In global terms the single most significant event of 2010 may have been the WikiLeaks disclosure of the USA diplomatic cables. I am not surprised at the merciless hounding of Julian Assange by the USA government. Assange has committed the unpardonable sin of whipping away the fig leaf of “conspiracy theories” with which successive US administrations tried to discredit people who dared to uncover their illegal and criminal actions throughout the world. In the past, when everything was kept strictly under wraps, away from prying eyes, it was easy for the formidable publicity machine of the USA government to laugh away any accusation of USA involvement in monstrous activities as “conspiracy theories”. But not any more.
I like to think that the farce of 9/11 that the American neoconservatives staged nine years ago to provide an excuse for their foreign adventures would not have been possible in today's world where whistleblowers abound and rebels like Julian Assange are there to welcome them with open arms. The devilish tactic of repeating a lie endlessly and using the phenomenal powers possessed by the US government to banish reasoned arguments from the mainstream media which expose that lie, has had its day. I look forward to the day when it will not be necessary to call my blog "Reality and Illusion", a reference to the post-2000 world where reality is buried under a heap of lies thereby creating an illusion of a manufactured pseudo-reality.
What WikiLeaks has revealed no one has denied for the simple reason that the evidence is in the form of diplomatic cables sent by America’s so-called “diplomats” (read: spies and conspirators). The evil scenario that emerges is one of the USA government, and its diplomatic missions abroad, being enmeshed in an intricate worldwide web of intrigue and conspiracy, the full extent of which few had suspected. The core activities of USA diplomatic missions appear to consist of spreading lies and disinformation, deceiving the host nations, bribing and blackmailing local biqwigs, the sordid details of whose lives are well known to the CIA, facilitating ruthless military action by the USA in someone else's name, removing local leaders unacceptabbe to the US government and installing puppets controlled from Washington, etc.
In Iraq we witnessed wanton murder on a massive scale, coupled with the use of torture and sexual humiliation as tools to destroy those who dared to oppose American designs on their country. The policy of treating non-American/ non-European human lives as being in some way sub-human, mere “collateral damage”, whose destruction is necessary in the grand American Design, is being pursued with manic ferocity in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As increasing numbers of innocent Pakistanis die as a result of unmanned “drones” raining death and destruction from the skies - with the Pakistani puppets comprising the president, the prime minister and the army commander in chief nodding their heads in agreement – it seems only a matter of time to me before the American masters and their Pakistani slaves lose their seemingly impregnable positions.
[Gilani, Kayani, Z, NS]
The foreseeable future
The Hitlerite disregard that the Americans have shown for human lives, and the contempt with which they have trampled democratic principles underfoot in order to install their puppets as rulers in their client states, have generated an upsurge of hatred and disgust for the American governments. A steady decline in the USA’s influence in the world is inevitable, to go hand in hand with its economic decline.
As for Pakistan, I do not see the American puppets surviving very long. Zardari, Gilani and Nawaz Sahrif are goners, while the reputations of people like Kayani, Altaf Hussain, Asfandyar and Fazlur Rehman have taken a direct hit, from which they will find it difficult to recover.
Pakistan needs new leadership, which may take a little time to emerge. Right now, Imran Khan looks to be the one potential leader around, the only one who has the guts to look the Americans straight in the eye and outstare them. His integrity is beyond question and his popularity in the country, especially among the young, seems to be growing exponentially.
He faces two dangers:
* the discredited civilian and military leaders ganging up against him, to spread disinformation and to deny him publicity in the media
* the provincial governments, especially the PML(N) government in Punjab, misusing the province's administrative machinery to prevent Tehreek-e-Insaf Party holding public meetings and to sabotage its efforts to prepare itself for elections in the foreseeable future.
Imran himself is not entirely risk-free. My impression is that he may be influenced to an unhealthy extent by people who subscribe to what Iqbal called "Ajami Islam" [عجمی اسلام ]. However, this is a risk worth taking in view of Imran's qualities as a leader. Let's hope he shares with Iqbal the latter's insight into the charade of madrassahs and khanqahs.
اٹھا میں مدرسہ و خانقاہ سے غمناک
نہ زندگی، نہ محبّت، نہ معرفت، نہ نگاہ
I rose in sorrow from the madrassah and the place where sufis gather
Lifeless, loveless places, devoid of Higher Experience, without insight
20 comments:
Don't you think there is a contradiction in what you have said in your two most recent blog posts? If the Americans are the real rulers of Pakistan then the last thing they would want is someone who can look straight at them and refuse to blink. The greatest hurdle to Imran's success as a politician is not the discredited third-rate "leaders" of Pakistan but the formidable American presence in Pakistan. As a last resort, they can invoke their secret weapon of political assassination. Remember BB and Zia-ul-Haq?
The slogans that you left at another website would look better here!
ONE
! قوم کے مجرم، امریکہ کے خادم
زرداری ، کیانی ، گیلانی، نواز شریف، الطاف حسین ، فضل اور اسفندیار
وگی لیکس نے تمھارے کپڑے اتار دئے ہیں
! اپنی برہنگی پہچانو
TWO
! زرداری ، گیلانی اور کیانی
! تمھارے ہاتھ بیگناہ پاکستانیوں کے خون سے رنگے ہوۓ ہیں
کب تک تم امریکی ڑرون طیاروں سے اپنے ہموطنوں کا خون بہاتے رہو گے ؟
کب تک تم قومی ۱سمبلی کو دھوکہ دیتے رہو گے ؟
Sir, I absolutely agree with your points about Imran Khan here. You have hit the nail in the head with your mention of Imran's probable fascination with "Ajami Islam". My point of disagreement, is that if he starts drifting towards the religious right, we might end up having a Zia ul Haq in the making. True Imran Khan has integrity, and he is popular; i mentioned and agreed with that much in my blog post.
Also, the Pakistani establishment and population (directly and indirectly, respectively) depend upon the US for everything; and with the exposure gained from Wikileaks, we even depend upon it for our political decisions. It would simply be foolhardy, and a mistake of astronomical proportions if we were to poke the US in the eye don't you think? The US could cripple our already crippled economy without even having to raise an eyebrow. This is what I fear will happen if Imran Khan came to power. He lacks the tact to handle the foreign powers that be, and keep the local populace happy.
Being a democratic minded person however, i would have no qualms about Imran Khan ruling over us if it comes to that. The Pakistani population will have made that decision and as a Pakistani, I will abide by it. I hope that clears up possible notions that you might have picked up about my "dislike" of Imran Khan. :)
I wonder why you have left out Nawaz Sharif from the list of puppets? His PML(n) rules in Punjab, the largest province, and he was as keen as anyone to suck up to "the queen".
The political wheeling and dealing going on in Pakistan at the moment could trigger mid-term elections. More of your slogans would be useful here:
امریکا کی غلامی کو جمہوریت کہنے والو
جمہوریت کو کند چھری سے ذبح کرنے والو
اپنی سیاسی جماعتوں میں انتخابات کرواؤ
یہ تمھارے خاندان کی جاگیر نہیں ہیں
!قومی انتخابات سے پہلے پارٹی انتخابات
! ذہنی آزادی حاصل کرو
!انگریزی نکالو ، اردو راءج کرو
!انصاف کا مطلب ؟ سب کے لئے یکساں تعلیم
OK, will add NS when I have time.
Dear Hamza,
The destiny of nations is not measured in narrow economic terms. If material wealth were the only criterion, Saudi Arabia would not be the laughing stock of the world.
A nation without convictions, without a sense of honour and self-belief based on firm moral grounds, cannot hope to win the respect of other nations. The pack of vultures (Z, Gilani, etc) who are flapping their wings over the still-breathing body of Pakistan have no higher aim than to enrich themselves and to obey the USA.
Imran Khan, on the other hand, soars high above them, eagle-like, and has the persona to lift the spirits of Pakistanis with him. Through him we may, as a nation, recover our long lost pride in our Deen, our culture and our language.
پرواز ہے دونوں کی اسی ایک فضا میں
کرگس کا جہاں اور ہے شاہیں کا جہاں اور
[I'll stop now - will add further comments later]
....... continuation of reply to Hamza Malik:
You fear that Imran could turn out to be another Zia ul Haq. I do not think the comparison is appropriate. Zia, as the commander-in-chief of the army, was the absolute ruler of Pakistan whereas Imran has no links with the army. This is a fundamental point to bear in mind: in today’s Pakistan the real power vests in the man who commands the army, not in the titular head of state or the head of government. So, even if Imran turns out to be a follower of ‘Ajami Islam’, the experiment will have been worthwhile because he can later be voted out. In the meantime, the country will have benefited in the following ways:
• He will have restored our long lost sense of pride in ourselves as a nation.
• He will have freed us from bondage to an America in moral and economic decline. The USA’s wars have ruined Pakistan’s infrastructure and destroyed its economy, not to mention the loss of Pakistani lives which far outnumber the dead USA and Nato soldiers. The economic losses are estimated to exceed $50 billion while the USA government has so far provided only a fraction of that loss as compensation. A lot of so-called ‘American aid’ simply disappears in the deep pockets of our rulers.
• He will have, as you put it, poked the USA in the eye by booting out Americans who are surplus to the USA’s “diplomatic” needs in Pakistan. It is high time a self-respecting Pakistani did something like that after years of humiliation at the hands of arrogant Americans. The USA will think twice before doing anything silly in response. Remember, the USA needs Pakistan far more than Pakistan needs that morally bankrupt country. Remember, also, that Pakistan is a nuclear power – the USA will not want to mess with Pakistan provided we show true grit in standing up to the American Bully.
• He will have reduced corruption at a stroke. In Pakistan corruption starts at the top and works its way down. For example, Z, Gilani, NS, Mush, Shaukat Aziz, etc, have reportedly stashed away billions of dollars outside Pakistan. There will be no further outflow by a robber President or Prime Minister, and efforts will be made to recover Pakistan’s looted wealth.
As Anonymous has pointed out above, Imran will have laid his life on the line for the sake of his nation for he will become a principal target of assassination by the CIA’s death squads.
True, Pakistan is a nuclear power but that counts for nothing judging from the way it is humiliated and kicked about like a football. How will Imran Khan change that situation?
you said: "guts to look the Americans straight in the eye"
Do we have to be in some kind of WAR with the world and America, why we need someone who looks into the eyes of America, do we have to conquer the world or what, or we just have to run our own country in a better way??
Secondly you are overly under-estimating the benefits of good economy, nations are not built by anger and just pride. One needs good life to be proud of himself and his identity. I don't think you have traveled much in Rikshaws and Buses as people of Pakistan do here, while being treated badly by other people.
I think you may have experienced the lack of human dignity that we have, bad economy can't produce proud people, it can only produce slaves or angry killers.. we need prime focus on economy, as you did for your life as individual by shifting to a better country..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/2011/01/110107_qadri_lawyers_controversy_as.shtml
Just thought you might be interested in the Urdu script on this BBC website.
Anon,
Z & Co punch below their weight because all the squalid secrets of this Mafia-like gang are known to the CIA, which makes them highly vulnerable to blackmail. None of the current crop of rotten Pakistani "leaders" will dare to disobey the demands of the USA government for fear of being exposed. Pakistan being a nuclear power is neither here nor there.
It is different with Imran Khan whose life has been an open book. Most people know of his past indiscretions and there is nothing in his life that the Americans can exploit for blackmail purposes. Should he find himself in a position of power he will be able to act as befits the leader of a country with a powerful arsenal of nuclear weapons.
Dear Munir,
I agree with you entirely about the pressing need for Pakistan to make economic progress. To make that happen we have to create the conditions where people can freely make use of the talents they are been born with. That requires establishment of a fair society where, so far as possible, people enjoy equality of opportunity. You know well that we do not have that kind of society in Pakistan.
That's where politics comes into the equation, and also the hold of foreign powers on Pakistan - to impose their puppets and their policies on the people of Pakistan. We ought to live in peace with other countries but when we are attacked or ordered to do someone else's bidding, should we just cave in with a whimper? Please do make an effort to understand the harm that post-2000 America has inflicted on the world, especially Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. That is why we need a strong leader who is able to tell the USA that enough is enough.
Thanks, Hamza.
Though I do not frequent the BBC website I do visit a Pakistani blog in Urdu. My contribution to the debate following Governor Taseer's assassination was:
میں حیران ہوں کے **** نے ابھی تک اپنی تحریر پر ندامت کا اظہار نہیں کیا. جناب ، رسول کریم کی شان میں اصل گستاخی یہ ہے کے رسول الله کا نام استمعال کر کے اپنے دشمنوں سے جی بھر کے بدلے لئے جائیں . پاکستان میں مروج غیر اسلامی معاشرے کی روشنی میں یہ ضروری ہے کے ہم ایسے قوانین بنائیں جنہیں حریص اور خود غرض لوگ رسول الله کے نام کی آڑ میں اپنے ذاتی فائدے کے لئے استمعال نہ کر سکیں. مرحوم سلمان تاثیر کو قانون بہتر بنانے کے لئے اپنی جان سے ہاتھ دھونا پڑے ! ہم کب تک جہالت کی بدترین شکل کو “اسلام” کہتے رہیں گے ؟
For Pakistan, Wikileaks has done nothing but confirm everything that we knew all along.
For Pakistan, new people must come up.
As far as Imran Khan is, I am not a supporter, but in my effort to sound impartial about him - I'd say he doesn't have colossal support in Pakistan, it may be growing but it still needs time to assume he is the next leader to rule Pakistan with a majority etc.
He is impractical when it comes to some stances and the people do widely disagree with him on such instances.
We must learn to distinguish between Imran Khan, the sportsman and Imran Khan, the politician and thats what most Pakistanis cease to do.
Btw, PML-N hasn't hindered him from holding meetings and conventions in Punjab or have they, if you have information?
For Pakistan, the significance of the WikiLeaks disclosure is that it has stopped the Americans, and their Pakistani stooges, from indulging in their usual practice of telling outrageous lies. It is no longer possible for these liars to issue hollow denials and rubbish the accusations as "conspiracy theories" - hence the name of this blog post, "The end of conspiracy theories".
Imran Khan WAS a cricketer par excellence but that is of no relevance now except, possibly, as evidence of Imran's capacity for leadership and never say die attitude. I have already commented on this side of his character above, likening him to Iqbal's 'shaheen'.
He has also shown himself to be a first class administrator, managing hundreds of people and controlling financial budgets running into billions of rupees. He is active in the areas of health, education and welfare/charitable activities. Certainly, he is not perfect and he is liable to make mistakes. However, when we compare him with the corrupt wheelers and dealers Z, Gilani, Malik, Awan, Haqqani, etc who control the affairs of Pakistan and lay down Pakistan's honour at the USA's feet, Imran stands high above that pack like a colossus.
Just look at the convulsions that Z & Co have gone through over the case of the contract killer of Lahore, Raymond Davis. The USA government haughtily ordered the Pakistani government to offer retrospective diplomatic status to the murderer and free him. Z, Gilani and their accomplices would have done so gladly but for the "intransigence" of the Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi. His insubordination to his boss, and his boss's bosses Clinton and Obama, has cost him his job. Had Imran been at the helm, he and Qureshi would have taught the Americans a lesson they would not have forgotten for a long time. Instead, we have the sickening sight of the Foreign Ministry-without-a-minister dumbly declaring Davis to be a "diplomat"! This is why Imran is infinitely to be preferred to the dishonourable criminals we have at the moment.
For those who would like to know more about the criminal acts of Raymond Davis and the sacking of Foreign Minister Qureshi, here are three links - the first two are in English and the third link is in Urdu.
https://laudyms.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/what-was-raymond-davis-up-to-in-pakistan/
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=30125&Cat=9&dt=2/9/2011
http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/feb2011-daily/15-02-2011/col1.htm
Mr. Ahmed, how can you be so sure that Mr. Imran Khan will turn out to be a great leader who will rescue Pakistan from all its problems. Imran is more aristrocratic than the ones in power. He may very well turn out to be another feudal lord. Secondly, merely because he was popular because he was a cricketer is no guarantee that he will be a good administrator. Considering his image as a playboy, he may very well be ensnared in a honey trap and Pakistan's position may be compromised. (you probably are a great admirer of Khan, but it may be better if admiration of Pakistanis is limited to his cricketing abilities and does not cross the "boundaries" of cricket.
