deported back to Saudi
Arabia.
The former chief of South Asia analysis for State Department Intelligence,
Walter Andersen, tells VOA General Musharraf must walk a delicate line, and
that Ms. Bhutto is also in a difficult position.
"She is in a difficult position, too, because this whole set of
circumstances has tended to give political leadership to Nawaz Sharif," he
said. "She has to figure out some way to sort of get back the mantle of
democratic leadership.
Ms. Bhutto says her party will meet October 3 in London to decide whether to
boycott the presidential vote if General Musharraf does not meet their
demands.
No meeting of
Mohtarma Bhutto with Chaudhry Shujaat
Islamabad
September 25, 2007: A spokesperson of the PPP has issued the
following statement today.
"A section of the press today reported about a possible meeting between the
PML President Chaudhry Shjujaat Hussain with PPP Chairperson PPP Mohtarma
Benazir Bhutto in Dubai.
"Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain wanted to fly in to Dubai to meet Mohtarma Benazir
Bhutto as speculated in a section of the press.
"However the Party decided that Mohtarma Bhutto's dialogue should be at the
lever of General Pervez Musharraf and Presidency and dialogue with PML (Q)
should be with the President of PPP Parliamentarian Makhdoom Amin Fahim".
Mohtarma Bhutto
condemns attack on former federal Minister
Deplores deteriorating law and order situation in the country
Islamabad
September 25, 2007: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the
Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has condemned the murderous
attack on former federal Minister Muhammad Afzal Khan Lala and called for
the arrest and punishment to the assailants.
Unidentified attackers opened indiscriminate fire on former federal Minister
and ANP leader Muhammad Afzal Khan Lala on Friday in Swat, killing his
driver and gunman and wounding the ex-Minister, his nephew and two servants.
In a statement today the former Prime Minister said that she was shocked to
learn about the cowardly attack on Mr. Afzal Khan who also served as cabinet
minister during her tenure as Prime Minister during 1993-96.
Mohtarma Bhutto deplored that law and order situation in the country had
gone haywire and the writ of the state was fast eroding.
She said that a major reason for the fast deteriorating law and order
situation in the country was the regime’s policy of appeasement towards
militants and extremists.
Mohtarma Bhutto prayed for those who lost their lives in the attack and also
for the speedy recovery of the wounded Afzal Khan and his nephew and
servants.
She called upon the regime to immediately arrest the assailants and bring
them to book under the law of the land.
Raja Pervez Ashraf
writes to MoI for security of Mohtarma Bhutto
September 22, 2007
Sayed Kamal Shah
Interior Secretary
Ministry of Interior
Government of Pakistan
Islamabad
Dear Interior Secretary,
Former Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto leader of the largest
political party in the country, is returning to Pakistan on October 18,
2007.
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is entitled to state security and it is the
responsibility of the government to provide it.
In this connection I am writing to ask that:
(a) Mohtarma be provided state security by the same group that provides
Presidential security;
(b) A superintendent of Police nominated by the Pakistan Peoples Party be
assigned to liaise with local administration for her security;
(c) That she be provided the same facilities in transport and otherwise as
are being presently granted to an interim Prime Minister and other former
dignitaries of Pakistan.
I look forward to hearing from you in the next ten days.
Sincerely
(Raja Parvez Ashraf, MNA)
Secretary General
Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians
PPP Decries Use of
Force Against Media
Islamabad,
September 24, 2007: The Pakistan Peoples Party condemned the
illegal detention of Waqt TV reporters in the Parliament Lodges late last
week, as they were covering the condemnable arrest of PML-N acting President
Makhdoom Javed Hashmi in Islamabad.
As the regime braces for a massive crackdown on the opposition leaders and
workers in the run up to the Presidential elections, freedom of the media
has turned out to be the biggest casualty of the regime's blind ambition to
crush all dissent with force. This is the second instance of state sponsored
violence against the media in a matter of a week. Early last week, an
intelligence agency men kidnapped, detained, and harassed a TV reporter for
his report on the suicide attack on the Army mess in Tarbella.
"The harassment spree against the media reflects the tribal mentality of the
regime that has been shamelessly trampling on the fundamental rights of the
nation for eight years," said Sherry Rehman, Central Information Secretary
Pakistan Peoples Party. " We condemn the crackdown on the opposition as well
as the media. This government has been carrying out shameless atrocities
against the media in broad daylight, and has demonstrated absolute disregard
for civil liberties all through its eight year term."
