Farrukh Khan Pitafi’s Official Website

Folks I am sorry for disappearing on you for a while. Actually I have shifted to another city namely Lahore in a new career bid. The entire process of shifting was such that I was away from all lifelines including the internet and hence my blog. I still don’t have the net at my place. It will come in a couple of days and hence we’ll revert to more dynamic mode. I have updated my contact info also that you can see. As I get access to more resources I’ll keep updating my contact info. Thank you very much for your patience.

September 11th, 2008 | Category: General |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

I must say it is quite a change to step back for a while, take a break from churning out opinions and see politicians and their toady intellectual peers make a mess of things. Evidently since I wrote last in this space some quality change has materialized and to much of our chagrin it is not at all a positive one. The quality of discussion has been reduced to low grunts and ill founded accusations. First came the New York Times story on Asif Zardari having enjoyed some “intimate” contacts with Zalmay Khalilzad, the man we all have learned to hate. Not only is Khalilzad the first Afghan to be a US ambassador to his native country that too under the US occupation, but he is among important players of the Neo Conservative movement also. It was clearly an assault on the faith of people like me who firmly believe in democracy despite their strong taste on international relations issues. Khalilzad it must be remembered is among the foulest creatures to stalk our land and may have a hand in events ranging from the 9/11 to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

Yet we also know that Mohtarma Bhutto had learnt to trust him more than a bit. The day she was assassinated it was plain to me that he may essentially have a hand in luring her to a false sense of security where she was to be killed so brutally. Khalilzad naturally would have commanded respect of many seasoned Asian leaders for himself was not only Asian in origin but also well educated and until fairly recently quite powerful in the US circles that count. Currently he holds a lucrative post as the US ambassador to the UN, quite an achievement for someone who would otherwise been viewed as the CIA’s mole out and out. Once Mohtarma had trusted the man she would have known albeit too late that she had been offered by Washington and Langley as the ritual sacrifice to the Pakistani establishment.

So you see how damaging the report of liaison between Khalilzad and Zardari could be? But I do not need to waste too much of your time in discussing how the names of the reporters and the story’s contents were quite a giveaway in understanding the motive behind such a story. During the Prime Minister’s recent visit to the US one of the two reporters had spilled the beans by reporting how the US administration was not chuffed with the ISI. Suffice it to say had indeed reported that the CIA’s second boss had traveled secretly to Pakistan to warn the Pakistani establishment of the ISI’s role. This was classified information and was leaked on purpose from Langley. The second biggest clue was the timeframe of Zardari’s contacts with Khalilzad. No doubt that the report hinted at the intensity of these contacts it was clear that these encounters were of recent nature with a special emphasis on this month. I mean you see the beauty of the plan? Bring back a tainted diplomat to approach the house of Bhuttos, help get rid of a useless asset like Musharraf, by doing so win the trust of the new regime and when the time comes leak this information to the press. If you understand what I mean you there is no need to question Zardari’s patriotic credentials. And in any case if Khalilzad was indeed directly involved in Benazir’s murder, there is little chance that Zardari would know. O come on folks the other man is a master of manipulation. Can’t you see that he right now enjoys the position of the most important diplomat of the US for some reason? If I am worried about something it is the possibility of the ISI’s involvement in such a defamation campaign. The pro Musharraf element has still no surrendered within the organization. And that leads me to believe that Asif Zardari’s life too is under constant threat. Things will perhaps continue in this way until he becomes the President.

The second damaging attempt came through a report in the Financial Times. We were told that Asif at a point in time had suffered from mental disorders. The proof was found in the submissions to the courts citing these problems in order to seek leave from hearing. I mean folks are you really that thick? Can’t you see these methods are usually employed by the victims of a hostile legal system where the courts have been manipulated and the justice seems elusive? No I am not falling for the allegations of untruthfulness. Untruthfulness does not count in potentially life threatening situations. Now claiming that the man is not mentally stable is sick in itself. Want a proof? For eight long years the country has been struggling to get rid of a dictator and we all failed. Only one man delivered that thing to us. It is no one but Presidential nominee Asif. Now tell me should I worry about any cranky reports on his alleged mental illness or admire his shrew? To me he is the finest candidate possible for president for the transition back to democracy.

