Ali Malik's blog

Late Mian Saleem Jahangir happened to be amongst the eminent lawyers of Lahore 's judicial circles. A notable voice of PPP, on Zia Ul Haq's assumption of power, he made a speech in which he said that the pig has entered the sugarcane field and now we have to think how to take it out? - Soar kamad de khetan wich aa gaya aae hun sochna aae ve ke ainoon kadna kinj aae? (Subsequently he had to spend 3-4 years under ground and probably some time in detention for the speech) The question that Mian Sahab raised in late 70s has become most relevant in mid 00s. For Pakistan , for all the internal and external factors has reached a deciding point in its national history. The question becomes all the more relevant in context of the rumours/news of a deal between PPP and General Musharaf. What constitutes a deal? Will it be a damaging blow to the rule of law in this country or will it serve as an opening into the restoration of civilian rule in the country? and more importantly is there...

I wanted to pen down my thoughts on the judicial crisis and the other crisis that have hit the country for quite some time now but some how it got delayed and then the things issues kept adding to it. So today, I will be discussing a few issues on the periphery of CJP crisis. There are two issues that the commentators and people in general have ignored or their merits been under-assessed in the due course. No one in particular is considering what one individual in the position of influence can do in case he decides to resist the dictatorial tendencies or unconstitutional behavior and then based on this what will be the impact when a few people in the position of power decide to uphold the cause of constitution and rule of law. This, keeping in view the sorry state of rule of law in our national history, is a direct commentary on our national conscience. Second point that is missed or I should say miss-assessed is its impact on Musharaf. Musharaf's rule hinges on two pillars. One i...

Following the aftermath of Iraq war, as Middle East is inching closer and closer to a conflict on sectarian lines, the doom's day for Muslim world is nearing. If a sectarian conflict erupts in Iraq, because of their numbers and organization in the region (an organized, well planned and stable Iran vs. the unstable, unorganized and shallow Arab monarchies) Shias are bound to dominate it. This complete Shia dominance in Iraq after the dominance of Hizbollah in Lebanon will be the last straw on the back of old Mid-Eastern order (an order of minority Sunni regimes over majority Shia masses). The influence will spill across the region and Shia majorities in the region will be in a position to offer challenge to the Sunni/Wahabi monarchies in Yemen, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. This will give Shias the dominance in Middle East for the first time in 1400 years of Islam (Middle East is the only region in the Muslim world with Shia majority in a world where Sunnis out weigh Shias by appox. 7...

They have always been the agents of change. The engine pulling every revolution, the catalyst bringing socio-political change, the hope lighting in the darkness of disillusion and misery, their power has been the moving spirit behind every change that took place - the student power - the power that stems from the campus and institutionalized in the form of student unions. From the story of Mao Zedong to that of Gandhi, from that of Che Guevara to that of Martin Luther King, from Mandella’s triumph to Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s, it has been the wings and arms of every major revolution and peoples’ triumph.In Pakistan the debacle of the first czar, Ayub Khan, was caused by this power and probably it was then that the powers that be realized that if they want to build an unchallenged and secure hold on the society and polity of the land of pure, they will have to erode this powerhouse. And the plan began - a plan of demeaning the student power and student unions.For the first time in Pakistan,...

Many of the people around have put forth the idea of returning to the system of hey-days of khilafat as cure to all our ills. For them, reverting back to that era and its ideals is the silver bullet we require for werewolf of our state of insignificance and misery. One can hardly blame the ordinary Muslims for it. For over the centuries, they have been bombarded with a constant and continuous propaganda of "Hail Khilafat", just when at the core of it lie the vested interests of religious clergy and the subsequent monarchies that labeled themselves as Khilafats. And even to this modern age, religious clergy sees it as the most potent tool in its bid to absolute power in the proposed theocratic state they envision. Even today organizations like Islami Tehrik, Hizb-ul-tehrir, Taliban and AlQaeeda declare establishment of a Khilafat as there prime objective. The intensity of the propaganda has been such that in the Sunni World, Khilafat has become as holy as Oneness of Allah or P...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29 just look at this and you will realize that it's easier than many of us thought... and yet at the same time, it makes us realize that how important it is to have priority based policy making, fiscal discipline, stronger corporate law infrastructure, corporate regulation and reducing the size and influence of government leading to liberalization of economy.... 26th to top 10, is 500% increase... something that is achievable in 2 decades of sound fiscal planning and economic and political stability.... the experience of china tells us that it's not about per capita as it is about the overall size of economy.. for money attracts money or as the Newton once said about gravity, mass attracts mass.... opportunity await us... it's for us to grab it.... ensuring an economic growth balanced with social responsibility....

