Saturday, June 2, 2012
Why I Want It to Be Kaptaan - By Mr. Zain Umar
Why I Want It to Be Kaptaan - By Mr. Zain Umar
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Jinnah’s Pakistan: Is it imploding? by Brig. Samson Sharaf
Jinnah’s Pakistan: Is it imploding? by Brig. Samson Sharaf
Like most Pakistanis, I was stunned in disbelief to see the breaking news of the late Salman Taseer’s assassination; Not that I am a fan but rather, the direction in which Pakistan is headed. Like every citizen of this country who believes in Jinnah’s vision, I was disturbed and saddened by events that followed.
None could have articulated our feelings and the direction that Pakistan is headed, better than Imran Khan. In his interview to CNN he related this unfortunate event into a causative equation, “In fact Pakistan is imploding. This country is going down.” Rather than his usual dynamic and imposing demeanor, he appeared tense, grim and somber. His face reminiscent of the first loosing matches of 1992 world cup reflected the concerns of every Pakistani; Betrayal of Jinnah’s vision of a plural, progressive and communitarian society.
This article is not an obituary of an assassinated Pakistani politician, but instead assess what lies ahead for Pakistan It critically appraises the future course of Pakistan’s politic body. Hours after the assassination, I formulated a hypothesis and posted it on Facebook and Twitter. As Events have unfolded, my worst fears are coming true.
“Salman's assassination is beyond symbolic. This is the start point of a struggle between the forces that bank on the establishment and mullahs for power and the true democratic forces within Pakistan. Does it bring an end to the era of the Punjab Progressives like Faiz, Mian Ifthikhar and Dr. Taseer, or will the pyre burn?
Aisha Sarwari articulates my fears when she wites, “He had come to be the only man who defined the fight that is the only fight worth fighting – between the mullahs and the progressives. Before him, no one had dared vocalise the fact that there remains an ideological divide in Pakistan.”
Notwithstanding that the event is a criminal act I am more concerned at the trends that this assassination is leading to.
The religious right spearheaded by political parties has taken a position on the incident declaring the assassin a hero and the dead governor an infidel who deserved no funeral.
During the entire run up to the assassination, all political parties distanced themselves from the slain governor and left him isolated with few civil activists, minority leaders and opinion makers to face the wrath of the right. Even the ruling PPP hierarchy distanced itself from the slain governor and stalwarts like Babar Awan and the Prime Minister publically distanced themselves from the infidel politician.
A large segment of the Rawalpindi Bar Association has put its weight behind the assassin, garlanded, kissed and hugged him.
The governments in power at provincial and federal levels have failed to take action against those who are justifying the assassination on religious grounds or offering head money on those condemned under PPC 295C. There are no measures in sight to contain this fervor.
The internet media is flooded with admiration of the assassin. Facebook has numerous profiles and communities portraying him a knight.
Elements of the government in power are screaming helplessly that Police investigations are being interfered with.
The security apparatus in Pakistan has shown its low motivational state, lack of training, commitment and non seriousness in security of VVIPs.
But all this has not happened overnight.
The story began with Jinnah’s plural Pakistan which was systematically replaced with political manipulations of religion to sustain the emerging political elites and the establishment. It began with Jinnah abandoned on the roads of Karachi grasping for fresh air followed by insertion of the religious identity in the constitution. A time has now come when even educated Pakistan term Jinnah’s address of 11 August a figment of fiction.
Religious forces that supported the Khilafat Movement under Gandhi and opposed the creation of Pakistan slowly began to overawe the Muslim League that created Pakistan and had opposed the Khilafat. As time passed, numerous Muslim Leagues that were created to suit the establishments dishonored Jinnah’s Pakistan. They proceeded into short term expediencies that have now resulted in intolerance, violence and lawlessness; all in the name of religion.