Sherry Rehman pointed out that successive acts of highhandedness against the
media has earned Pakistan the dubious distinction of being one of the top
ten most dangerous countries for the media. "Had this been a civilian
democratic government, it would have long been voted out of power for
violating civil and political rights of the people, the way this regime has
been. No nation can tolerate a government that shows zero regard for its
rights and aspirations.
Rehman called for immediate arrest of the police officials involved in
detaining the Waqt TV team, and demanded the regime to fulfil its
constitutional obligation to safeguard the information rights of the
citizens, and facilitate the media to perform their professional duties.
Assuring the media of her Party's support, the PPP leader said that her
Party has taken a strong notice of the incident. "We, as an opposition Party
and the biggest representative of the people of Pakistan, will never
tolerate acts of violence against the media and the civilians. The PPP will
raise the issue at all relevant forums in line with our commitment to the
ideals of the freedom of the media. The regime must stop violating the civil
rights of the nation with such impunity."
Moderation vs
extremism central issue facing Pakistan : Benazir Bhutto
WASHINGTON, Sept
20, 2007: Describing “moderation vs. extremism” as the central
issue facing Pakistan, PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto has stated the problem
of extremism can be contained if the moderate middle can be mobilized to
stand up to fanaticism.
“Extremism looms as a threat, but it will be contained as it has been in the
past if the moderate middle can be mobilized to stand up to fanaticism. I
return to lead that battle,” she wrote in an article published in The
Washington Post Thursday.
Pakistan’s future viability, stability and security lie in empowering its
people and building political institutions, she observed. “My goal is to
prove that the fundamental battle for the hearts and minds of a generation
can be accomplished only under democracy.”
“The central issue facing Pakistan is moderation vs. extremism,” she
stressed and added that the “resolution of this issue will affect the world,
particularly South and Central Asia and all Muslim nations.”
The former prime minister, who plans to return to Pakistan from self-exile
on October 18, wrote she has been holding talks with the government for
restoration of democracy and defended her approach.
“I am aware that some in Pakistan have questioned the dialogue I have
engaged in with Gen. Pervez Musharraf over the past several months. I held
those discussions hoping that Musharraf would resign from the army and
restore democracy.
“My goal in that dialogue has never been personal but was always to ensure
that there be fair and free elections in Pakistan, to save democracy. The
fight against extremism requires a national effort that can flow only from
legitimate elections.”
She reiterated her party’s call for “fair, free and impartial elections to
be held by an independent election commission under an interim government of
national consensus.”
“We want a level playing field for all candidates and parties,” the PPP
leader urged.
Benazir Bhutto wrote she does not know what awaits her upon return to
homeland.
“When my flight lands in Pakistan next month, I know I will be greeted with
joy by the people. I do not know what awaits me, personally or politically,
once I leave the airport. I pray for the best and prepare for the worst. But
in any case, I am going home to fight for the restoration of Pakistan’s
place in the community of democratic nations.”
City will be
decorated like a bride: PPP
KARACHI:
The Pakistan Peoples’ Party, Karachi chapter decided Thursday that
Karachi would be decorated like a bride on the eve of October 18, the day
Benazir Bhutto is scheduled to land in Karachi.
The city will be illuminated, the banners on display will be inscribed with
welcome slogans and party flags will be displayed all over. These decisions
were made at a PPP Karachi meeting. Presidents, general secretaries and
information secretaries of district chapters and city areas and divisional
presidents and general secretaries of PPP sister organizations attended the
meeting. Qaim Ali Shah, provincial president of the PPP, and his close aide,
Waqar Mehdi, appealed to the people to finalise their plans for joining the
welcome rally in Karachi.
“I urge the PPP’s members to go door to door and inform the people about Ms.
Bhutto’s return,” said Qaim Ali Shah, directing the PPP workers who met him
at his house.
Rashid Rabbani, the president, and Rafiq Engineer, the general secretary of
the PPP Karachi chapter, said that reception camps would be set up all over
Karachi.
Saeed Ghani, PPP Karachi’s information secretary, urged PPP workers to
counter the government-sponsored media trials of the PPP’s leadership.
PPP slams harassment
of Dawn News journalist
Islamabad
September 20, 2007: The Pakistan Peoples Party expressed its deep
concern over the harassment of DawnNews reporter who was picked by the
intelligence agency officials early this week for his report on the recent
suicide attack on SSG commandos in Tarbela.