Lastly, the seat of power in Pakistan is a "hot seat". One does not know what are the circumstances which force the leaders in power to act in the manner they are doing. It may be easy to pass judgments and speculate about the likes of Imran.
Please note I do neither hold a brief for Zardari and company nor hold any grudge against Imran. I was just attempting to present a view point.
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your comments. These have raised several questions in my mind which require answers.
1. I have never said anywhere that "Mr Imran Khan will turn out to be a great leader who will rescue Pakistan ....". Why attribute things to me which I have not said?
2. I have nothing against "aristocrats". Liaquat Ali Khan was, in your terminology, a "feudal lord" but he was a true Pakistani nonetheless. I do not judge a person on the basis of his background.
3. What Imran may or may not do in the event of winning an election in Pakistan lies in the realm of speculation. Surely, you are not claiming that you have gazed into your crystal ball and seen the future?
4. I agree, being good at cricket does not, of itself, make one a good administrator. Let me repeat what I said above in my comments: "He has also shown himself to be a first class administrator, managing hundreds of people and controlling financial budgets running into billions of rupees. He is active in the areas of health, education and welfare/charitable activities."
5. I see that you are fearful of the possibility of Imran indulging in "playboy" activities. He has been divorced for quite a few years. Any scandals you know of? Indeed, when was the last time he indulged in a "playboy" act? Imran is an open book, which is why the Americans are unable to blackmail him.
6. I laughed out loud at your use of the term "honey trap". It is quite likely that Musharraf and the Americans have already tried to spring this trap on Imran and failed. Once again, you are speculating about the future which greatly weakens your argument.
7. I agree with you that the "hot seat" has burnt the bums of Z, Gilani, Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, NS, - oh, it's a long list! Based on what we know about Imran as a person, my view is that his skin is not so delicate as that of the gents in this long list.
Let Pakistanis reject the entrenched political families who have failed the nation repeatedly, and choose a fresh face. If Imran disappoints the nation he can be voted out.
No, I think you have misunderstood me. I am not attributing anything to you or your analysis. I am no fortune teller either. So no crystal ball gazing, etc. Pakistan has made all sorts of experiments with politicians and political parties from civilian to military. My question is the people of Pakistan had pinned their hopes on all these leaders or politicians from time to time. But they all let Pakistan down. The experiments have not borne fruit in the past. So how or why should Pakistan and its people give Imran a chance? Or having tried so many in the past, is it a case of why not one chance to Imran too?
The simple answer to your question is that Imran is an honest civilian politician. Can you name another politician of integrity since the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan? Take, for instance, Zardari. Just before he ascended the steps to the presidential palace, he was a wheeler dealer reviled as Mr Ten Percent. What he did during the time his deceased wife ruled Pakistan, and what he has done during the last three years, is scandalous in the extreme.
Please do not look to Imran as someone who can solve the problems of Pakistan at a stroke. He is no miracle man, only an honest and hard working Pakistani who will do his best to turn things around. That is all we can reasonably ask of a politician.
I fail to see why you are so implacably opposed to Imran. Your comments are mostly negative and you have not made a single positive suggestion to pull Pakistan out of the quagmire.
Either you do not wish to read my comments fully or there is something terribly wrong in my communication. I have stated that very clearly, I do not hold any brief for the leaders of Pakistan nor hold any grudge against Imran. This statement seems to have been glossed over. As far as positive suggestion is concerned, to quote you neither Imran nor anybody else can solve Pak's problems at a stroke. So no single suggestion is going to help this country come out of its mess. In any case, Pak needs to strenghten its democratic institutions, have an education system in place which is secular. Religious schools which brainwash the youth must be checked. Investments from abroad and not aid is the key to Pak becoming a nation in the true sense of the term. Aid and Army will ruin Pakistan. The less the armed forces participate in the governance, the better it is for the people of Pakistan.
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