The Daily PakistanPolitics 01-15 July, 2012

• July15-2012--pakistan's political problems are generally ethnic and regional based due to the PPP regimes selective ethnic orientation/attitudes and their confrontation with the judicial process(unable to deal with tribal, baloch and ethnic terrorism, drones and electricity load shedding apart)..raja rental calls for a political consensus in PPP's usual attempts to refuse to acknowledge their own responsibility for their failed governance...if elections are tobe on schedule there is nothing really tobe talked about...
• July14-2012--SC to indict bahria town chief for contempt
• July14-2012--Raja rental says that force cant resolve balochistan crisis... neither can the PPP's handsoff approach on literally all terrorism...PPP has been waiting for terrorism to die out but their policies many say have not been enough to move terrorists in fata, karachi and balochistan to more peaceful alternatives......accepting ethnic brutalities and dividing teh country even further on regional issues does not solve anything...teh country should have a unified policy on terrorism...but the PPP even has favorites in teh ethnic and terrorist wars too...some terrorists are friends while others are droned...!!
• July14-2012--terror attack on ANP rally near quetta six killed...seven others killed in other terrorist and anti pukhtun violence...several ANP wala's killed in karachi over last few days...while there has also been anti pukhtun terrorism in lahore...while teh PPP and its ANP/PMLq allies does not attack sindh and nwfp governments for terrorism there they accuse the PMln government for terrorist acts in punjab showing their misguided ethnic natured politics...
• July14-2012--Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim appointed CEC ...he says that four fakhruddins will be needed to do teh job...
• July14-2012--The SC accepts petitions against the contempt law suggesting it is discriminatory and ultravires...!! and calls for a hearing on teh 23rd two days ahead of teh raja rental presentation on teh NRO...raja rental tries to restart cases against nawaz sharif thru NAB and visit teh saudis to get their behind teh scene maneouvring support...
• July13-2012--In balochistan bullet ridden bodies of a doctor and six miners were found seventy miles east of quetta...They were kidnapped by teh BLA from a coalfield in bolan on July7...
• July13-2012--evidence mounts against makhdum shahabuddin, musa gilani and khushnud kashari in the ephedrine allocation and smuggling scam...
• July13-2012--In Buner in a cross border attack houses were set on fire and clashes broke out in which 12 militants and two men of teh local militia were killed...
• July13-2012--bodies of seventeen soldiers and a civilian handed over to jirga by the maulana fazlullah militants from afghanistan who were killed in a cross border attack on June 24
• July13-2012--In another ethnic oriented terrorism in punjab gunmen invaded a private hostel in lahore early in teh morning and fired indiscriminately at KP prison deptt trainees killing nine...The attack signified the use of tensions in punjab against pukhtuns for the purpose of terrorism...The KP government showed a lack of common sense as it attacked teh punjab government for delaying autopsies...many are also blaming the gilani led seraikis...there has been more terrorism in recent days in teh punjab mostly in central punjab
• July13-2012--Raja rental's attempt at suggesting that he is a rural novice and has just taken power and is restudying the NRO implementation specifically teh swiss cases got him a reprieve... as a softened court gave him another 13 days to present his findings..The court however made clear that it did not accept his presentation and that he was just as responsible as teh previous primeminister...The court also made light of the protection under teh new contempt law suggesting that any matter of immunity could be raised with teh swiss courts...many suggest that while teh new contempt law is supposedly expected to provide immunity it could have no place in the expected judgement as many regard that even if teh court declares teh law ultravires or even a few of its articles...that judgement could take time......many suggest if teh court wants to act quickly it could suspend the law and declare status quo ante...however others suggest that teh court has an inherent right to charge anyone with contempt for refusing teh courts jurisdiction...while raja the novice could theoretically survive for some months under appeal there is no way for teh government to refuse to follow the courts orders...The only way many suggest is that teh president orders a blanket pardon for all those charged under teh NRO or renact teh NRO in parliament...if teh Gilani precedent is followed and teh SC refuses right to appeal given that the issue is being repeated the government would have to replace primeministers theoretically every month...some have suggested that teh SC could as a way out form a commission to implement the NRO judgement...a difficult task unless it is headed by the army chief...!...or it could as an extreme step dismantle teh government and appoint a caretaker setep to implement teh NRO and hold new elections as this government has outlived its ability to rule with honesty...a replay of the law of necessity that the court says it has rejected for teh time being...it seems that teh PPP and asif zardari are bent upon protecting their illegal earnings and appropriate governance means little to them...many suggest that teh zardaris could thus be reaching teh end of their dynasty system and could take teh PPP down with them...many see a way out as a PPP-PMLn agreement on a caretaker setup that could take teh country to early elections although that would not solve teh basic issue as teh caretakers would have to write teh letter which they could as they would have no or fewer political hassles in doing so...