In a statement issued from the office of Sherry Rehman, Central Information
Secretary PPP, the Party condemned in strongest terms the inhuman treatment
meted out to Mr Babar Hussain by the intelligence agency men who kidnapped
and intimidated him in broad daylight outside his house in Rawalpindi.
"This incident was not only inhuman, it was also a message for other members
of the journalist community to exercise restraint as they go about their
duty," said Rehman adding that her Party has taken a serious note of the
issue and will be raising it at all the relevant platforms.
"Mr Hussain's harassment comes at a time when journalists are fighting a two
pronged battle for freedom to information. On the one hand they are faced
with the regime that will stoop to any level to harass them, and on the
other hand they are struggling against a systematic disinformation campaign
initiated by the regime with regards to the developments in the tribal areas
and the military barracks. Pakistan features in the list of top 10 worst
countries for press freedom, and such intimidation exercises only add to
poor track record of the country."
Rehman also noted that the ongoing year could be singled out for successive
covert and overt measures against journalists in the wake of the judicial
and political crisis that has gripped the country this year. "We have seen
journalists being brutally murdered, threatened and harassed right in front
of camera, as happened on May 12 in Karachi and on several other occasions
during the judicial crisis. Even their children are not spared. Journalists
Shakeel Turrabi's son was beaten outside his school to warn his father to
exercise caution while reporting about the regime. This is totally
unacceptable."
Expressing her Party's concern at the deteriorating work environment for
journalists, Rehman demanded immediate arrests of those responsible for
harassing Mr Hussain. "The constitution provides no room for immunity to the
intelligence agency officials. They cannot be allowed to run a parallel
system of governance. We all know the length they are capable of going to to
muzzle the press, as we witnessed in the case of the brutal murder of
journalist Hayatullah, last year. This cannot be allowed to go on. The state
has a duty to protect its citizens, and it has completely failed in its
responsibility to do so. In fact, the current rulers do not hesitate to pick
arms against their own citizens when they sense an impending threat to their
hold on power."
Rehman said that her Party is committed to work towards a safe and secure
environment for journalists and has actively campaigned for their rights
both inside and outside the Parliament. "The PPP has a zero tolerance policy
towards the harassment of journalists. We have always fought, and will
continue to fight atrocities against the journalists, which is the biggest
stumbling block in the way of freedom of information that is the fundamental
right of the citizens of Pakistan."
Mohtarma Bhutto says
killers of Mir Murtaza will be exposed and punished
Islamabad
September 19, 2007: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the
Pakistan Peoples Party has said that in the fullness of time Mir Murtaza
Bhutto’s murderers would not only be exposed but also punished.
In a statement today on the eve of eleventh martyrdom anniversary of Mir
Murtaza Bhutto Shaheed she said that Mir Murtaza had dedicated his life to
freedom, human dignity and the emancipation of the people.
Mir Murtaza Bhutto was brutally murdered on September 20, 1996 in Karachi.
Following is the text of her message.
"On this eleventh martyrdom anniversary of my beloved brother Mir Murtaza
Bhutto Shaheed, I pay tribute to him both for personal courage and the
valiant struggle he waged for restoring the constitutional rights of our
people.
“Eleven years have passed since our beloved Mir Murtaza fell victim to a
malicious conspiracy. Although he is no longer with us in this world, Mir
Murtaza Shaheed will forever be remembered for the courage with which he
faced military dictatorship.
“Mir Murtaza dedicated his life to freedom, human dignity and the
emancipation of our people. I know how much he suffered during the harsh
years of exile and especially when Shah Nawaz Bhutto Shaheed was killed.
“Mir Murtaza was a proud citizen of the Indus Valley civilization who
defended his people to his last breath. He inspired great loyalty from his
followers. He was brutally killed in the prime of his life by those had
plotted to overthrow the PPP government.
“Mir Murtaza could not attend the funerals of his Father or his Brother due
to his struggle and opposition to military rule. He was a loving brother,
kind-hearted and caring. He was an honourable son who took on his Father's
killers who were also the killers of the people's rights.
“His killers may think that they have got away with murder but they are sure
to be exposed some day. Nothing remains secret forever. History has its own
ways of laying bare what appears to many to be secret. I believe that in the
fullness of time Mir Murtaz's killers would not only be exposed but also
punished.
