The Daily PakistanPolitics July16-31, 2017

• Jul30-2017--Shahid Khaqan Abbasi comes in as interim primeminister, an electrical engineer with a masters from the USA...From Murree his father was killed in the Ojhri blasts and his brother died of injuries...His father was an air commodore and a contractor in Saudia and a ziaulhaq stooge like Nawaz Sharif. Shabaz Sharif to step in after 45 days...In the punjab the same process is being repeated with Hamza Shabaz an mna will have to contest on his fathers provincial seat...both seats elections could be problematic but the opposition would have to mount a huge effort...Shahid Khaqan abbasi is at best a military sponsored stooge too...His father in law Riaz Abbasi was an ISI chief from 1977 to 1979 in the zia coup period and was probably a part of the zia's elections in 90 days subterfuge...
  
• Jul30-2017--The PMln protests have fizled out as their strategy of receiving derogatory treatment and not getting justice but still accepting the judgement are at best pathetic...it seems that the PMLn did not hear a word of the court proceedings...having lived in a cocoon Nawaz Sharif has been unable to finally deal with or succumb to the courts...earlier his party had once even assaulted the SC...In Rawalpindi they could barely bring 3000 people onto the streets and this is a PMLn territory...!Nawaz Sharif as expected has tried to create a Sharif dynasty...poor Chaudhry Nisar could not even resign despite being true and having waited in the wings for decades...!however Nawaz Sharif might find that the PMLs has different ideas although they might be inaugurating his projects...many assume it might lead to a defeat in punjab as punjabi's donot vote for those whose power is on the vane...Nawaz Sharif has had a controversial career...having dropped out of George Mason...he started out as a military contractor making parts for the Nishan Jeep in the Yahya period...having been sponsored by military intelligence...having possibly supported the Zia coup or even other coups...turning into a zia stooge as punjab finance minister and chief minister ...looting six billion in loans and setting up twenty family factories..loans he took thirty years to return...having had various political attitudes...trying punjabi nationalism, islamic jumhuriat..ISI rule...thinking of being an emir...supporting and opposing military rule...and also being supported by the terrorist taleban...however this time around he did push the taleban into afghanistan...eliminated the LJ..reduced but did not eliminate terrorism...and did something unique in terms of the Metro in lahore and rawalpindi but was unable to end load shedding...which was supposed to end in april 2018...!...he might be considered tobe a road maniac which has culminated in the CPEC roads...his first road was modernizing the road to murree...building roads never ended...!than came the motorway which has still not been completed...!Nawaz Sharifs problems at home and abroad visibly started with Raheel Shareef's exit and his refusal to support Saudi Arabia...his foreign policy had just one agenda..."support the iranian shiite invasion of iraq and syria..."he tried tobe seen as a negotiator but had never even visited yemen, jordan, iraq or syria ...!with pro shiite policies he could barely get along with saudia arabia...who started out on an independent course culminating in the sanctions on qatar...all possibly advised by the nawaz shareef stooge raheel shareef...!however Nawaz took the credit of pakistans first atomic test which had been 24 years in the making...he did try a kashmir invasion in kargil but withdrew after clinton took him into a seperate empty room...!!!lately he turned the countries economy over to the chinese construction, financing and building roads for them...Cpec was similar to what the RCD highway and karakorum highway were supposed tobe...foreign policy wise he left the country isolated and people started calling pakistan a chinese colony...
  
• Jul30-2017--The PMLn review if based on their current attitudes will not succeed...however they could hire the countries better known constitutional lawyers... while the decision by the judges is largely said tobe correct applying the articles 62 and 63 to the primeministers behaviour and the large part of the the panama and london flats aspect...there is also the strange money trail which is generally assumed tobe concocted...The CapitalFZE payments or not and a foreign residence obtained thru lies are additional charges...however most of the cases have been referred to the NAB for immediate trial which has nabbed additional nawaz sharif relatives...The suggestion that the disqualification is eternal seems valid as the case would not change with time...The PMLn could change to a PMLs and thus the mildly more careful Shahbaz Shareef could rule for another year or six depending on circumstances...there is however the perplexing issue of Shabaz Sharifs gifting of costly animals to the qatar government...!and did he give the panama gift to the balochistan government from punjab government funds...!The first phase is how the lahorites vote in NA120..if shahbaz sharif loses than he could go for another seat or quit...!That could be the real end of the one man dynasty...!
  