• July12-2012--The SHC restricts FIA from arresting Amin Fahim in NICL financial graft case
• July12-2012--Lal shabaz qalander shrine tobe completed by september after nawaz sharif accused sindhis of corruption in everything from building roads to shrines ...the shrine has been under construction for 17 years...
• July12-2012--six shot dead in karachi in continuing ethnic strife
• July12-2012--five die in test flight of MI-17 helicopter near skardu
• July12-2012--cycle blast near Suparco bus in karachi...one dies of shock...
• July12-2012--The SC warns the FC bosses over missing persons......many think other organisations may also be involved ...however in balochistan the FC is usually involved say teh judges in the missing of every third person...
• July12-2012--The PPP says it is restudying teh initiation of the swiss cases on the orders of teh SC...The PPP is basically challenging the SC's jurisdiction and upto now refusing to obey...It has bulldozed teh contempt law thru parliament without thinking of democratic norms...It now thinks that it does not have to follow SC orders nor as they say have another primeminister kicked out...many say that it is a situation tailor made for elections in 90 days...a caretaker can be appointed by the CEC if a consensus is not agreed upon...other options are that the SC appoint a caretaker for a few hours who writes teh swiss letter and hands teh government back to parliament...many suggest that teh PPP is only worried about power getting back into teh hands of teh army which could carryon into another marathon accountability scenario...however many see teh PMLn reluctance for new elections leading to a longer caretaker setup...PTI's imran khan maybe regarded as more revolutionary despite a lacklustre agenda compared to the decaying PPP and stuckup PMLn especially in teh punjab where each and every seat will be contested...
• July11-2012--three killed in quetta as three bodies found in other parts of balochistan..seminary leaders kidnapped in quetta
• July11-2012--Pakistan has always suffered from a major understanding of governance...that the law is made or amended for a few individuals(specifically those in power whether they be MLA's or primeministers...)...The PPP also seems to suffer from that fault as its amended laws are specifically designed for a few individuals who are expected tobe indicted for a particular fault...This as a controversy arises on teh election of foreign pakistanis...i found teh australian law on teh issue particular and concise...teh contempt law which creates a sense that particular individuals can do anything is being challenged on teh basis of being undemocratic, creating inequalities and being against teh sense of teh constitution...while teh court may override the challenges such laws are in a sense no different from laws suspending teh constitution and approving martial laws and their perpretrators...democracy teh PPP must understand is above individuals...In better democracies their is extreme reluctance to change laws and teh constitution according to a particular tailor or individual need...
• July10-2012--a relatively small gathering of teh defence of pakistan council rally reaches islamabad...
• July10-2012--in what many say is the third or fourth terrorist incident in wazirabad gunmen in a car and on motorcycles fire at a small army camp near a chenab bridge killing seven...six soldiers and a policemen... the camp was looking for the pilot of a helicopter that crashed into teh river recently...on january 3 two militants were killed nearby when their vest exploded...on march 14 four cops were killed in an attack on a police picket near teh chenab railway crossing...
• July10-2012--former sindh governor Fakhruddin Ebrahim could be teh new chief election commissioner...he is acceptable to the parliamentary committee,a mohajir and has stood up to dictators...although he is 84...!
