Ali Malik's blog

I know this one is going to be the most controversial of all my posts. Yet at the same time I deliberated the most while writing this. This post in many ways is crumbling of the myth of my childhood fascination and idol. If there was anything that I followed like mad in my childhood, it was my hero, my idol, the demigod of my childhood – Imran Khan. I would mimic everything that I found him doing. I would bowl for hours in the scotching heat of June and July in street and in the courtyard. I went ecstatic when I found that he too is a Fish-buff like me. His father, Niazi Uncle (someone I have learnt a lot from, and someone who has always been extremely kind to me), is a good friend of my father and a mentor to me. Through this connection I had the privilege of meeting my childhood idol a few times. When he initiated fund raising for cancer hospital, I was selling tickets at fuel stations, road sides, walkways and shops. When he formed Tehrik -e- Insaaf , I was one of its earliest m

Following are results based on my calculations. Calculations were based on 2002 results where seats with less than 10000 vote margin were considered based on factors like a) MMA split b) Nawaz’s return and its impact in his strongholds c) Winning/No.2 candidate switching party d) Backlash to PPP in urban centers of central and northern Punjab e) Boycott of APDM parties Disclaimers are a) A massive anti MMA wave in Frontier can change the results and might give gains to PPP S, PML N, PPP and ANP. b) Country wide seat adjustments between parties. c) A strong pro-PPP wave in Southern Punjab and Sindh. d) Massive rigging. e) A better PPP showing than expected in North and Central Punjab. Margin of Error is +/-15% Results are: PML - Q (including PML-F, PML-Z and NA): 42-57 PML - N: 42-57 PPP: 89-102 MMA: 19-37 ANP: 0-5 PPP Sherpao: 2-2 MQM: 16-16 Total Seats: 272

In the outrage post emergency, I was confused about whether the opposition should boycott the elections or not? For instance, soon after emergency, when a Lahore based journalist (and one for whom I have high regard for), currently in Karachi , was emotionally advocating oppositions' boycott of the polls, my only response was, I am not sure whether boycott is a good option or not. As the outrage is giving way to rational, I am getting more and more convinced that boycott is not the best option. Before I build my case, let me clarify one thing. Just when I believe that boycott of 1985 elections by MRD was not the right decision; I am not ready to buy the argument that had MRD contested those elections, under Zia and his apparatus, it would have won them. However, what contesting would have done then was, make life a lot more miserable for Zia and let democratic forces have more bargaining power against Zia. And I don't expect miracles happening in 2008 either. Then why am I adv

I have been known to be a PPP sympathizer and I have never shied away from admitting it. In my case, I never needed to base my support on loyalty, obsession, admiration or emotion. In the political roller-coaster called Pakistan , whatever opinions I had on any major issue, PPP was the one upholding them. For instance, back in our F.C. College days (what notoriety has fell on the name of our alma in last few years), my friends were all for a militant struggle in Kashmir, logistically and physically backed by elements in Pakistan . Those were the days of Crush India . In my naïve opinion, it was a disaster for Pakistan , Kashmiris and the moral high ground they had in the world on the issue, apart from potential backlash of these militants outfits on our homeland. My position was a hard sell back then in the educated upper and middle classes of Pakistan , and yet PPP had the courage to take this position. For some very odd reason, despite all my naivety, I was of the view that the so

Feel free to copy it, put your name at the end and send to any forum. Sir, I am a Pakistani Citizen currently living in Boston and enrolled in MBA Program at Boston University . Just while being a citizen of Pakistan , I wish best for Pakistan . At the same time, being a benefactor of the systems developed by the great nation of Americans and the great country named United States of America , I also have a stake in a safe, secure and happy United States . Fortunately enough, the best interests of Pakistan and United States of America could not have been converged more than they are now. For a better Pakistan and for a secure US and the world, we need end of extremism and upholding of universal principles of human rights and democracy all across the world. In such circumstances, I see the imposition of Martial Law by General Musharaf (Sir, you will agree with me that in emergency you do not suspend constitution and it is not imposed by Chief of Army Staff and that is wha

The establishment in this country persecuted the polity ruthlessly for last 30 years. Politicians were painted as corrupt, mean, greedy, devilish – in short mother of all evils. Establishment attempted to turn the word politics into a slur. With all these efforts, it was expected that people of Pakistan will be made indifferent to the political process and this, in turn, will let the establishment run the whole show without any challenge. When the present regime came under unbearable pressure from its foreign backers to let the democratic forces operate in Pakistan , the regime yielded. But even in this yielding, through its political cronies, it ensured mudslinging on genuine political forces. We all heard the hue and cry over NRO and noise of “corrupt and greedy” Benazir from henchmen of establishment. The junta was sure that with all this politics-bashing of last three decades and the recent assault over NRO, Peoples Party’s public support will be significantly marginalized an

If NRO is a major compromise, which I do not think it is and I will be putting forth my opinion, later in this post, proving that it is not, even then it does not give any right to the people who have always been pro-Establishment along ages to criticize Peoples' Party. For had it not been for these pseudo educated from middle and upper classes of Pakistan, we the people of Pakistan would not have reached where we are. Needless to say, that the people criticizing PPP for a deal were the same people who hailed Musharaf as savior, those men in black and women in red who were the 2% who voted for him in referendum, who hailed the feel good factor Pakistan was enjoying overseas, and who hailed the fact that he is a shield between the corrupt politicians and their voters (who by the way were People of Pakistan in general) and the power and is an example of good governance with team of technocrats like Abdul Sattars, Shaukat Azizs (the gigolo), Javed Jabbars, Rashid Qureshis and Hafiz Sh

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/10/03/pakistan.bhutto/index.html http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-pakistan-bhutto.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/09/070930_mrd_anniv_sindh_ns.shtml

http://jang.com.pk/jang/sep2007-daily/30-09-2007/col2.htm

It has been a long delay and the span has been eventful. So I will be brief but will try touching all of them. To me, Musharaf's days are numbered and his backers have given up on him. His source of strength had always been Army and foreign powers. Foreign powers have started believing that he is using this threat of extremism to stay in power and wants the threat to live on to further his rule. They also realize that he has been considerably weakened after March 9th and is vulnerable and thus will be a liability from here on. Army, just when disturbed at Musharaf turning into a liability and the fact that this time the anger is not against the man but the institution, is greatly disturbed at the attacks on its ranks and files in NWFP, Punjab and FATA. It seems that there is a realization in certain top quarters of Army that the extremist threat needs to be confronted head on and for this a civilian leadership is required for credibility. The question is whether this situation shak

Below is a translation of Hum Dekhain Ge (of Faiz Sahab) done by me. Just when I don't consider poetry to be serious business, I felt like translating this one. I just like the resonance and power of the message and find it inspiring. So it is kind of a tribute from myself to the thought, philosophy and message of hope and struggle and to the man who wrote it. And this is not pro and neither am I. I kind of suck at linguistics:) For your eyes: We will witness – We will witness It’s a must that we will witness The Promised Day!!!! The one written on the Preserved Scriptorium We will witness When the heavy mountains of injustice blow like the cotton fibers And the earth shakes with the might of steps of us the conquered And thunderbolts shake the foundations of them the rulers We will witness When all the idols are removed from the Land of God We the innocents and the rejected become power All crowns juggled And all thrones made fall We will witness There will be no supreme but Lord

A couple of weeks back when I started writing this post, I thought I will start my next post with the speculation that it has been arranged that wardiwala does not have the required numbers to be elected from the present assemblies. But events of the last few weeks have been so swift and have such profound implications that I have dropped the idea. But the pace at which events are taking place, though expected, has brought some serious issues to the fore. And so today I will be touching a lot of things (and will try to keep them brief). Lal Masjid operation has brought us as a nation to a point to which we were destined, for everything we do comes to fore. Out security apparatus raised this militant brand of Islam (so much so that the extremist elements have penetrated within the apparatus to the extent that it is hard to differentiate) to further their interests without realizing that anyone who has muscle will demand his share of power sooner or later. People, having faith in the ext

There are quite a few things worth discussion today. So let us start with them one by one. The first thing that bothers me, and bothers me the most, is Pontification of Islam in the form of Imam-e-Kaba. The nude way in which the government (specially chaudharies and ijaz-ul-haq – son of barbadi-e-millat) has tried to exploit the religious sentiments of the people of Pakistan through this visit and has tried to use it as a diversion from the current crisis is shameful itself. More shameful is the weird way in which the Imam (2 rakat ka imam as was mentioned for such persona-less imams by Iqbal) has endorsed Musharaf regime. First and foremost Imam is not a relevant person to discuss issues of social and political importance for he is neither a statesman nor someone with sound intellectual base. Secondly, he is not even holy. The mere fact that he is Imam of Kaba (which by the way is a sacred place for us the Muslims) does not make him holy. Kaba even had imams appointed by the li

I wanted someone to acknowledge this. I wanted some one to state the obvious. Media was reluctant to say this, political parties were too busy dealing with issues related to death of their workers to focus on this - and in between the obvious was neglected and ignored. It was feared that opinion makers will ignore what even a layman like me knew and so the truth about the real motive will get buried in the sands of time. And just then, it emerged and emerged from no place else but the mouth of czar. In an interview to Talat Hussain, czar just said it - the truth just spilled out. "25000 -30000 people roaming in the areas of MQM will give an impression that MQM’s political base is eroded and it no longer is the major political force in Karachi". I have always believed that the truth prevails and these words were an acknowledgement by killers of their crime. And the truth is that MQM knew that the hoax (mind you hoax) of its popularity in Karachi will be shattered on the roads

Something that I wrote in December 2005. I think things are moving that way. I guess ultimately it will be good. http://demopak.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_archive.html Tuesday, December 13, 2005 a hope for civility i see a hope of Pakistan becoming a more civilized country being run by the book... and the hope stems from the fact that in the recent years, all across the country, a whole new class of rich has been born as a result of property and stock booms... now this new class is going to challenge the existing aristocracy of the country by hook or by crook (because of its sheer size and wealth). and so for the exisiting aristocracy on the whole, the only way to survive is to make civilized rules and play by them... anyone who wants to observe the ruthlessness of this new class, just drive on Lahore roads for an hour...:)

Right from the formation of our nation state... there have been two nations who have controlled its establishment and have caused severe blows to the formation of a strong state - Punjabis and Karachi-ites. In the recent years Punjab is awakening. It registered its protest on Kalabagh announcement by Musharaf, it registered its protest on Balochistan Operation and above all it has rallied behind independence of judiciary. History has given it a chance to Karachi-ites too to make ammends for the blots that are on them because of the conduct of many Karachi-ites in past (don't forget that earlier establishment was dominant by Karachi-ites). On May 12, 2007 , please support the cause of Chief Justice and boycott the fascist organization who support the Army rule. I know it will be hard keeping in view the strong hegemony of the Fascist organization but it is your test. Just as Punjab demonstrated its support to the cause of main stream Pakistani society, people of Karachi too shou

The following is the text of the Charter of Democracy signed by former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif here on Sunday: We the elected leaders of Pakistan have deliberated on the political crisis in our beloved homeland, the threats to its survival, the erosion of the federation's unity, the military's subordination of all state institutions, the marginalisation of civil society, the mockery of the Constitution and representative institutions, growing poverty, unemployment and inequality, brutalisation of society, breakdown of rule of law and, the unprecedented hardships facing our people under a military dictatorship, which has pushed our beloved country to the brink of a total disaster; Noting the most devastating and traumatic experiences that our nation experienced under military dictatorships that played havoc with the nation's destiny and created conditions disallowing the progress of our people and the flowering of democracy. Even after removal from