“May Allah bless his soul with a high place in heaven".
When I Return to
Pakistan
By Benazir Bhutto
Thursday,
September 20, 2007: I am returning to Pakistan on Oct. 18 to
bring change to my country. Pakistan's future viability, stability and
security lie in empowering its people and building political institutions.
My goal is to prove that the fundamental battle for the hearts and minds of
a generation can be accomplished only under democracy.
The central issue facing Pakistan is moderation vs. extremism. The
resolution of this issue will affect the world, particularly South and
Central Asia and all Muslim nations. Extremism can flourish only in an
environment where basic governmental social responsibility for the welfare
of the people is neglected. Political dictatorship and social hopelessness
create the desperation that fuels religious extremism.
Throughout Pakistan's 60-year history, weaving between dictatorship and
democracy, from free elections to rigged elections to no elections,
religious fundamentalists have never been a significant part of our
political consciousness. We are inherently a centrist, moderate nation.
Historically, the religious parties have not received more than 11 percent
of the vote in national elections. The largest political party is mine, the
Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Pakistan's political landscape has been
molded primarily by the moderate PPP, which has demonstrated strong and
continuous support from the rural masses and the urban elite.
Extremism looms as a threat, but it will be contained as it has been in the
past if the moderate middle can be mobilized to stand up to fanaticism. I
return to lead that battle.
I have led an unusual life. I have buried a father killed at age 50 and two
brothers killed in the prime of their lives. I raised my children as a
single mother when my husband was arrested and held for eight years without
a conviction -- a hostage to my political career. I made my choice when the
mantle of political leadership was thrust upon my shoulders after my
father's murder. I did not shrink from responsibility then, and I will not
shrink from it now.
I am aware that some in Pakistan have questioned the dialogue I have engaged
in with Gen. Pervez Musharraf over the past several months. I held those
discussions hoping that Musharraf would resign from the army and restore
democracy.
My goal in that dialogue has never been personal but was always to ensure
that there be fair and free elections in Pakistan, to save democracy. The
fight against extremism requires a national effort that can flow only from
legitimate elections. Within our intelligence and military are elements who
sympathize with religious extremists. If these elements are not answerable
to Parliament and the elected government, the battle against religious
militancy, a battle for the survival and future of Pakistan, could be lost.
The military must be part of the battle against extremism, but as the six
years since Sept. 11, 2001, have shown, the military cannot do it on its
own.
Many issues remain unresolved in our political structure. Musharraf is
precluded from seeking reelection in or out of uniform. Pakistani law
requires a two-year wait before a member of the military can run for the
presidency. The general can respond to the people's desire for legitimate
presidential, parliamentary and ministerial elections, or he can tamper with
the constitution. The latter choice would risk a fresh confrontation with
the judiciary, the legal community and the political parties. Such a
confrontation could lead to another declaration of martial law, civil
unrest, or both.
Civil unrest is what the extremists want. Anarchy and chaos suit them.
The political element in Musharraf's party that presided over the rise of
extremism has worked with every Pakistani administration since my government
was destabilized in 1996. Its members are blocking the democratic change I
have tried to achieve with Musharraf. They fear that democracy will be
difficult to manipulate to the benefit of extremists and militants.
My dialogue with Musharraf aims to move the country forward from a
dictatorship that has failed to stop the tribal areas from becoming havens
for terrorists. The extremists are even spreading their tentacles into
Pakistan's cities.
Last week brought a fresh challenge. Just days ago, Pakistan's election
commission arbitrarily amended the constitutional provision regarding the
eligibility of a person competent to contest for the office of president. As
the constitution can be amended only through a two-thirds majority in
Parliament, a judicial hornet's nest has been stirred.
My party and I seek fair, free and impartial elections to be held by an
independent election commission under an interim government of national
consensus. We want a level playing field for all candidates and parties.
In words commonly attributed to Joseph Stalin, "Those who cast the vote
decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything." That's why we
have stressed electoral reforms -- although our efforts have so far been in
vain.
President Bush has rightly noted, "The most powerful weapon in the struggle
against extremism is not bullets or bombs -- it is the universal appeal of
freedom. Freedom is the design of our maker, and the longing of every soul."
When my flight lands in Pakistan next month, I know I will be greeted with
joy by the people. I do not know what awaits me, personally or politically,
once I leave the airport. I pray for the best and prepare for the worst. But
in any case, I am going home to fight for the restoration of Pakistan's
place in the community of democratic nations.