August 30th, 2008 | Category: General |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (6)

You must have seen Nawaz Sharif’s press conference. So it is over. The PML-N has parted its ways from the PPP at the center. I must say I have been studying Nawaz Sharif’s movements after return from Saudi Arabia quite closely. The PML-N leaders off the record used to say that Nawaz had changed dramatically and he was now more a smooth operator than an impulsive politician. Unfortunately now we know that such claims are absolutely untrue. Let us compare the past and the present Nawaz Sharif for your convenience.
NS comes from the political legacy of dictator General Zia ul Haq. Indeed had Zia not appointed him as his Chief Minister in Punjab the political landscape of the country would have been different. NS after Zia’s demise was catapulted by the establishment on the national scene. It is true that he was overthrown by Pervez Musharraf in 1999 but there was a history behind it too. Nawaz after gaining a proverbial mandate had turned quite boorish. He had appointed a hitherto unknown Saifur Rehman as the head of its accountability bureau who was tasked with bullying the political challengers and harassing the dissenting voices. On the eve of the Kargil War the country’s leading intellectuals like Najam Sethi and  Husain Haqqani were in the custody of the government agencies and being tortured. Country’s leading Newspaper group, Jang group was being pushed to extinction. Pervez Musharraf in his memoir recounts a time when Nawaz Sharif wanted him to COURT MARTIAL Najam Sethi. The only crime of these men was only dissent. Likewise it was during Nawaz Sharif’s time that the Supreme Court of Pakistan was physically assaulted. What was the crime of judges? Some of them including their Chief Justice were hearing a case against Sharif. How very interesting indeed. It was in those days when the judiciary was heavily manipulated through bribes. Now Mr Sharif is presenting himself as the custodian of free media and judiciary. I am sorry but it is hard for me to believe.
But that was then. We know his radical policies and attempts at naively ejecting two military chiefs brought an end to his government. But have things changed even a bit now? I regret to report not. The first indication of this came during the talk of Musharraf’s impeachment. Nawaz Sharif was clearly baying for the retired general’s blood. Somehow it was clear that the man was indulging in his traditional brinkmanship. No matter whatever the excuse he wanted to take revenge and the entire country and its stability could go to hell. Even though Musharraf had spared his neck, Nawaz wanted to see the general hanged. There is something maximalist about the man which refuses to go. I am sure the man wanted his own man as President. When Zardari’s nomination became clear he had to use the name of lawyers to separate the paths. It was the PPP which had fought Nawaz’s case when he was in exile. It was the PPP which refused to bow to the pressures of the establishment and to forge an alliance with Musharraf loyalists in the PML-Q. But when he was back and Zardari decided to move cautiously the most damaging propaganda against the PPP came from the PML-N camp. I have met many PML-N supporters who do not hesitate to claim that Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by Zardari and his allies. Likewise it was the PML-N that went to court to challenge the NRO. If we are talking of the conspiracy theories then let us also raise some guinine questions. Slightly prior to Benazir’s return Nawaz Sharif tried to return to the country. He was stopped at Islamabad Airport and sent back. The establishment was then not ready to tolerate his return. Then Benazir came back and we know the establishment tried to threaten her. The humungous response of the people to her return is a matter of fact and not opinion. Her progress was stalled by an alleged suicide attack. I know the establishment got cold feet after witnessing her popularlity. The next thing we know is Musharraf rushes to Saudi Arabia and within no time the Sharif brothers are back. I have seen Benazir and Nawaz’s rallies in Punjab. Nawaz was finding hardly any response. Then the next thing we know is that Benazir is assassinated and the elections are held. The Nawaz league repeatedly tried to boycott the elections and it was the PPP which convinced its leader not to boycott and the league emerged as the most popular force in Punjab. Who was the beneficiary of Benazir’s return and then assassination? Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif. So if the PMLN workers can blame Zardari for the assassination of his beloved wife then why can the PPP supporters not blame Messrs Shahbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif along with the establishment? Please read my following post too:
Benazir murder, establishment’s game plan, our foreign peers and the fallout
In our hearts we had known that this day will come. However it came so soon is very sad. It tells one thing. While Asif Zardari has learnt something from history, Nawaz Sharif clearly has not. If the establishment doesn’t have any change of heart it will play its politics through Nawaz and Punjab. May God have mercy on us.