Amid growing sectarian violence and an unstoppable drag towards a civil war, from the tone of US administration it can be inferred that Washington has all but conceded Iraq as a misadventure gone wrong. Instead of the steadfast resolve of "stay the course", the buzzword now is "change tactics according to situation on ground". Though the administration will not concede it openly, it is looking for a respectable exit from Iraq. This approach is not confined to Iraq only. Same vibes are imminent in Afghanistan as well where US and NATO have hinted at engaging Taliban and other radical elements. Irrespective of what were US's motives of waging these wars and whether they have been achieved or not, this conflict now is no more a conflict of US but has increasingly become the conflict of liberal, main-stream Muslims. For in case of a US exit from region, it will be termed as a victory for hardliners and radicals will gain a lot of ground in their quest to control Isl...

Inter-religious dialogue has become a buzzword these days. After the controversy followed by the controversial remarks of Pope, the Church has adopted the line of an inter-faith dialogue. Not only that, it has also become a hip thing amongst the liberals and peace-quacks. And though I have a very high regard for their statesmanship and scholarship, even President Clinton and Prime Minister Blair have joined in the chorus. But just when everyone talks about the dialogue between the religions and faiths, no one is coming up with the parameters for such dialogue. All they vaguely suggest is a need for debate on role of rationality in faith. Sounds illuminating, but is it practical? I mean, how can you convince a Muslim to accept the rationale of trinity or how can you expect a Christian to accept that Islam is a true religion of the God of Jesus and Moses and it is here that the God completed his religion (both things fundamental to the respective beliefs of Islam and Christianity). Or ho...

Inter-religious dialogue has become a buzzword these days. After the controversy followed by the controversial remarks of Pope, the Church has adopted the line of an inter-faith dialogue. Not only that, it has also become a hip thing amongst the liberals and peace-quacks. And though I have a very high regard for their statesmanship and scholarship, even President Clinton and Prime Minister Blair have joined in the chorus. But just when everyone talks about the dialogue between the religions and faiths, no one is coming up with the parameters for such dialogue. All they vaguely suggest is a need for debate on role of rationality in faith. Sounds illuminating, but is it practical? I mean, how can you convince a Muslim to accept the rationale of trinity or how can you expect a Christian to accept that Islam is a true religion of the God of Jesus and Moses and it is here that the God completed his religion (both things fundamental to the respective beliefs of Islam and Christianity). Or ho...

Whether it comprises true-lies or false-truths? Whether Mahmood wanted to corner Musharaf and take power or Armitage is lieing? Whether Kargil was a success turned to failure by Nawaz or a loss covered up? These are the questions for the history to answer and trust me, history will. "In the line of fire" is out to narrate tyrants version of history and his grasped the media attention and that of public too. I congratulate Mushahid Hussain for writing a potential best-seller.

thou smile was shine to date it brings pine when party was on and your eyes were on mine your hair were straightened and lips were as wine and there i made the mistake of thinking you as mine (A tribute to the spirit and soul of Splendid Splendor)

In the recent times the inaction and lack of direction on part of PPP was a major disappointment for me and people of Pakistan. However, not breaking away from its usual lack of direction the political front, PPP has taken a principled stand on Women Protection Bill and the strategy so far seems perfect. A lot of people will call such thing s sell-out but it should not stop party from standing for the right cause. PPP has long been a supporter of amendments to injust Hadood Laws and the bill approved by Select Committee, though short of party demands, provided relief to women and was a step in the right direction. For this reason, PPP supported it unconditionally despite the continuous victimization of party workers and leaders. In standing for a principled position, either of the two outcomes is a Win-Win for party. If the legislation goes through as per Select Committee recommendations, PPP and women of Pakistan have won a major battle in the long fight for justice and if the Govt. y...

United State occupied Iraq but cannot control it. Pakistan Army takes over the state but cannot control it. United States went into Iraq to end dictatorship and bring democracy. Pakistan Army is in Balochistan to end tyranny of Sardari system and bring human rights and prosperity. Iraqis hate US more than they hate anything else. If precedence and commonsense is anything to go by, same could be concluded about Balochistan. Balochistan had always been a troubled province of Pakistan. Balochs have always felt that they have been hard-done by the federation and specially Punjab. They believe that they are deprived of their fair share of pie and there resources are plundered by center and Punjab. The recent military operation and the incidents that preceded and followed it only added fuel to Balochs anger and turned the movement from one for rights to a secessionist movement and now with the killing of Akbar Bugti, it seems we are nearing the end game. An end; where Pakistan existing in th...