As this trend spread, many members of the minority communities who worked in cahoots with Qaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah elected to either move back to India or to other countries. Even many war heroes who served Pakistan in its two wars emigrated. As Raymond Durrani puts it:
“When it comes to win a game, whether that game is in a sports match, in politics and or in democracy, the winner requires only one extra point over its opponent. In the game of creation of Pakistan, that one point (actually 4 points) came from the Christian MPs and the Speaker of the House of the Punjab Assembly who happened to be a Christian to make Pakistan a reality. Do the masses of Pakistan Muslims know who and where those members of the Christian Pakistani Nation are? “
Similarly, the uprisings in Kashmir had the intellectual, material and political directions from men like Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Mian Iftikharuudin of Progressive Papers Lahore and Dr. Taseer and those who spent long hours with Jinnah and Iqbal. Pathetically, these heroes of the Kashmir struggle were thrown into cages by the dictators for conspiring against Kashmir and we in schools were forbidden from reading Faiz’ poetry.
In yet another Shakespearean irony, a man who earned and paid honest taxes to Pakistan in its worst times, and one who turned anything he touched in business to gold and whose father acclaimed and buried Alim ud Din Ghazi in Lahore, himself fell to bullets as a purported infidel.
Ever since, this trend has grown.
Pakistan was chosen as an Islamic Containment Bulwark against a so called godless Russia during the Cold War. USA called Pakistan to an international Jihad against the infidel Soviets during the occupation of Afghanistan. The West and many Arab states created the sectarian outfits to fail Iran’s Revolution. Tragically, at each occasions military dictators seeking legitimacy obliged and plunged Pakistan deeper into the militant syndrome. The present WOT serves to air and ignite these violent trends with the conclusion that any moderate who speaks up for Jinnah’s Vision is called an enemy agent, infidel and traitor.
Jinnah’s Pakistanis are fast loosing space and relevance. Is there one to challenge these forces of regression?
I agree with Imran Khan when he says, “Pakistan is imploding. This country is going down”
Friday, June 1, 2012
Tehreek-e-Insaf again explains Jemimas
Tehreek-e-Insaf again explains Jemimas
ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-e-Insaf has again clarified a report in The News on May 27 titled “Why Jemima Khan did a Benami transaction with Imran”.
PTI Information Secretary, Shafqat Mahmood, said in a statement Mr Umar Cheema has tried to sensationalise a very simple transaction regarding the land where Mr Imran Khan has built a house in the Bani Gala suburb of Islamabad.
Shafqat said: “His argument that this land was purchased through a ‘Benami transaction’ is entirely based on a power of attorney that Ms Jemima Khan had given in favour of Saifullah Niazi.
In this document the person drafting it had erroneously used the words “Benami transaction” and Jemima Khan had signed it as she was not supposed to know what this term means or indeed intricacies of law.
This was an error on the part of the drafter, as it will be demonstrated below, on which an entire house of cards has been built by Mr Cheema.“First, let us see what a ‘Benami transaction’ is? A ‘Benami’ transaction has been described in Aggarwal’s Law of Benami Transactions (Pakistani Edition 2002) by Mr M. Farani as one in which the real owner of property allows it (the property) to appear in the name of an ostensible owner under a sort of secret trust.
In plain English this means that person A buys a property with his or her own money but for a variety of reasons shows person B as the owner. This is in sum a Benami transaction. It also follows that if person A has bought the property and put it in his or her own name, then it is not a Benami transaction.
Now let us look at the facts in the case of Mr Imran Khan and Jemima Khan, which were indeed conveyed to Mr Cheema but did not register adequately. The couple were then married and decided to buy the property in Bani Gala. To raise the money for it, Mr Imran Khan put his London flat up for sale.
To finalise the deal in the meantime, Jemima Khan used her own money to buy the property and it was so registered in her name. Thus if we look at the definitions given above, it cannot be described as a Benami Transaction.
When later on Mr Imran Khan was able to sell his London flat and transfer the money through banking channels to Pakistan, he paid Jemima Khan the amount she had spent to buy the property. Before it could be formally transferred in Mr Imran Khan’s name the couple unfortunately divorced and Jemima left for England.
Before leaving she obviously wanted to transfer the property in the name of Imran Khan as she had been paid the amount she had spent on buying it. As this process of transfer would have taken time and she wanted to leave, she gave a power of attorney to Saifullah Niazi to represent her in the legal transfer.
These are the facts. It is obvious that there was nothing Benami about this transaction. These words have been sensationalised only because the person drafting the power of attorney included them by mistake in the document.
To use a clerical error to question a person of Mr Imran Khan’s integrity, may serve someone’s political purpose but has no basis in law or facts. Umar Cheema adds: My report has stated facts only which were sensational. What are these facts? The clarification said the person who drafted Jemima Khan’s Power of Attorney ‘erroneously’ used the term ‘Benami Transaction.’
The author of draft was not a layperson unfamiliar with terms such as “Benami transactions” and their legal implications. The document bears the seals of solicitors who are certified UK lawyers and experts on matters such as property transfers etc.
The document also claims that the property was bought by Imran Khan and transferred in Jemima Khan’s name through a Benami transaction. It contradicts what Imran Khan has been telling the media for a long time that he borrowed money from his ex-wife to buy the land and it was returned after selling his flat in the UK.
He never said this before the PTI was approached for version that the land was registered in Jemima’s name at first. Is it a coincidence? By claiming in the affidavit that the property initially belonged to Imran Khan but transferred in her name raises the questions about the source of money and the legal or otherwise channels used to transfer the money that was used to purchase the property and taxes paid. In case this was also a “clerical error”, evidences should be produced about how the money borrowed from Jemima Khan was channeled from UK to Pakistan to purchase the property as claimed. In case Jemima had this hefty sum in local bank, better if clarified and evidences shared.
The Power of Attorney bears the signature of Jemima Khan who, one assumes, must have read the document before signing it particularly a document that has legal implications. Again, the land transferred back in the name of Imran Khan was based on this document declaring it ‘Benami Transaction’. One may curious to know what land record said whether it was treated as ‘Benami’ being returned to the actual owner who didn’t want to disclose it earlier for any reason.
I have read definition of ‘Benami Transaction’ as defined by the spokesperson. I would request him to read the legal definition. Benami Transaction: Is a transaction where a person buys a property in the name of another person or gratuitously transfers property to another person without an intention to benefit that other person. It defines “Benami Transaction” as the property purchased not in the name of the real beneficiary, but someone who is his representative (Benamidar).”
Why Benami transactions are made: “1) Some people Commit fraud on creditors; 2) The desire to evade tax thereby committing fraud on the state; 3) To avoid certain political and social risks; 4) Provides an opportunity for putting black money in to more productive use.” The spokesman should be mindful of Moonis Elahi’s alleged involvement in NICL case was on the same grounds.
I may also like to explain that when this question was sent to the PTI, the response was a complete denial of the existence of any Benami transaction. It was not said the word ‘Benami Transaction’ has erroneously been used.
Our story was based on a legal document that has not been denied as fake or forged by the PTI. Whether or not the contents including the claim of a Benami transaction was merely a “clerical error” or erroneously mentioned as now claimed by PTI in a document drafted by British solicitors is best left to the judgement of the readers.
Angry Imran: Imran Khan’s Tsunami Now on Android
Just when we thought Imran Khan’s Tsunami isn’t going anywhere soon, it popped up right where we least expected it to, in the Google Play Store. Angry Imran, a free Android game inspired by the highly addictiveAngry Birds.
Angry Imran is a game based on the political public gatherings and ‘jalsas’ of Imran Khan, often known as “Imran Khan’s Tsunami”, where you advance to several cities based on the locations where Imran Khan’s large public gatherings have been held. For now, you play through five levels: Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar & Islamabad.
Every level has several politicians related to the city, which you have to knock out of the screen to advance to the next city. Unlike Angry Birds, politicians (piglets in Angry Birds) don’t blow up when you hit them, instead you have to hit them and take them out of the screen.
How to earn more points? The quicker you knock them out and with minimal number of Imran Khans, earns you more points on every city/level. And when you clear a level, you hear Imran Khan yelling, “TABDELI AA GAYEE HAI!”.
A fun game to kill time. Lots and lots of improvements could be made with awesome new features like a leaderboard, better graphics or just add some more politicians whom you can knock out! 
Angry Imran is developed by Creatrixe, a student at NUST and is just the first beta version. So yes, we can expect the game to improve and mature with future releases. Looking forward to the development.
Download Angry Imran – Android Game
You can download Angry Imran from Google Play here: Download Angry Imran.
NOTE: AndroidPakistan.com does not have any political affiliations with any party.
Imran bursts onto the political stage,spectacularly
Imran bursts onto the political stage,spectacularly
Largely regarded until now as a political lightweight with street support that scarcely translates into votes come general elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan spectacularly burst onto the national political stage in a massive show of force at his rally in Lahore on Sunday as thousands upon thousands of supporters gathered at the historic Minar-e-Pakistan to answer his call: ‘remove the government, save Pakistan’.
Largely regarded until now as a political lightweight with street support that scarcely translates into votes come general elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan spectacularly burst onto the national political stage in a massive show of force at his rally in Lahore on Sunday as thousands upon thousands of supporters gathered at the historic Minar-e-Pakistan to answer his call: ‘remove the government, save Pakistan’.Turning the tables on his political rivals, especially the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and making good on his promise that he would fill the sprawling Minar-e-Pakistan grounds, Imran left little doubt about who rules Lahore. The cricketer-turned-politician told the crowd – which reportedly comprised well over 100,000 of his supporters, most of them youngsters – that a revolution was around the corner and the government could not stop it. Basking in the adoration of the crowd, he said he had one complaint to make of the people of Lahore: they took a long time to wake up.
“But now that Lahore has risen, we are unstoppable!” said an impassioned Imran.DECLARE ASSETS: Imran gave the ruling elitist politicians a “few months” to declare their assets, failing which he said he would force them to do so by starting a massive civil disobedience movement. He warned the “oppressive and reactionary” existing political setup that a tsunami, and not a mere flood, of change was on its way that would sweep away their distorted and corrupt style of politics.
Imran had claimed in the days leading up to the rally that he would show everyone at the Minar-e-Pakistan who ruled Lahore, Punjab and the rest of the country. There were no two ways of seeing the result of that claim on Sunday: the PTI trumped the PML-N – which has long held more sway and support in the capital of Punjab than any other political party – and it did so with a thumping majority.Imran told the participants of the rally that it took his party 15 years of hard work to reach this position where it could bring change to Pakistan. He promised to end corruption and to bring back the $100 billion of the country’s money stolen by corrupt politicians and hidden away in foreign banks. He thanked youngsters, rickshaw drivers, police personnel and government servants that he said had “sneaked into the rally” in their civvies.
The PTI chief said parliament was full of land-grabbers powered by patwaris who gathered black money for them. Imran laid particular stress on his party’s aim to rid the country of patwari culture and said Pakistan was the only country left in the world that still employed them.He also warned that he would go to the Supreme Court as well as the Election Commission of Pakistan if the politicians in the government and opposition failed to declare their assets as required by law.
He said the PTI would set up a cell to investigate the assets of politicians who failed to declare them.MANIFESTO: Imran announced his party’s manifesto in detail, which he said was aimed at making Pakistan a peaceful and independent country where investment would be attracted from across the world. “We will make Pakistan a place where people come from other countries to seek jobs,” he said. Talking of change, he said: “Today we are beginning a new Pakistan from Minar-e-Pakistan, the place from where Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah began his movement.”
Describing his party’s policy towards the United States, Imran said: “We will be friends with you (US), but we will not be your slaves. We will help you withdraw from Afghanistan, but won’t launch any military operation (for you).” He questioned that if the US, being a superpower, could not win the war through military means, how could Pakistan? Imran expressed more of a leaning towards China, saying his party would seek to strengthen its ties with Pakistan’s all-weather friend. He said he was leaving for China on the Chinese government’s invitation tonight.He said Pakistan was not a poor country but one rich in natural resources. He said Pakistan had 180 billion tonnes of coal reserves, “which means we can export electricity to the world”. Imran said a Pakistan he was heading would never need to beg before anyone.
“Pakistan will never beg again; Imran Khan will die but won’t beg,” he vowed amid vociferous cheers of the charged crowd. Coming down hard on President Asif Ali Zardari, Imran questioned how Zardari could provide food, clothes and shelter when under his rule 16,000 people had committed suicide.He also claimed that Zardari wrote a letter to the US requesting it to please save him from the army because he was not able to serve the US well with army interference.
Lambasting PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, he said: “How can you fight an alligator like Zardari when you can’t even take on the [dengue] mosquitoes?” He said Nawaz could have done better than coming up with a show of patwaris at the PML-N rally in Lahore. The PTI chief said Pakistan was suffering losses of Rs 3 trillion every year because of rampant corruption. He said his party also aimed to bring about police reforms in the country to improve the working of the institution.
“We will depoliticise the police and then get the SHO elected the way it is done in America,” he added. He said the condition of villages would be improved and pledged to bring an end to the military operation and targeted killings in Balochistan, which he said was a province rich in natural resources but treated cruelly in the past. “We will make the Balochs our brothers,” he added. “Change is not coming, change is already here!” were the words Imran Khan chose to end his speech with, to wild applause from the crowd that had swelled exponentially since it started gathering at around 11am.Whether the rally and the unprecedented support will have a direct impact in terms of elections remains to be seen, but one thing that was made clear at Minar-e-Pakistan on Sunday evening was that the PTI has emerged as a viable alternative to the PPP and PML-N. Whether it will be able to capitalise on that or not is anybody’s guess. – PT
Leader of Cornered Tigers - By Salman Bugvi
Leader of Cornered Tigers by Salman Bugvi
To be honest I really took notice of Imran Khan after the 1992 world cup but this could chiefly be attributed to young age.
His efforts and contribution on the field made me take notice of cricket and him as a personality. His captaincy was always a mystery, he had total control over the players and the impression created was that these players were forced to give their best because Imran Khan would be there in the pavilion waiting with a stick to punish any bad shot or ball.
At a young age I did not realize that threat alone does not achieve the success at international level cricket, especially in a team sport. It was the creation of a meritorious culture, fairness and discipline which made the average team of the 80’s into the cornered tigers and world champions of 1992.
Imran Khan was a great bowler, batsman, all rounder, cricket captain and champion. Many Pakistani’s would have admired him for perhaps the rest of his life regardless of his other contributions. With his success, wealth, foreign connections and social standing there was no need for him to travel on the roads of Pakistan for donations or wade through the muck of national politics. Only a person with ambitions and goals of a higher and nobler purpose follows the path which Imran Khan has pursued.
Imran Khan is an intellectual who has learnt from sports. Only a sportsman can understand the effort and hard work of training physically, the effort to best oneself over another, show sportsmanship in victory or defeat, to constantly try and improve personal skill and qualities, always perform with excellence and above all to show humility. What individuals learn about human behavior in a lifetime through experience or academics is bested by sports players in a shorter duration.
Imran Khan had the opportunity to match his skills and qualities with the best cricketers of the world. He constantly worked to hone his capabilities and his name can easily be counted as one of the best cricketers in any era.
Most Pakistani’s do not perhaps realize the philanthropist trend he has set in Pakistan with his campaign for Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust.
Pakistani’s as Muslims have always contributed generously to the needs of fellow Muslims through Zakat. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital was the first mass charitable campaign which made people aware of their strength, the capacity and their ability as a nation.
The remarkable aspect is that there was an absence of mass communication facilities like internet and cable television at that time.