The writer is chairwoman of the Pakistan People's Party and served as prime
minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996. She lives in
exile in Dubai.
Benazir Bhutto: "We
must succeed"
Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto speaks to RNW
Click
here for the interview
President’s
re-election plan stuns Benazir
ISLAMABAD, Sept
19: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto said on Tuesday she was
surprised that President Pervez Musharraf would seek re-election while still
donning his uniform and said her party might quit parliament if he did not
take steps to restore democracy.
“But he has not quite done this ... I was quite surprised to hear that he is
going to retire as army chief in November,” Ms Bhutto told Reuters in a
telephone interview.
“The Pakistan People’s Party wants to support Gen Musharraf if he takes the
country towards democracy but we do not want to bail out a military
dictatorship,” she said.
Ms Bhutto said her party could not support the notion of a military
president.
“We are not going to compromise on our democratic principles. We want
democracy in its true spirit. If it is done through negotiations, good. If
we can’t get in through negotiations than we will exert pressure through the
public.” She said her support for President Musharraf would hinge on him
accepting proposals she had made, including immunity from prosecution for
civilians who ruled between 1988 and 1999 and the lifting of a ban on a
prime minister serving a third term.
“If he doesn’t do it then the Pakistan People’s Party ... will consider
resigning from parliament,” she said.
“I think General Musharraf should hear the voice of the people and move
towards true democracy.”—Reuters
Threats to my life
won't keep me from returning home - Benazir
By Ashfaq Ahmed,
September 21,
2007: Former prime minister and chairperson of the Pakistan
Peoples Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto yesterday said she was being threatened
against returning home.
"I am being told that there is a threat to my life if I go back, but I must
tell those people that I am not afraid of anyone but Allah. I will return to
my people," Bhutto told a function held here yesterday to mark the death
anniversary of her brother Mir Murtaza Bhutto, who was shot dead in Karachi
during her last tenure as prime minister.
The function was organised by PPP leaders in the UAE, Akram Farooqi and
Abbas Bhatti.
PPP supporters at the function were overwhelmed by their leader's presence
and chanted slogans like "Prime Minister Benazir". Many of them milled
around her while she was delivering the speech and she had to stop midway
and ask security personnel to keep them back.
Security personnel also had a hard time at the hotel where Benazir was
staying as everyone tried to get near her for a "photograph". Her security
adviser Rehman Malik also accompanied her.
PPP workers have been very excited since Benazir announced that she would
return to Pakistan on October 18, ending her eight year self-exile.
"The country is heading towards civil war as the extremists, who were
earlier killing people in streets, have now started killing our army
personnel," she said.
The sovereignty of the country is at stake because the government has failed
to control extremist elements and there is the looming threat of foreign
invasion, she warned.
"I am going back because I don't want Pakistan to become another Afghanistan
or Iraq. I don't have guns but the PPP has a programme to eliminate
extremism from the country."
On the much hyped deal with the government, she said she held a dialogue
with General Pervez Musharraf because she wanted peace and reconciliation
and did not want to open another battlefront in the country.
"I held a dialogue but I did not accept a president in uniform and will not
accept it in the future as well," she declared.
"I held a dialogue for democracy, balance of power and stable political
system," she said and warned that there would be no compromise if upcoming
polls were not held in a free and fair manner.
Moderation vs
extremism central issue facing Pakistan : Benazir Bhutto
WASHINGTON, Sept
20 APP): Describing “moderation vs. extremism” as the central
issue facing Pakistan, PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto has stated the problem
of extremism can be contained if the moderate middle can be mobilized to
stand up to fanaticism.
“Extremism looms as a threat, but it will be contained as it has been in the
past if the moderate middle can be mobilized to stand up to fanaticism. I
return to lead that battle,” she wrote in an article published in The
Washington Post Thursday.
Pakistan’s future viability, stability and security lie in empowering its
people and building political institutions, she observed. “My goal is to
prove that the fundamental battle for the hearts and minds of a generation
can be accomplished only under democracy.”
“The central issue facing Pakistan is moderation vs. extremism,” she
stressed and added that the “resolution of this issue will affect the world,
particularly South and Central Asia and all Muslim nations.”
The former prime minister, who plans to return to Pakistan from self-exile
on October 18, wrote she has been holding talks with the government for
restoration of democracy and defended her approach.