August 25th, 2008 | Category: General |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (7)

Pakistan People’s Party has finally nominated its Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari for President. With the exception of the PML-N and the MQM we are unaware of the reaction of the other coalition partners on this. PML-N we know is not quite happy with the nomination. For some time already the party’s important leaders have been using quite radical language. That is not all. On the issue of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (for the NRO doesn’t cover the PML-N leaders) and the PPP’s tolerance for Musharraf the Nawaz League leaders were running quite a slander campaign. Had Asif Zardari not pulled out his ace and ousted Musharraf this campaign would have gone even worse.
I am not complaining, I am just reporting but for people like me who have always believed in the PPP’s commitment to democracy, it was getting quite nauseating to listen to listen the conspiracy theories and stand the jeering of the N League supporters who are in plenty in Punjab. While the PML-N and the lawyers’ movement may claim that they aided the PPP in removing Musharraf, the fact remains that the PPP actually did them a service by ousting him. Why? Because the PPP could have worked with the then President without much problem.
If it did face his criticism in the end it was owing to the party’s decision not to forge an alliance with Musharraf supporters. However owing to their peculiar histories the PML-N or the lawyers’ movement could not even imagine to work with the man. It was hence a sacrifice on the part of Zardari’s party to remove him for it necessary amounted to taking great risks. Despite that the campaign is being reactivated to undermine the PPP’s moral fiber. If anything this time it is bound to backfire. No matter how much you want to link the judges’ issue with Musharraf, it is clear that the general was the only bone of contention. With him gone things, will look sunnier for the lawyers’ movement will face a bit decline in support. I am not saying that the judges should not be restored and don’t get me wrong. All I am saying is that the PML-N is running out of more blackmailing points and hence may not find any effectual means to destabilize the PPP government.
The MQM has already made its stance clear. Actually it nominated Zardari even before the PPP itself for the job. The Karachi based group was quick to understand the change in political winds and wanted to stay in the good books of the new ruler. Even though Maulana Fazlur Rehman has not given his opinion on this it is clear that his attitude is no different from the MQM. As for the ANP and its leader Asfandyar Wali I have always considered them principled folks who would stand firm with their main ally the PPP.
Now what do I think of the nomination? I would not make bones that I didn’t expect things to go this way. I was anticipating someone less prominent. The reason is simple. I have always considered the Presidential system or its close immitation and inferior form of democracy. Article 58(2)(B) does something of the same to the constitution. Hence I would have wanted it to be a ceremonial post. I would have wanted to see Asif Zardari to be the Prime Minister, perhaps swapping the seat with Yousuf Raza Gilani. But just before the formal nomination when I had changed my mind. It all boils down to the fact whether you trust Asif Zardari or not. I know many of you don’t but as it happens I do trust him. He has delivered what he had promised and Musharraf is gone. I find no excuse to doubt his intentions of implementing the Charter of Democracy. And I am sure that the decision will help provide the country the much needed stability.