• Jul30-2017--The PMLn decision making under Nawaz Sharif continues tobe problematic...wild immature comments...there handlers have been proven tobe pathetic and illogical...as far as is known they are unable to reach a decision on a new party and government leadership...some thoughts have been given to arrive at a consensus primeminister but no visible consultations with other parties have been made...Speaker national assembly seems tobe the more popular choice...however Nawaz Sharif given the cases ahead has favoured Shahbaz sharif...The PMLn seems to have an immature attitude and is unclear how the decision has gone against them...one the courts clearly gave an indication in the first phase as to what the decision would be...however the PMLn refused to give clear concise information...preferring to make fun of the JTI and Imran Khan instead...given the nature of articles 62 and 63 the judges had no way out...and the person leading the family and in public office was clearly found tobe the one to blame...!Nawaz Sharif despite the decision wants to lead from behind the scenes which could lead to a contempt of court petition..the party has no clear choice on a party leader and government leader...the capital FZE and residence certificates aspect just provided added ammunition
  
• Jul29-2017--Nawaz Sharif can now not be appointed to a party position and has been disqualified for life...whether he can participate in political decision making could be problematic...!some channels say Khawaja Asif still in the run for interim primeminister...while he has a foreign residency he could quickly fall afoul of the SC...many suggest that his caustic wit could keep the PTI at bay...!many suggest that the PMLn is finding it difficult to accept reality and is continuing to challenge the SC and JIT...Nawaz Sharif and his party colleagues could be subject to contempt of court if they irritate the SC too much...!Chaudhry Nisar has not yet announced his decision to retire from politics and is probably waiting for a final party decision to reject him...!
  
• Jul29-2017--In what can be a reiteration that the PMLn is still a sharif party senior partymen have been sidelined for Shahbaz Sharif as primeminister...however an interim primeminister could be appointed for 45 days as shahbaz sharif takes on an election in Na120 which was nawaz sharifs constituency...!NA speaker ayaz sadiq seems tobe the leading candidate while others are khaqan abbasi and khurram dastgir while four candidates are being considered for the chief minister of punjab including hamza shahbaz...while relatively senior rana sanaullah, malik nadeem kamran and mian mujtaba shuja are being considered as chiefministerial candidates ...shahbaz sharif ally malik nadeem kamran leads the pack with the seedy terrorist rana sanaullah and relatively well reputed mian candidate mian mujtaba shuja...alternate being being hamza shahbaz who does not have a great reputation...relatively the sharifs are considering mature good reputed candidates barring rana sanaullah and hamza shahbaz who donot have great reputations...!an NA-120 election could be a tough sell even for the sharifs...!
  
• Jul29-2017--some have objected to the basis of the three judges disqualification judgement saying the salary from Capital FZE might be a receivable and not an asset...usually both types are considered assets...however many others think the money minting nawaz sharif will not have refused the salary even if the son is covering his expenditures...!lawyers who donot mention receivables are worried about being disqualified...the other point is that the disqualification under Ropa is for five years however under 62-1f it is apparently for life...lawyers question the duration as it is not mentioned...however since the sadiq judgement would not change as Nawaz is a habitual liar and only comes to the truth when he is in trouble...however many suggest that Nawaz Sharif could go to the courts suggesting that he has corrected his behaviour citing examples...however it would be up to the judges discretion one might suggest to requalify him although generally his disqualification is for life...he could however hope for his petty politicians to amend the constitution and Ropa...!...in the near future...!
  
• Jul29-2017--In a decision which is remarkable inits severity the five judge Panama bench disqualified Nawaz Sharif with immediate effect and asked him to leave office immediately...Nawaz Sharifs refusal to resign and appoint a loyalist is considered pathetic...!It apparently also disqualified several family members and Ishaq Dar...the negative elements of nawaz sharifs financial wrongdoing were referred to the NAB which has to file references within six weeks against nawaz sharif, maryam safadar, capt safdar and ishaq dar and judge will oversee the trials and have them completed in six months...also his 16 family companies will be checked/reinvestigated...!that leaves only two nawaz sharif family members free that is his wife and brother who escaped the courts judgement...Shahbaz sharif also received panama funds and gifted animals to the qatari government but he has generally escaped by not saying anything about the cases...!This suggests that Imran Khan may barely escape the courts probing even though he made his money before 1988...as to who will replace Nawaz Sharif is not yet clear and the court asked the president to appoint or select a primeminister...!shabaz sharif supposedly will stay in punjab and could face problems depending on who replaces Nawaz Sharif...!There has been conflict within the PMLn on who will be the next primeminister...The military leaning Chaudhry Nisar, Khawaja Asif, ahsan iqbal all have issues and some crony of the shoe selling president might be shoed in ...!however given the majority of Punjab in the PMLn legislators it would have tobe a punjabi...although some suggest that a balochi might have some outside chances...some are suggesting that the mild or simplistic wife might be a standin if Nawaz Sharif retains his support...!
  
• Jul29-2017--Apparently according to rumours Chaudhry Nisar is supporting military meddling despite reported enmity with three former army chiefs on similar issues...Many say that Chaudhry had critisized Nawaz Sharif for attempting to turn his government into a family dictatorship...he had also critisized two senior colleages...however yesterday he said that he was not in contention for the primeministership...it also points to a different PMLn leader taking over the leadership if Nawaz Sharif is toppled by the SC..!nawaz Sharif though military sponsored has a tendency to oppose military meddling despite a record of doing the opposite...Nowadays he has two military chiefs sitting in cabinet meetings while before Raheel Shareef lorded it over him by meeting him with a military flag behind him...!Chaudhry nisar is also thought to have some serious illness...cancer many say...apparently he got treated in england for vitamin deficiencies which made his eyes blackened...others says he is puny and has not handled military excesses and defends the military whatever they do...!
  
• Jul28-2017--Chaudhry Nisar finally has a press conference...and says that he has been sufficiently mollified and he is the seniormost PMLn wala...!he also announces that whether Nawaz Sharif is corrupt or not he will resign from politics if he is disqualified...!shows he is multicolored many say...!that leaves few believing in his honesty and straightforwardness...!earlier he had also said that Nawaz Sharif never told him about his london flats...!
  
• Jul27-2017--Chaudhry Nisar implies that he was not being invited to cabinet meetings by the primeminister after adverse comments on Nawaz sharifs panamagate...!
  
• Jul27-2017--at least five including three PMLn ministers and one sindh chief minister have foreign residence certificates...The SC will have to rule on this whether it implies that they are foreign residents as well as pakistani residents and where their tax liability is and whether they can participate in elections...!...!
  
• Jul27-2017--SC asks for details of Jehangir Tareens offshore dealings...one of the richest sugar barons he is accused of giving and receiving huge gifts and his lands possibly bought by his corrupt policeman father...!who was a ADIG in karachi...!
  
• Jul27-2017--Popular JUIf leader shot dead in shabqadar by two motorcycle gunmen early in the morning, near charsadda...with a name like Haqqani he might have been shot dead by anyone including the US, pakistan army or religious/political opponents or even afghans
  
• Jul25-2017--four militants killed as a traffic constable is shot dead by gunmen in karachi
  
• Jul25-2017--despite being in serious trouble Nawaz Sharif runs of to the maldives for another holiday...!
  
• Jul25-2017--Chaudhary Nisar runs away for another day from commenting or leaving the PMLn...!
  
• Jul25-2017--suicide blast on lahores ferozepur road as anti encroachement drive removes encroachements...26 killed alongwith nine policemen...
  
• Jul25-2017--hanif abbassi who is known to manufacture and smuggle the drug ecstacy accuses Imran Khan of taking money from terrorist sounding names like Jadhav...imran accuses him of anti minority feelings
  
• Jul24-2017--Chaudhry Nisar cancels press conference apparently due to back pain...rumours about chaudhry Nisar's quitting the PMLn and not attending government meetings have been making the grapevine
  
• Jul24-2017--railway engine drivers go on strike
  
• Jul24-2017--In another twist Nawaz Sharif was a dubai resident in 2013...while denying the report earlier...he now says that salary written on the residence certificate was a lie and that he never took any money from Capital FZE...in another report he took 600000 dirhams from Capital FZE which he transferred to london...he now says he was just a fake chairman and it was actually again owned by his dynamo son Hussein...!...he says that he did not hide his capital FZE association and it was mentioned in his passport...the residence certificate was mentioned in his passport but not his financial association to an offshore company...as a resident of dubai he was in effect a foreign national...!...
  
• Jul23-2017--government seeking to replace SECP chairman while PPP asks for removal of the National Bank president who was involved in money laundering for Nawaz Sharif...!
  
• Jul23-2017--Imran Khan says he earned huge amounts playing cricket and also bought a mortgaged london flat in 1984 for 117000 dollars...he says he earned 75000 dollars from Kerry Packer...25000 dollars from NSW apart from related other earnings...he earned 190000 dollars in 1987...he played for worcestershire and Sussex as a professional cricketer from 1977 to 1988..and earned 30-50000 per year approximately...!while he may not be as astute as nawaz sharif in laundering money some assume that jemima's transfer of 44 million rupees could be money laundering even though a rich wife can loan or give money...!In those days foreign players got around 1000-2000 dollars per week apart from endorsements while nowadays they get upto 3000 dollars per match...some players make quite lot playing in PSL type leagues in bangladesh and west indies
  
• Jul22-2017--three policemen killed in karachi alongwith a boy...six gunmen on three motorbikes involved...could be a new militant group even though many think that such attacks are organised by the mqm...still others suggest that a pro Nawaz Sharif group might have emerged
  
• Jul22-2017--In the Panama case sheikh rashid turned turtle and asked the court to pardon Nawaz Sharif...The court wound up the case and reserved the verdict...The general feeling was that Nawaz Sharif had lost the case and was unable to destroy the JIT reports credibility...however one judge said that disqualification is the ECP's preserve as nawaz Sharif had not mentioned his assets and reported his incomes...The court is left with determining whether Nawaz Sharif is corrupt or not and his status under article 62 and 63 of the constitution...The NAB made a bid to get Nawaz Sharif off the hook by suggesting that they would again look into the Hudaibiya reference...The court could determine the status of offshore companies and whether a person in the service of pakistan or political office can conduct bussiness dealings...The key would be the determination under article 62 and 63 in which case the court could order a Gillani type verdict...the aspects of corruption would be referred to accountability processes...If the court decides to declare nawaz sharif a liar than disqualification would be almost automatic...In further news Chaudhry Nisar seemed to distance himself from Nawaz Sharif while others suggested that Khawaja Asif had made inroads as a replacement however the situation could change depending on the courts decision...Chaudhry Nisar apparently said that if he is considered disloyal than so are Hussain and hasan...!rumours suggest that Chaudhry Nisar might quit the PMLn if Nawaz is disqualified and he is not made the primeminister..Shabaz Sharif could be the Nawaz Sharif proxy depending on who retains power after the fall of Nawaz Sharif...other suggestions include Chaudhry Nisar coming in as a caretaker if general elections are announced before or after the decision...!The PMLn could mount a media campaign to keep control of the army...One example the inauguration of the Kachii canal in balochistan which was announced in the musharaf era...electricity load shedding is continuing and the PMLn has not been able to announce the construction of diamer or bhasha...!Fears have been expressed that the PMLn may resort to violent demonstrations however Nawaz Sharif does not many think have the courage to take to the streets...Others thought that the PMLn could disintegrate...The muslim league usually does not create a situation in which it can be bashed in and usually puts up the shutters...whether someone can run the PMLn after the departure of Nawaz Sharif is a question mark...However top leaders could form their own muslim leagues which has been the usual norm with some leaders breaking away to join other parties...The PPP has been trying to become a choice for PMLn leaders as well as the PTI...The PTI thinks that the asif saeed khosa judgement might be adopted by the three judges although a 2-1 split could also occur...!
  
• Jul22-2017--The US army has again said that the pakistan army has not carried out operations against the Haqqani's and lashkar e taiba...! and thus have not delivered another $50 million of support funds...technically this shows reduced army activity and decreased terrorism activity..earlier $300million in CSF funds had been stopped...Since the Haqqanis operate in afghanistan it points to a failure of the afghan army and the US forces...it also shows a decreased pakistani influence and a shift to supporting indian oppression in kashmir...!
  