This morning driving along sunder Das road, watching Pakistani flags raised over the quarters of Aitchison College employees, my mind wandered to the letter written by a character of "aag ka darya" in which he writes his observations about emerging social equation of Karachi and newly found state of Pakistan. I could sense some conflict pinching my heart and soul. In the shadows of the novel, initially I thought as if I am trying to experience the conflict that the migrants had to face in Pakistan but then a series of shocking realizations came to me. I realized that I am not mohajir but a Punjabi and my association is with the land of Punjab which in-turn is part of the nation-state which I consider as my identity. But then I felt detached from the Punjab and Punjabis. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't associate myself with my land, or Punjab, or my Punjabi or Pakistani identity. On a rhetorical level yes, but in reality I couldn't. I realized that I am so dista...

It's scary. It looks troublesome....

THUD!!!!! Nothing to write about. Everything seems stuck. lull before the storm or is it the end already. Dead end..... scary it is. worrying. if you want to have your share, be part of it. who wins will ultimately become self-centered (if he is not already). power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. ensure rotation of power for your own safety. ensure checks. while accumulating and exercising power, think not of time when you are on top but of one when you wouldn't be. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes. being all inclusive pays and helps. no union is possible without equality for else it is occupation and occupation is unstable. seek stability for as long as you can. peace flows through the barrel of a gun but depends on whether the one behind the barrel is just or not. for injustice only momentarily stops the unstoppable and makes it more volcanic.

The battle for new world order is being fought on multiple fronts. On one end, the conservative capitalism on one hand is trying to have its way in the West through interest groups, right wing media and powerful lobbies. On the other hand, it is preparing for an alternate bastion in the form of China and are creating an outsourced economy (how naive are the leftists who think the rise of China will mark the death of capitalism). On the other end, the liberal business and political community (specially in West) realizing the threat that the conservative capitalism poses to the ethos and ideals of Western civilization are trying to curtail the traditional capitalism. People like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet (strange strange for they still remain monopolists), few Hollywood celebrities (well not all are show-offs, neither are all genuine) etc. Have realized that if the Western values, ideals and civilization are to survive the route lies in spreading the fruits of wealth and progress to have...

The foundations of the present World Order had been laid in Middle East after the First World War. Just when the democracy was establishing itself as an established norm rather than a mere concession and just when the World's economy was hooked to the fossil fuels, the British (the then super power and representative of the capitalism), through a master stroke of polity, imposed the new political order in the oil-rich Middle East. The former Ottoman Empire was chopped into bits and pieces forming new monarchies with full consideration given to the fact that the clans, tribes and ethnicities remain divided in multiple monarchies thus ensure that no coherent, stable political entity could emerge in the region. Another master-stroke of the order is the fact that in each new formed state, it was made sure that the Monarch or the ruler belonged to the tribe or sect that represented the minority. Saudi Arabia or Yemen or Iraq or Bahrain or Shah's Iran with majority Shia population we...

I have to make a confession. I was one of the very few supporters of the energy policy being announced by Benazir Bhutto in 1995 (and then I looked a fool). Keeping in view the events that have gone by, I really feel good about me for taking that stand. My stand then was based on the following considerations: 1. Load-sheddings are a killer to economic growth and so energy is required from anywhere at any cost. 2. Hydel power is not a viable and sustainable option because of limited number of hydel power locations. 3. At that moment the quickest of hydel power projects would have took 6-7 years before being operational. The opportunity cost of the delay caused by sticking to only hydel would have been too much to bear (95-98 saw 5%+ GDP growth per annum). 4. Kalabagh and other hydel projects are extremely politicized and should be avoided at the cost of federation till the federating units reach a consensus. 5. There exists a strong mega hydel projects lobby in WAPDA and engineering wor...

Anyone who believes that Benazir will strike a deal with General on General's terms, tends to ignore the fact that such deal will take away from her the very premise of strength that forces General to strike a deal with her. She will lose her iconic image of a champion of democracy and masses' rights and a symbol of struggle against establishment. Nawaz League is much more likely to strike a deal with General. Even there, Nawaz himself seems steadfast on not compromising. However, a major split in the ranks of Nawaz league is expected if the existing situation persists.