August 24th, 2008 | Category: General |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (8)

Someone called him a sinking ship. Others kept distributing sweets on the street on his departure. Yet no one realised that in the land of the pure that the saga of leadership is almost always a tragic story. There is something corroding about Pakistan’s power corridors that waylays the finest among men and women of their high ideals and stature. As Musharraf left the Presidency in haste he must have looked back and wondered, “How did I end up here?”
It is very easy to blame a man when he is gone, very difficult to admire his uniqueness when he is weak and generally detested. The same seems to be true of Pakistan’s former Army Chief, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief Executive and President Pervez Musharraf. As someone who has mostly written against the man I believe I will fail the test of objectivity if I forget to mention his virtues.
More »

August 24th, 2008 | Category: General |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

Barack Obama has finally stunned us with his wisdom. At a time when Obama was continously coming under criticism for lack of foreign policy credentials perhaps he couldn’t play a better card. By choosing Senator Joe Biden as his running mate he has countered all such allegations. If you don’t remember any consider Bush’s these remarks made during an interview to the Fox News: “I certainly don’t know what he (Obama) believes in. The only foreign policy thing I remember he said was he’s going to attack Pakistan and embrace Ahmadinejad.” So now that such objections are nothing but a waste of time. Not only Joe have 30 years of Senate experience but he is the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Policy Committee. Add to it the fact that he is something of a Pakistan expert. His contributions to our democracy during the 2007 martial law and the Feb 2008 elections here is not hidden from anyone. This is the most wonderful thing that could have happened to Pakistani democratic future. Obama unfortunately in Pakistan was being viewed as a hostile candidate. The religious class here had confused the Obama’s readiness to strike inside Pakistan’s tribal areas with a statement attributed to a republican candidate that the US should have attacked the Islamic sacred places in Makkah and Medina. Indeed Umme Hassan, the wife of the Red Mosque was defaming the Illiinois Senator on this alleged charge. Since we know that Obama is a huge believer in reconciliation between the faiths such propaganda is most unjust. This reflects simultaneously on the baseless conspiracy theories and pseudo-science of the religious class here and also Obama campaign’s failure in the past to impact the Pakistanis through a benign outlook. With a friend of Pakistan as his running mate this would sort out such baseless suspicions. To know about Biden’s views on Pakistan please read his following two blog posts at Huffington:
We Need a Pakistan Policy
A New Approach to Pakistan
I also have a complaint about the McCain campaign. Unfortunately some of the Republican neo-cons are dubbing Obama as an AntiChrist. This is very sad. There was a rather disappointing TV ad aired recently too. Since I respect McCain a lot I must submit that he should stay away from the reductionist worldview of the NeoCons and fight back with an equally excellent candidate. I believe among the Republicans there is no one better than General Colin Powell.

August 23rd, 2008 | Category: General |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (1)

