Qadri case: Battle for the soul of Pakistan

 By Aftab Zaidi:
The reverberations of Justice Munir verdict in Maulvi Tameez uddin case are being felt even today. Every military coup was sanctioned and given a legal cover based on this faulty decision. The long lasting ill effects of this judgment were not realized at the time of its announcement. Similarly the outcome of the Mumtaz Qadri case will have profound impact on the future of this nation. The fact that an ex – Chief Justice of Lahore High Court has come forward to argue in favor of a self confessed killer is likely to put further strain on the judges. It appears that anything wrapped in a cloak of religiosity will even blind our arbitrators of justice. After the proclamation of the sentence; the anti terrorist court judge was hurriedly transferred to Lahore after his office was ransacked by a section of lawyers. There have already been violent protests all around the country condemning the verdict and calling for its commutation by the President. Clearly the protestors through their threats and aggressive gestures are trying to mould outcome of the case in their favor. Lately the courts have also been accused of releasing terrorist suspects. However the judges have defended the acquittals on the basis of lack of evidence provided by the prosecution. The Supreme Court in July ordered the release of Malik Ishaq; a dreaded sectarian killer. . He is the founder of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ), which is aligned with al Qaeda along with Jandullah and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. He was implicated in 44 cases of culpable homicide and was acquitted in 34 of those cases. He was also allegedly accused of plotting terrorist plots from the confines of his jail room and indicted in planning and executing the terror attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team. It has already been reported that Malik Ishaq had in October 1997 admitted to an Urdu daily to being involved in the killing of over a 100 people. The sectarian temperature has also shot up in the aftermath of his release. There have already been two attacks on Shia Hazaras. On September 19, near the town of Mastung gunmen forced 40 Hazaras to disembark from a bus through which they were traveling to visit Holy sites in Iran; shot them at close range and fled the scene of the crime. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi later claimed responsibility for this attack. Ironically, Malik Ishaq has very close links with this sectarian organization. The releases of terrorist suspects by courts have been a recurring theme. This has happened despite the fact that mostly ordinary Pakistani citizens have bore the brunt of terror related causalities. A US State Department report in 2010 criticized Pakistan for failing to outlaw militant Islamic groups. It further complained that Pakistan’s acquittal rate of prosecuting suspected terrorists was approximately 75% culminating in release of three out of four defendants. The courts have also been instrumental in the release of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed; the controversial Jamaat-ud-Dawa’s Ameer who was also banned by a UN Security Council resolution. It is pertinent to mention that Mr. Saeed also led the funeral prayers for Osama Bin Laden after his death through a US Navy Seals operation. The Qadri case presents a very clear evidence of inherent flaws in religiously inspired laws. It also provides the courts with an opportunity to absolve them of the perception that the judges hold a soft corner for the Islamic militants. The evidence is overwhelmingly clear and cogent. However the stay of the sentencing by the Islamabad High Court has again sent the wrong signals. The fight is for the soul of Pakistan. Release of Qadri will have very serious ramifications for the coming generations. This will provide an explicit justification to commit such acts of brute violence in the name of religion. There is still time. The virus of religiously sanctioned killing is still in its embryonic stage. It should be nipped in the bud before it turns into an inferno and engulfing the entire society.

Aalu Andey vs Gandey Andey: A Tale of Two Videos

Raza Habib Raja
In the past few days, I have had the privilege of seeing two extraordinary videos, one of which spanned barely 3 minutes, and the other was a real brain tester, which lasted for over 30 minutes. The formats were very different, as one was a song, and the other was a television talk show. The schism and the contrast ran much much deeper than the formats, and yet in a strange paradoxical way, there were similarities and an ironical linkage between the two videos.
The thing which connected the two videos was that  in the first video, in just breath-taking three minutes, three aspiring musicians gave very credible reasons for what exactly was wrong with the second video. Both the videos were linked in another way: First featured a totally raw rock and roll band, and the second one had Pakistan’s premier vocalist, who once belonged to the most famous rock and roll band Pakistan has ever produced. Two set of musicians, belonging to the same genre, vastly different in experience, but furthest apart in their take on the socio-political scenario of Pakistan.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have posted the links so that you can independently judge yourselves also. The second video has not been posted in its entirety as I have only posted the most “important” portion
Aalu Anday
Ali Azmat with Luqmaan on Khari Baat
Regarding the first video, well I have never in my life seen a video in Pakistan, which within a span of merely three minutes, bares all the hypocritical instinctive foundations of our parallel universe. In those pulse fastening, bewildering, amazing three minutes three youngsters (one of them I happen to know personally also) beat the crap out of the whole right wing narrative. In lyrics, which were simple yet incisive, in a tone which was humorous yet dead serious, and in a video that had innuendos and yet was also so head on, the new group named as “Baighairat Brigade” (Dishonourable Brigade) showed everyone a mirror and showed what in essence honour meant. It showed us that honour is not delusional and misplaced self importance, which in essence is an outcome of our humongous failures in life to achieve anything in economic, cultural and development spheres, but it lies in acknowledging our shortcomings. The group did not try to indulge in some kind of pseudointellectual analysis through some heavy nonsensical words but in a simple intelligible language just sang through the plain facts. Yes, in order to bring out the absurdities they made sure to contrast between what was actually happening and what should actually happen. The following lyrics take the cake:
“Aithe Qadri Baran Nawab hai ithe Hero Ajmal Qasab hai, Mullah nasseya wich Hijab hai, ithe Abdul Salam nu Puchda Koi Nayee “
( Here the Mumtaz Qadri is treated like a Royal, Ajmal Qasab is a hero, the Mullah- the lal Masjid priest who preached about Jihad and yet was coward enough to run veiled as a woman when his own life was under threat- and yet Dr Abdul Salam, Pakistan’s only nobel laureate is being totally ignored just because of his Ahmedi faith)
All these sentences merely state the obvious and yet often denied facts, with the onus being as to how much misplaced heroes we have. In this regard, the contrast between terrorists, murderers and the completely disowned Doctor Abdul Salam was amazing. In merely ten seconds, the group said something which is so obvious and yet never acknowledged. Then the singer went on to poke fun at the rampant conspiracy theory culture particularly the Black Water obsession.
The video was made even more potent by some placards, one of which read: This video is funded by Zionists.
The second video is of a talk show where ace Pakistani singer- solo now- but once the part of the legendary Rock n Roll band Janoon, gave his unique “insight” as to what was wrong with Pakistan. I have over the time become quite accustomed to nonsense, which these talk shows utter but even by their standards, this was “exceptional”. God, Ali Azmat made even Zahid Hamid look like a credible commentator.
Mr. Ali Azmat’s thesis was that West had conspired against us to impose their cultural imperialism and in order to do that had rearranged their music frequency in such a way that it would create mass hypnotism. Mr. Azmat, claimed that everything, including Wall Sreet protest movements, were some sort of a grand conspiracy to take over the world with the ultimate objective to bolster consumerism to help struggling capitalism. And then, under active encouragement from Mubashir Luqman, the fiery host of the program, Ali Azmat went on to declare that everything happening in Pakistan was being directed by the imperial powers with the eventual aim of helping consumerism.
What was mocked at the first video was on full display in the second video. Yet both the videos were humorous though the latter only in its irony. First was a satire, and the second could only be termed as some sort of a black comedy, whch depicted as to how delusional we have become.
But despite everything, the first video has given a faint hope that may be some of us are realizing and therefore articulating of whatever is wrong with the content and intellectual thrust of the second video. And some how or the other, I want to hope because I have still not given up. As the torch of Political Rock N Roll passes to younger blood, some of whom have the nerves to finally say that should have been said long ago, there is every reason to believe that though in fringes, sanity still exists. Well Done Baighairat Brigade..You have  given us hope..And yes Daniyal, you have made me proud!!!!

A Double Whammy for the Cyber Army General

Slowly but surely the cyber army general, more popularly known as Zaid Hamid or “Sir” Zaid by his army of silk mustached self styled patriots or the bevy of monikers that circle around his red beret is clawing his way back to the limelight after his Yusuf Kazab association related lull. Yes, we’ll never let anyone forget of that shady association. Of late he’s been making all sorts of nasty waves by appearing on two high profile talkshows where he, in his inimitable audacious style, declares SAFMA as being funded by RAW and understandably enough invites a lawsuit for slander coming his way.
The blithe declaration came forth on that loud mouthed, attention hoor (feel free to use a w before hoor), khala kutni of an anchor Meher Bukhari’s hot show on Duniya TV. That particular show was dedicated to Nawaz Sharif expressing his amicable intentions towards the Indians and recognizing the possibility of a peaceful and prosperous future for Pakistan in the remote possibility of mending fences with India. Understandably, this scandalized the maulvi, fauji and red bereted guests on Meher Bukhari’s show to no end. Of course, Ms Bukhari has to maintain her loudmouthed image on TeeVee that warrants in them big fat pay cheques. All she has to do is pander to the lowest common denominator in the exceedingly conservative right winged populace by invoking the two nation theory mantra, the rattafied ideology of Pakistan in an inordinately high volume and practiced glares. The shrieks led on to Zaid Hamid do his slanderous act and playing the ham fisted defender of Iqbal’s Pakistan.
Here’s the unnecessary value added clip from youtube:
watch?v=LkWvsq53PQ0
The SAFMA slander got Zaid Hamid another gig at Shahid Masood’s latest reincarnation on ExpressNews, ever so modestly titled Shahidnama. As an aside, have you noticed how steadily self referential the title of each new version of his shows are becoming; Views on News (decent enough), Merey Mutabiq (inflated ego alert) and now Shahidnama (what’s next Shahid ki Shahid Dunya?)
Moving on, Dr Shahid invited Zaid Hamid to defend his position as Mr Slander Extraordinaire as well as Marvi Sirmed to provide the other perspective (read common sense) to the firebrand foil. Now it made for 45 odd minutes of rousing entertainment on TV but not without some reservation. For the moment let’s not talk of Zaid Hamid….he’s a stark raving loon. Dr Shahid on the other hand, as opposed to Meher Bukhari’s hysterical antics comes across as a mild mannered, genial enough individual. We are only speaking of appearances here.  At the start of the said show, he bemoans the lack of tolerance amongst the highly educated in our culture and the need for basing and argument over facts and reasoning. Very noble of him to acknowledge so but later on he keeps on egging the guests, steering and reducing the argument to a Raw agent vs ISI agent debacle. This isn’t anything new considering Dr Shahid’s track record for understated manipulative dishonesty.
Kudos to Marvi Sermad for whipping Zaid Hamid’s ass. Needless to say this was a gratifying TV moment. Yet I am not so sure if her choice of attire was any tactful in front of a bigot who’s looking for whatever minuscule excuse to label the opponent as the RAW/CIA/Zionist/Capitalist/Hindu/Buddhist/Communist etc etc agents he so clearly endears himself to. More importantly Marvi Sermad’s choice, while living up to her Baghi credentials, wouldn’t bode well with a significant section of the masses who lap up every word of history according to Nawa-i-waqt and Pak Studies curriculum.
You can see the whole splendorous episode starting from this clip thanks to our “choron sey hoshyar” friends on youtube.
watch?v=ENlWhhySHuU&feature=related