• Jul21-2017--The army says it has a mounted a new operation in the rajgal area of the tribal formations to clear them of militant hideouts...The army under the present operation had tried to suggest that terrorists were hiding in cities and rural areas...but that part of the operation eventually collapsed and the terrorists were again said tobe in the tribal areas...13 terrorists killed in air operations...ground operations being handled by the new paramilitary FC(N)
  
• Jul21-2017--Even if the primeministers logic is accepted mian sharif urf sharif tandon seems tobe one of the biggest money launderers in pakistani history...giving the money to the qatari defies logic as the function could easily be performed by the sharifs and their cousins and children...it is thus concluded that the sharifs old or young bought the flats in or around 1990...it seems difficult to accept that the sharifs sold their steel mill in dubai but took away the machinery...!The judges also find the Capital FZE a pretty amazing organization which paid high salaries to nawaz sharif and generated funds from thin air...Nawaz Sharif continued to critisize the courts and JTI accusing the JTI of huge expenses which seemed unnecessary...Nobody in the PMLn could explain what he was talking about...The PTV also aired a primeminister speech after editing his JIT expressions suggesting that the establishment is now wary of the sharif procrastinations...it is not one sided accountability as only the sharifs are ruling the country and they have created the problems themselves by laundering unexplained slush funds...!It has generally been demonstrated in the present case that the sharifs are running the country and army as dictators...! It seems that Nawaz Sharif suddenly rushes off on a foreign tour to transfer funds that might be confiscated or found from one hideout to another...The courts in a change of attitude said that even if the sharif children are at fault the bearer of the public office ie Nawaz Sharif would be judged or convicted of the offence...previously it had been thought that the court might ban the sharif children rather than Nawaz Sharif himself...!The case could be coming to a close pretty quickly as most material is now available and court has sufficient room to give a decision many suggest unless the opposition wants to a make a closing statement...many think that the court may suggest that Nawaz Sharif himself come and answer all the questions...although his evasionary procrastination tactics may irritate the judges even more...!Many also suggest that Nawaz Sharif also explain who else he wants to be tried in this case...!
  
• Jul20-2017--The Nawaz sharif lawyer says the evidence is circumstantial...Unfortunately it is not a criminal case and the judges can form a judgement under article 62 and 63..The lawyer admits to financial benefits to the accused from the panama companies
  
• Jul20-2017--Imran Khan says that primeministers only bussiness is to harvest kickbacks from government projects...!
  
• Jul19-2017--The LHV CJ who is supposedly running two textile mills has given two controversial judgements in rejecting the appointment of the IG punjab and opposing the ban on indian drama's...he supports indian drama's on a non legal basis or in opposition to government policy...not many countries had the freedom to control pakistans media channels...and they were also said tobe used in ordering terrorism..!while filmazia has been showing indian films... the drama's were considered more controversial as they started to control womens minds...generally they were though tobe against pakistan and its culture and ideology...while indian films openly project anti pakistan views they are not opposed as they have some muslim superstars...!many also object to the showing of indian films at military cinemas which dupes the soldiers community..!
  
• Jul19-2017--The SC chide the uneducated PMLn wala's on the need and function of the JIT...Judges say the JIT was an opportunity to the sharif clan to clear up the avenfield flats purchase but they chose to obstruct and be evasive...Judges asked the PMLn lawyer whether he wanted the judges to make up their own mind nor send the case to an accountability court...!That would basically mean letting the sharifs off the hook as they are well versed in duping the lower courts...!The Sharif lawyers objected to the finding of the JIT that previous cases such as the Hudaibiya paper mills be reopened as there was sufficient new information...the judges responded that is for the court to decide...while the JIT has thrown up sufficient new information including a company in Dubai headed by Nawaz Sharif himself..!The lawyer tried to throw the court of base by suggesting that was also owned by Hussein Nawaz a contention that the court rejected...many feel that deciding the article 62 and 63 issue is the prerogative of the SC bench but the other controversial material and the corruptive methodology of the sharifs and reopening previous cases can be assigned to accountability courts although the court should in that case also appoint somebody like Wajid Zia to head the NAB...!The court should also clearup when article 62 and 63 are applicable...whether they can be applied at any time or just before elections and the timeframe...The sharifs have a long history of dubious financial dealings but have also been involved in politics since the Zia martial law...The court could also look into how they alone got their factory denationalized free...!
  
• Jul19-2017--while Nawaz Sharif has already suggested that he is part of the saudi defence alliance his foreignaffairs/defence advisor a key supporter of the Iranian involvement in arab areas sartaj Aziz says that he is still looking askance at the saudis...and that Gen Raheel shareef who reportedly wanted to take 5000 troops with him is just acting as an advisor and is not commanding any troops...!Sartaj aziz has earlier rubber stamped Sen mcain's views who turned turtle and started to oppose Sartaj Aziz's support of militant groups...Sartaj Aziz also seems tobe a key supporter of afghan interventionism or regional hegemony...!