Three days after Musharraf’s departure two things have already happened: Bomb blasts in Dera Ismail Khan and Wah Cantt and a deadlock between the ruling coalition partners. The space and time chosen for the former attack carry a clear message. Dera Ismail Khan is the stronghold of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the cleric whose loyalty has always been doubtful and the establishment is really pissed on him for turning against Musharraf.  The attack in Wah Cantt seems an attempt to bring the new army leadership under severe pressure.
As if that was not enough the politicians seem to be losing their solidarity already. The PML-N certainly seems to be gearing up to reclaim the turncoats of the PML-Q minus the Chaudhries of Gujrat and chart its independent course. Meanwhile the PPP and the rest of the allies are under pressure to meet the PML-N’s demands. Political engineering has already started in Punjab and a deadline has been given for the restoration of the judges. It is clear that the judges issue is not the mere reason why the N League is issuing deadlines. In the post Musharraf world there is great space available for the political class to conquer or claim. Perhaps Musharraf had understood that the democratic forces had not done their home work for the post-Musharraf situation properly. That is why his disappearing act was perhaps the perfect revenge.
Yet let me remind you that the transition is not complete. It is unwise to bring the system under too much pressure. The vestiges of the old order should be pruned. The new army chief is still being pressure by the fan club of the old order to confront the government or face defamation. I particularly worried about Lt Gen Nadeem Taj for he still seems to be the part of the very fan club. As an Army Chief General Kayani needs to develop a vision statement, and maximize his outreach by visiting all units and liaising with the officers there. If there was one commendable aspect of General Musharraf it was his readiness to reach out the officers across board and sell his vision. This army is the army of our heroes. It should be given a clear interpretation of its destiny. No one can do that better that its top leader who has a commendable understanding of the army’s scope and responsibilities.
Likewise the media and the lawyers need to come out of the aggressive phase they were in. If we tolerated an unelected government for nine years what harm can it have if we tolerate the antics and semantics of the folks we ourselves elected and who have only been in power for months.
I know the political squabbles have started already. I know we could further be walking towards uncertainty. But that is what we need to compehend about democracy. Democracy is not supposed to generate talling figures who hijack the entire system. Democracy is supposed to bring to the fore the people who in all likelihood will be commoners and yet will have the capacity to run the affairs of the government. It was alright to aggressively work for the change of ruler who if not evicted would have made democracy non functional. And why do I say that democracy would have been dysfunctional if Musharraf was in power, because democracy is supposed to have the capacity to not only elect but change a government too. In the last nine years the country was run in a highly personalized way. Now the political class has to pass the test of our trust. But what is the haste. There is a limit to which the system can be harmed.  There is a clear limit to a sitting government’s tenure. We are lucky that today we have entered into the age of coalition politics. The coalition politics itself is an effectual device for checks and balances. If you do not like the government you can change it whenever there is a call to the elections. 
I respect Justice Chaudhry and his sacked colleagues as much as there is a need. Yet we should always remember not to make a God out of any person. I am hopeful that all these judges will be restored but I also realize that after the lawyers’ movement these judges are not merely judges but national figures. Musharraf was a national figure too but our problem was that his presence was creating a system of unipolarity where one actor was far too powerful than all others. Today he is gone and that anomaly is abolished. I believe that the judicial system must also pass some important tests for the sake of justice for all. For instance like it or not the PML-N’s mantra that instead of impeaching the president they should have restored the judges who would have taken him to task. Sirs, if you were that sure of the outcome of a trial that had not yet started you were to clearly hinting that it was not justice but vendetta. No matter how much upright no judge can be allowed to pursue a personal agenda for they are not the elected representatives. No matter how much bad was Musharraf he was entitled to a fair trial and the fact that these judges had allowed him to take part in the election and had validated his first coup would have been dragged into the debate owing to which we could never predict an outcome. Yet I admire also the fact that during the lawyers’ movement Justice Chaudhry and his colleagues never ever became partisan. This implies that their legacy is whole and unblemished . It means in turn that they have a right to be restored. But is it not wise to define the contours of the judicial activism too for if not checked it will develop another Musharraf like unipolarity. Let me point out four things that need to be changed. First there is no clear definition of the term of a Chief Justice. Technically if a judge is promoted to the post of the Chief Justice at the age of thirty (of course it is conjecture and I believe no one would do any such silly thing), there would be no way to replace him for three decades. This is not sensible. The president, the prime minister, the provincial chief executives, the services chiefs and the parliaments all have clear terms of service. What harm would it do to have that at the time of restoration for afterwards using the Judicial Review the courts could strike the term restriction down. Likewise there is no well defined system for the induction of a judge. That also needs to be resolved. This takes us to the next point of the judicial activism and the judicial review. I believe that judicial activism is good but there should be clear limits to it. We know there are three pillars of state the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Of the three the most important is the legislature for not only is it the representative of the people but also it codifies the law which if unchanged govern our generations. As someone who considers the Objectives Resolution an anomaly at best I believe that the judiciary should not have any right to review the output of the assemblies with the exception of human rights. So there goes the judicial review. At best the courts should interpret the law not change it. Then comes the relationship between the judiciary and the executive. The judiciary in my view should not be allowed to challenge policies ( with the exception of human rights of course) for that are framed by the representatives of the people. Yet it can monitor the day to day issue of governance. It is not the job of judiciary to legitimize coup maker, to strike down the important policy decisions or bring the functions of a state to a grinding halt. Finally the firvilous laws of the contempt of court should be scrapped. Courts should be respected for their decisions and objectivity and not through obligatory laws. Now all this clearly needs a constitutional package and our patience. Now that a dictator is gone let us not bring down the entire system by acting impulsively. Let us think of what is good for all our children and grandchildren. Also let us give the politicians some time to sort out problems. They will only gain experience through stumbles and tumbles. It is good to have as many different perspectives as we can find for that would give birth to a truly pluralistic society.
Also I should appeal to every stakeholder not to create an environment of instability for the country’s economy is really frail right now. Aggressive postures will only damage us in the end.