Imran Khan created a whole generation of cornered tigers when he visited schools and colleges of every city in Pakistan. The campaign of Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital was spearheaded by teenagers who were asked to collect donations. Imran Khan declared these young individuals to be his cornered tigers, a philosophy which surfaced during the 1992 world cup.
A cornered tiger has nothing to lose and is the most daring and ferocious when it is boxed in. The youth motivated by Imran Khan and cricket victory did not question whether the campaign was possible or impossible; they just answered Imran Khan’s call for helping the needy. Perhaps that young generation which contributed to the campaign of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust learnt something valuable from it and is now contributing in other ways for the welfare of Pakistan.
His ability to motivate the youth is extraordinary, as cricket captain in young players, as a philanthropist while generating funds through the help of school children, as a politician to ensure a proper system of governance.
It is a fact that he was instrumental in forming the cricket team into a winning combination. The culmination of his career was with the world cup triumph for Pakistan through talented young players. The hard work of one generation bore fruit and was beneficial to the next.
As a social worker his earlier attempts to generate funds from Pakistanis failed to reach the required targets. He put his hope and trust in the youth which was rewarded. Elderly Pakistanis were jolted into action when they saw the ambition, determination and hope of these young tigers. I know examples in which parents themselves started selling coupons of their childrens’ receipt books at offices and to friends.
As a political leader Imran Khan has massive support in the youth but his views are met with skepticism by the senior Pakistani’s. Why is this so? It is a question asked by many, to which I have heard no valid or plausible answer.
My opinion is that the teenagers and youth of Pakistan are as yet untainted by the corruption, duplicity, negative politics and selfish personal interests. At least they do not as yet have had the opportunity to take part in these activities practically. Perhaps they too will become like other Pakistani’s when they become seniors, if the present system does not change, however for now majority of the youth has hope.
Young age is full of dreams and ideals, with the whole world and all its opportunities before you. You believe in the impossible, but when reality takes hold a lot of things seem difficult. Reality especially in Pakistan could be a nightmare for some, which keeps on repeating itself.
Imran Khan’s personality and logic appeals to the youth because it reflects optimism. The greatest lesson and philosophy which has its roots in Islamic values, pursued by Imran Khan is to struggle constantly and never give up. No matter what the reality at present we should strive for our ideals.
It would be unfair to say that all leading Pakistani’s are pessimists. A number of distinguished individuals are working in every field making commitment, honesty and integrity the hallmark of their personalities. However the sad and painful part of the story is that these heroes are never given centre stage. They are considered as the odd men, the foolish or individuals who cannot survive in the jungle. These individuals are the cornered tigers of Imran Khan.
The Pakistani Nation thinks and works on extremes. Either they are extremely indifferent towards the present system or extremely vibrant when calamity strikes. I do not count, being vocal and emotional as being active. Without practical steps to change the status quo, Pakistani Nation will be categorized as being indifferent. The skeptical ideas that an honest and just leadership cannot exist in Pakistan have to be thwarted. Change is inevitable, even without effort to convince; people will realize that they have run out of options. With no other alternate available Imran Khan will be the only ray of shining hope.
Imran Khan is a leader who has struggled in the democratic setup with high principles and ethics. His passion alone convinces an individual that he will bring a vibrant change in Pakistan.
A single Pakistani with his passion can overturn the tables on a team of eleven. The entire Pakistani nation if awakened and united for a common cause has passion to overturn the tables on the present reality.
Salman A. Bugvi
“I am an individual who firmly believes that PTI will bring a positive change in Pakistan. My aim and reasons for writing this article are to explain some answers to questions which have recently surfaced and to pay tribute to Imran Khan, a personality who has shaped the way in which I think. Perhaps this article will be a source of inspiration for PTI members, the youth and elders and enhance, broaden the imagination and knowledge of the readers.
I am an online member of PTI and an active, vocal person in my circle of friends. Am residing in Lahore and belong to the teaching profession. I am also a writer with some contributions in DAWN Newspaper. These contributions can be viewed online if you do Google search for ‘Dawn Letters Salman Bugvi’”.
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