• July10-2012--The raja regime quickly pushes thru a new contempt legislation which absolves top government functionaries of contempt in teh discharge of their functions...both the raja and zardari are in court for contempt proceedings that could lead to their removal from power...while that does not totally absolve the top two from contempt in teh swiss and dual position case teh courts arguments would have to change and the new arguments could be that following court orders is their function and they could eventually be charged with even treason under article 6 for not following teh constitution under article 190...some commentators suggest that the appeal process could eventually drag on to the next elections but one doubts that teh courts will willingly become a partner to the game of not making the next move as clock does'nt work...
• July09-2012--pakistani foreign minister under teh mistaken impression that regional countries control peace in afghanistan...when pakistan cannot control peace inits own territory it hardly can be expected to control internal afghan events...
• July09-2012--six killed by FC in mastung...policemen shot dead in quetta and four found dead in karachi
• July09-2012--Farhatullah baber presents a private bill on the ISI which generally seems tobe under army control...its basic responsibility has been to monitor teh armed forces and provide some sort of strategic thinking to the generally illiterate politicians...however it is generally critisized for illegal activities which could be criminal as well as political...most politicians are generally said tobe under its control...with teh appointment of teh ISI chief under political control and some sort of control over its spending and activities thru parliament there could be some sort of awareness about its activities..however just having the top two in teh loop of appointment and awareness is not expected to resolve teh problems about its activities...In nepal i saw a statement by teh maoists that teh ISI had offered them money...
• July07-2012--raja rental moves quickly to appoint a ayub qazi as his principal secretary and transfer officials at loggerheads with their ministers...the gilani ephedrine scandal hit PS khushnood lashari has absconded to england a rare occurrence amongst top beaurocrats...
• July07-2012--twenty die in two drone attacks on a residential compound in north waziristan...teh ugly nature of the US CIA became apparent as they fired on rescue workers at teh same site...
• July07-2012--six gunmen kill eighteen people mostly said tobe punjabis on teh way to iran in a roadside restaurant in turbat...
• July07-2012--The desperate PPP who could lose both president and primeminister going for four controversial new laws including contempt and allowing foreign nationals to participate in elections...earlier they had allowed teh uneducated to participate in elections after a host of parliamentarians were found with fake degrees...now many dual nationality mna's have been suspended...many suggest that teh PPP is basically inconsistent with a democratic system and attitude and wants a monarchy in which they can kill but not be killed...a democracy requires that the elected be honest, good and that they represent teh electorate...
• July06-2012--The pakistani government has tried to justify teh killings of the innocent salala soldiers with a US sorry and its anti pakistan alliance with teh US which is at best teh only enemy that pakistan has in teh world barring the traditional opponents of pakistan...
• July06-2012--The EC announces contempt proceedings against government officials trying to influence elections who could be sentenced upto two years...the peoples representative act 1976 cud also challenge teh new governments contempt law...
• July06-2012--five killed in karachis ethnic war...two militants shot dead in wana...while one protestor shot dead in dadu...
• July06-2012--almost 200 tonnes of heroin is smuggled thru pakistan annually...many say most travelling passengers from pakistan have one reason only for travelling these days...
• July06-2012--The government has been behind a deliberate policy of causing peopel problems in electricity supply...teh raja team now wants to double supply of furnace oil...force KESC to restart its two closed power plants plus end supply of 600MW to kesc from teh north...that with some gains from dam generation could reduce load shedding to six hours...possible rains could also reduce some demand by weather changes...
• July06-2012--The government bringing in wholesale changes in teh contempt law mostly suggesting what is not contempt and exempting top government functionaries...and also suggesting that it means to bring disciplinary proceedings against sitting judges...which also as they say is not contempt...?could become teh first law struck down by teh courts if they find it inconsistent with teh constitution...at the moment teh judges decide what is contempt...however the language has tobe temperate and fair...apparently baber awan cant beat that charge...
• July05-2012--In bahawalpur police charge 2000 for burning to death a blasphemer after getting him forcibly released from a police station on tuesday night...a police station, four residential quarters and four vehicles seton fire
• July05-2012--terrorists kill three in kuchlak, balochistan and ngo worker killed in khyber
• July05-2012--raja rental might eventually not be kicked out for contempt as government moves to amend a contempt law to exempt top government functionaries...The raja team says the governments powers and functions cannot be challenged under article 248...however teh court's right to jurisdiction cannot be violated and teh court says it has sufficient powers under article 190...
• July05-2012--raja rental may also be a snitch...on reports of how teh saudis handed over a key indian suspect in teh bombay attack cases...many say the suspect had all along been in indian custody and that teh bombay attack control center was actually in bombay...
• July05-2012--After stopping the US nato supply line to afghanistan over teh salala killings for seven months Hina Rabbani Khar admits that pakistan is poverty stricken subjugated state and a weak sorry was enough to restart the process without change...The US secretary of states sorry seems more an insult rather than a recognition of responsibility for teh Salala and other terrorism incidents that it is involved in...it is like saying ...u broke our roads...sorry..u caused us financial losses and were involved in terrorism...sorry...u killed our soldiers deliberately without cause...sorry for those and other losses but you were standing by ourside watching when we killed them...should pakistan be standing besides an enemy that thinks nothing of killing our soldiers in cold blood...u know in an english TV program a sikh usually very blunt when accused of crossing the line always says...a thousand apologies...that seems a more apt apology than teh insulting tone of teh US sorry...the PPP regime surely seems extremely desperate...many say the sudden opening of the nato line without resort to parliament's orders of getting sufficient compensation seems as if the government wants the problems of teh US thrust on them without which it is left with nothing to face teh people whom itis causing irreparable harm with load sheddings and other problems...recently raja said that that there is sufficient potential for investment...how is that possible when the government cant even cover the peoples electricity requirements...
• July04-2012--The involvement of teh Gilanis highlighted by Rashid Juma ex DG health who says he was blackmailed into giving higher quotas by musa gilani and shahabuddin..The involvement many say of the primeminister shows the deep involvement in drug smuggling amongst politicians...usual quotas not more than 250 kg and issuing of over 9000 kgs qouta is only an invitation to produce drugs like ecstacy...he says the Gilanis than did not even arrange his extension...
• July04-2012--The punjab doctors strike highlighted by reports that there are 14000 BPS 17 positions, 7200 BPS 18 positions ,2600 BPS 19 positions, 600 BPS 20, and 7 BPS 21..salaries of BPS-17 doctors are Rs44000 and BPS 18 54000 while house doctors get around 24000...what seems tobe teh problem is that doctors who donot get professional qualifications usually donot get promoted and some efforts must be made to see that they get teh same considerations in promotions...
• July04-2012--five gunned down in karachis continuous ethnic war
• July04-2012--In what can be said to be a hurried decision of a new seemingly weak primeminister without proper consultation of teh consequences teh PPP regime already subdued by across teh board corruption charges reopened the nato supply line without so much as a thank you from teh US for killing our soldiers and literally destroying our country thru terrorism which many say is coordinated by teh US deptt. of defence thru its former guerrillas in afghanistan...many say the utilization of apparently sectarian and terrorist techniques by teh USA are meant to divide teh country against itself and teh country has seemingly no defence against teh former US guerrillas...The technique of supposedly bringing teh US to its knees just for an apology did not work on pakistani phsyches as teh weakness amongst the pakistani military and government for a few US dollars is quite well known...considered more or less a propaganda initiative it failed as there was no interest amongst teh people for further problems that teh Nato supply line has caused...many see teh stuffing of military goods in afghanistan as counter productive and many also think that afghanistan will not remain stable if a political peace is not achieved...afghanistan was relatively peaceful without teh pipeline while there were outbursts of terrorism and cross border afghan attacks on pakistan thought tobe linked to US attempts at subjugating teh ineffective pakistani military...many think that the military leadership needs a comprehensive change to move towards a new more sovreign era..reports of asif ali zardari quickly making a getaway to the english capital many say is linked to US payments for the deal...PPP many say now willing to sell pakistans self respect and its policies as well...