“I am aware that some in Pakistan have questioned the dialogue I have
engaged in with Gen. Pervez Musharraf over the past several months. I held
those discussions hoping that Musharraf would resign from the army and
restore democracy.
“My goal in that dialogue has never been personal but was always to ensure
that there be fair and free elections in Pakistan, to save democracy. The
fight against extremism requires a national effort that can flow only from
legitimate elections.”
She reiterated her party’s call for “fair, free and impartial elections to
be held by an independent election commission under an interim government of
national consensus.”
“We want a level playing field for all candidates and parties,” the PPP
leader urged.
Benazir Bhutto wrote she does not know what awaits her upon return to
homeland.
“When my flight lands in Pakistan next month, I know I will be greeted with
joy by the people. I do not know what awaits me, personally or politically,
once I leave the airport. I pray for the best and prepare for the worst. But
in any case, I am going home to fight for the restoration of Pakistan’s
place in the community of democratic nations.”
PPP slams harassment
of Dawn News journalist
Islamabad
September 20, 2007: The Pakistan Peoples Party expressed its deep
concern over the harassment of DawnNews reporter who was picked by the
intelligence agency officials early this week for his report on the recent
suicide attack on SSG commandos in Tarbela.
In a statement issued from the office of Sherry Rehman, Central Information
Secretary PPP, the Party condemned in strongest terms the inhuman treatment
meted out to Mr Babar Hussain by the intelligence agency men who kidnapped
and intimidated him in broad daylight outside his house in Rawalpindi.
"This incident was not only inhuman, it was also a message for other members
of the journalist community to exercise restraint as they go about their
duty," said Rehman adding that her Party has taken a serious note of the
issue and will be raising it at all the relevant platforms.
"Mr Hussain's harassment comes at a time when journalists are fighting a two
pronged battle for freedom to information. On the one hand they are faced
with the regime that will stoop to any level to harass them, and on the
other hand they are struggling against a systematic disinformation campaign
initiated by the regime with regards to the developments in the tribal areas
and the military barracks. Pakistan features in the list of top 10 worst
countries for press freedom, and such intimidation exercises only add to
poor track record of the country."
Rehman also noted that the ongoing year could be singled out for successive
covert and overt measures against journalists in the wake of the judicial
and political crisis that has gripped the country this year. "We have seen
journalists being brutally murdered, threatened and harassed right in front
of camera, as happened on May 12 in Karachi and on several other occasions
during the judicial crisis. Even their children are not spared. Journalists
Shakeel Turrabi's son was beaten outside his school to warn his father to
exercise caution while reporting about the regime. This is totally
unacceptable."
Expressing her Party's concern at the deteriorating work environment for
journalists, Rehman demanded immediate arrests of those responsible for
harassing Mr Hussain. "The constitution provides no room for immunity to the
intelligence agency officials. They cannot be allowed to run a parallel
system of governance. We all know the length they are capable of going to to
muzzle the press, as we witnessed in the case of the brutal murder of
journalist Hayatullah, last year. This cannot be allowed to go on. The state
has a duty to protect its citizens, and it has completely failed in its
responsibility to do so. In fact, the current rulers do not hesitate to pick
arms against their own citizens when they sense an impending threat to their
hold on power."
Rehman said that her Party is committed to work towards a safe and secure
environment for journalists and has actively campaigned for their rights
both inside and outside the Parliament. "The PPP has a zero tolerance policy
towards the harassment of journalists. We have always fought, and will
continue to fight atrocities against the journalists, which is the biggest
stumbling block in the way of freedom of information that is the fundamental
right of the citizens of Pakistan."
When I Return to
Pakistan
By: Benazir Bhutto
Thursday, September 20, 2007:
I am returning to Pakistan on Oct. 18 to bring change to my country.
Pakistan's future viability, stability and security lie in empowering its
people and building political institutions. My goal is to prove that the
fundamental battle for the hearts and minds of a generation can be
accomplished only under democracy.
The central issue facing Pakistan is moderation vs. extremism. The
resolution of this issue will affect the world, particularly South and
Central Asia and all Muslim nations. Extremism can flourish only in an
environment where basic governmental social responsibility for the welfare
of the people is neglected. Political dictatorship and social hopelessness
create the desperation that fuels religious extremism.
Throughout Pakistan's 60-year history, weaving