August 21st, 2008 | Category: General |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (3)

Musharraf has resigned. The country’s politics has witnessed a dramatic change. While speaking to the nation he made some very interesting claims. A majority of these claims were self deceptive and inaccurate. Since during last nine years I have written extensively on these policies and related issues you will excuse me if I do not agree with any of them or choose not to waste your time further in rebuttal of these claims. However I should say one thing for sure. Whatever Musharraf did is a matter of the past. From where I stand I can see that his legacy includes some very positive things too. Now that the chapter is closed let the bygones be bygones. Let us stop claiming premature victory or give in to the vendetta and look towards the future. Challenges are huge and we will have to work very hard to bring some positive change. Let us work for the next victory without any discord or degeneracy. And since our dear general has finally seen reason his last policy choice should be applauded.

August 18th, 2008 | Category: General |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (3)

Musharraf has always shown great concern for the economy of the country. Indeed economic progress was self professedly the most important objective of his military coup. He then seemed to have great dislike for his predecessors for they had been responsible, in his view, for bringing economy into “deep trouble”. His economic objective stated in his October 17, 1999 were as under:
- “Rebuilding of investors’ confidence through stability and consistency in economic policies,and economic security. The objective is to encourage the local investors, overseasPakistanis and foreign investors.
- “Increase domestic savings.
- “Carryout pragmatic tax reforms
- “Turn around the state enterprises towards profitability
- “Boost agriculture and revive industry
- “Strict austerity measures”.
It is unclear how much can he claim have accomplished out of these objectives. We know today that the major crises during his regime were also triggered by economic issues. For instance the reason behind the sacking of the chief justice and the origin of the constitutional crisis was the legal bottlenecks in the privatization of the steel mills.
After almost 9 years of his rule the economy is still in shambles. While there was a point in time when he used to claim that the economy had been revived we now know that most of that was mere window dressing. clearly Musharraf is not a financial wizard himself. He had to rely on his economic lieutenants like Shaukat Aziz to get some understanding. A visible gamble for there was an element of blind trust involved. Despite criticizing the Bretton Woods system Shaukat did what his masters in the World Bank and the IMF dictated him to do. It was his idea that the emergency be imposed in 2007. As a consequence he has left behind a weak rupee and a dwindling economy. While his policies had brought short term improvement in the macro indicators, Governor State Bank Dr Shamshad Akhtar perhaps immitating Alan Greenspan kep increasing the interest rates and hence ensured that the liquity left in the market disappears at once. So deja vu.
In fact today’s economic situation is quite helpful in understanding the happenings of the late eighties and the entire decade of nineties. When a democratic government took over after General Zia’s death, it was quickly dubbed as financially corrupt and inept and hence dismissed. The subsequent elected governments were also dismissed on the same charges. It was claimed that Zia had left the economy stable and the successive democratic governments were responsible for the staggering foreign debts of the country. Meanwhile the establishment’s white elephant kept swallowing dollars upon dollars. Quite a few people realized that the foreign debts were due to the foreign wars Pakistan had accepted to fight, the money spent on political maneuvering by the establishment and also owing to the structural deformities in the system. Today however the establishment has been caught with its pants down. It is now clear that the financial crisis that afflicts the country today had started during the reign of Musharraf’s handpicked government.  And this fact remains no matter how much Musharraf’s Chamchas shout.
While it might be instructive the situation is still recoverable. What does a market really fear the most? Instability and uncertainty. Musharraf’s presence in the presidency is a permanent destabilizing factor. If he does not leave by Sunday the bourses, Pak rupee and the economy in general will further sink and may god forbid collapse. For the sake of the country and the economy Musharraf should quit. Let it really be Pakistan first.

August 17th, 2008 | Category: General |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment