Conceptually, the BISP is a programme of cash transfers for the bottom 25 per cent of the population below the poverty line. It does not offer any makan, but the recipient gets a monthly income supplement of a thousand rupees, considered enough to two to three weeks of atta for a family of five and perhaps, some kapra. Despite rising fiscal deficits, budget allocations have been generous and have exceeded the capacity to spend. In the first year, 2008-09, Rs13.3 billion was spent against an allocation of Rs34 billion to reach out to 3.5 million families. Undeterred, the allocation in the following year was more than doubled to Rs70 billion to reach five million families — a sizeable number of voters. Actual spending was Rs32 billion. Again in 2010-11, expenditure against an allocation of Rs50 billion was Rs35 billion. The budget for 2011-12 has the same allocation as that of the previous year.

There has been more support than opposition. In the beginning, when parliamentarians were involved in beneficiary identification, some political opposition was witnessed. Engaging NADRA to verify the 4.3 million forms warded it off. Only 2.3 million families were found to be eligible. The electronic media ran stories of bogus forms. This was as misinformed as the description of the registered voters not verified by NADRA as bogus. Not being in NADRA’s record does not necessarily mean that the person does not exist. The authority still does not have full coverage; more so in the case of the BISP, as the target here are women heads of the family — only 73 per cent have CNICs.

Economists oppose subsidies, but only those kinds that are not targeted, such as cheaper wheat or fuel which distort prices. A subsidy on wheat, available to the rich and the poor alike, is roughly the same as the total allocation for BISP, a programme of targeted cash transfers. There is some debate whether these transfers should be unconditional or conditional, as the former tend to promote dependency rather than exit from poverty. At present, the main BISP initiative makes unconditional grants but conditional transfers like the self-employment scheme called ‘wasila-e-haq’ are also beginning to take shape. These attributes have bought in donor support. The World Bank funded a door to door survey of the entire population, in order to identify eligible women on the basis of a poverty scorecard, as has been drawn in the Asian Development Bank, USAID and Britain’s Department for International Development.

Except for petty corruption of postmen delivering cash, one has not heard of a major corruption scandal. There are, however, features that protect the PPP votebank. There is a rural bias in the poverty scorecard. The ultimate aim though, is to cover all districts. The immediate coverage is of rural Sindh and southern Punjab. No provincial break-up is available for the number of beneficiaries and the money disbursed. A World Bank working paper shows that increased decision-making power for women affects family expenditure patterns. Should such shifts not affect voting patterns?

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2012.

“I made mistakes and I am prepared to admit them but so must others. Others also owe it: they owe it to their own armed forces, to the people of Pakistan and to the Muslim world.” In one of her most candid interviews, Benazir Bhutto bluntly talks about her two terms in office, the difficulties that she faced, the things that she implemented and her vision for the future of Pakistan.

As Pakistanis, we are a little bit crazy when it comes to politics. We either love to make our politicians holy cows so much so that we cannot even accept constructive criticism regarding their policies or we just hate them to the extent that we will believe any allegations against them without even needing or wanting a proof. Benazir Bhutto fits perfectly into both camps. There are those who are ever ready to admire her (and very rightly so) for her courage and struggle for democracy in Pakistan by overlooking some of the faulty laws or policies enacted by her party; At the same time, there is certainly no shortage of those who are only going to believe whatever her opposition has to say and will never pay attention to her sacrifices for this country.

Despite being in power twice, she was a great believer in the power of the people and saw herself just as their representative, not a ruler. Even though military in Pakistan has always been successful in getting public support by picking up causes that has hurt this country in the end more than anything else, Bhutto always wanted to play the game of politics through proper channel in an unfair system which was ever ready to demolish democracy even before it had any chance to blossom. She believed that it was the people of Pakistan that should determine the future of this country as it is their country. “The real solution lies not with any individual. I can only give a clarion call. Then it depends on the masses whether they rally around that call to say that they want a constitution based on the supremacy of the will of the people and that the prime minister and parliament must determine national security and not the military.” However, I must say, we as people have disappointed her.

And it is not just a thing of the past, just look at the power balance in Pakistan today. People are always very sensitive to listen to any criticism of our military leadership and intelligence agencies. What they fail to realize is that pointing the mistakes of policies that are destroying our country is not less patriotic or treasonous; In fact it is more patriotic because you always criticize those who you love the most. If you don’t care about something, you are never going to interfere in their business and let them go down the path of destruction. But in case of Pakistan, the role of such institutions “has led to the destabilisation of political governments, the collapse of the economy and has undermined our standing in the international community.” Therefore, it is our duty as citizens of this state to question and speak against those whose decisions are causing problems for this country. The tragedy however, is that majority of our nation is unaware of the past and present policies of army and intelligence that has led Pakistan into one chaos after another. Benazir Bhutto clearly express her frustration when she says that people expect politicians to solve our problems but “how can a political party fight an organised military, several intelligence outfits, the president and the judiciary? It is very important to create this awareness. It is very important for the press to come on board to expose these manipulations.”

Now people always malign PPP government for being a puppet of US. You can certainly have your opinions on that but it’s not like the military has been making Pakistan independent of US slavery. In fact, some of the worse puppets that are the cause of our dire state today were army generals who have never cared about the prosperity of ordinary people and have this country be used by outside powers to fight wars with which we had nothing to do with. Despite the role of army in destroying our democracy and persecuting democratically minded leaders, Bhutto’s vision of future Pakistan included reconciliation between different authorities, not confrontation because at the end what matters is Pakistan, which is bigger and better than any one individual or institution. In her words, “It is for us, as a nation, to decide what we want together. The army can reveal its true intentions by eliminating democracy and Quaid-e-Azam’s Pakistan through rule by puppets — and there are a lot of puppets in the market. Or else, the military has to learn to acquiesce to the people’s will. We are all part of the problem and we are all part of the solution. I think there is a need for a frank and open talk between all the different players because, in our own ways, we all love Pakistan.”

Even though she was attacked by religious right for her progressive and modern ideals, she was not only well aware of her roots but also proud of them. For her, it was her identity as a Muslim woman that gave her the courage to do the things that she envisioned and face the atrocities that lied in her path. “I see life as a journey where every single soul is tested by Allah. What sustains me is my faith. I am not a fanatic though my enemies portray me as a fundamentalist with a dupatta on the head and a tasbih in hand. I am devout. I am like many modern Pakistanis who do believe in equal opportunities, freedom and free markets but who also need spiritual sustenance in a world that is increasingly materialistic.”

While this particular interview is some 10 years old, she very accurately predicted the future of Pakistan. Today we are standing at the same cross-roads where we have always found ourselves in. “Either the democratic forces win or the establishment wins. If the establishment wins, the past will be repeated and that is what has happened for 50 years. If the democratic forces win, maybe the 21st century will be different for Pakistan. It is a fight and we are unable to say who will be the winner. But then, democracy is also about evolution. And democracy is also about fighting for what you believe is right and not giving up.”

Just as candidly as she started the interview by accepting her mistakes, with the same honesty she tells that whatever power she has to bring any change, it’s the same as people of Pakistan want to give to her. “I am not a messiah. I can only work within the limitations placed upon me by the people (in terms of my ability to effect constitutional change) and the institutional realities of Pakistan.”

You don’t have to be a PPP or Benazir Bhutto’s supporter to realize that when she talks about the power imbalance in our country, she does have a point. Nations who don’t learn from their past are bound to repeat it and go down the path of doom. Civilizations after civilizations have been destroyed and not a single sign of them has been left just because they forgot to adapt to demands of modern world and were too busy glorifying the past or what could have been. It is high time that we do take a stand for something that we believe in because if we don’t, may be nothing would be left to take a stand for.

We are cross-posting an old article published on BBC Urdu on 20 December 2009. Written by Wusatullah Khan, the following lines provide the crux of the article:

بقولِ شیخ سعدی اصفہان کے بھیڑئیے سے اصفہان کا کتا ہی نمٹ سکتا ہے۔جب تک اسٹیبلشمنٹ اپنے حرام زادوں کو تحفظ دیتی رہے گی۔عوام اپنے حرامزادے ان کے مقابل لاتے رہیں گے ۔۔۔۔

That about sums it up. Given that Pakistan’s military establishment has never tired of fielding their bastards (right from Junejo to Nawaz Sharif to PML-Q to Imran Khan), why should the people, to whom this country really belongs, exercise restraint?

We will keep using the power of vote to bring our own bastards, at least they will be our bastards, so that we don’t have to take to the streets yet again, like we did against previous military dictators and their hand-picked puppets.

While urban-centric liberal proxies of the military establishment are usually busy in writing and publishing articles to prove that the PPP is military establishments’ B-Party, other more objective analysts have offered an alternative perspective.

Nadeem Paracha explains this phenomenon in one of his recent articles on PPP Jiyalas:

In the last thirty years or so, the Urdu word ‘jiyala’ has come down to become an iconic term in the realm of Pakistan’s populist politics. Almost entirely associated (in this context) with diehard supporters and members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), it is used both as a term of endearment as well as for ideological dogmatism. It continues to attract the curiosity and attention of a number of young Pakistanis.

The PPP jiyala, though sometimes ridiculed by the detractors of the PPP, is largely witnessed as a passionate phenomenon that even the staunchest anti-PPP parties would like to see in their ranks.

So who or what is a PPP jiyala and where did he or she appear from; and why can such people only be found among the PPP’s supporters in spite of the fact that in the last two decades, almost all mainstream political parties have successfully adopted the antics of the country’s first ever purveyor of populist politics, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (the founder of the PPP)?

A jiyala in this respect is a PPP supporter who is bound to stick with the party or with the Bhutto family’s overriding claim over the leadership of the party no matter what state the party is in. He or she would defend it passionately, even fight on the streets and campuses for it, and there have also been cases in which jiyalas have died for the party.

Contrary to the belief, especially among the party’s opponents, that jiyalas are ‘blind followers of the PPP ‘ who unquestionably nod at everything that is dished out to them by the party, the fact is that jiyalas have also been some of the harshest critics of the party that they so intensely love.

There have been a number of reported cases in which jiyalas have publicly confronted the party’s leadership over various issues. According to economist and researcher, Haris Gazdar, who is in the process of conducting an elaborate research on the PPP ‘s support base in the Punjab, the party’s traditional voters remain passive and almost impersonal to the fate of the party when it is in power, but become highly active when it’s in the opposition or facing a challenge from the establishment or the opposition.

ہمارے اور انکے باسٹرڈز

وسعت اللہ خان
بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، اسلام آباد

ہمیں انیس سو اٹھاسی سے اب تک بتایا جا رہا ہے کہ مرحومہ بے نظیر بھٹو اور ان کے شوہر آصف زرداری اور ان کے حوالی موالی اس ملک کا سب سے کرپٹ سیاسی ٹولہ تھا اور ہے۔

مگر یہ کوئی نہیں بتا رہا کہ ذوالفقار علی بھٹو کے ساڑھے چار برس چھوڑ کر یہ کرپٹ ٹولہ تیسری بار کیسے اقتدار میں آگیا۔مسٹر ٹین پرسنٹ کس طرح پارلیمنٹ اور صوبائی اسمبلیوں میں بیٹھے مومنینِ کرام، حاجی صاحبان اور متقی و پرہیزگار ارکان کی اکثریت کے ووٹ سے پاکستان کے صدر بن گئے۔یا تو زرداری کو صدر بنانے والے نیند میں چل رہے تھے یا پھر اتنے بھولے اور معصوم تھے کہ انہوں نے یقین کرلیا کہ جسے وہ صدر منتخب کر رہے ہیں اس کی شکل تو زرداری جیسی ہے لیکن اس مرتبہ اس کے جسم میں ایک معصوم نومولود کی روح حلول کرگئی ہے۔

جس طرح ہم بچپن سے سنتے آئے ہیں کہ آدمی اپنی صحبت سے پہچانا جاتا ہے۔اسی اصول کی بنیاد پر ہم یہ بھی کہہ سکتے ہیں کہ آدمی اپنے ووٹ سے پہچانا جاتا ہے۔اگر کروڑوں عام اور ان کے منتخب کردہ پارلیمانی زرداریوں نے ووٹ دے کر آصف علی اور ان کی جماعت کو پانچ برس کے لیے اقتدار دے دیا تو اس میں افسوس اور واویلا کاہے کو ؟

کیا آپ نے کبھی کسی ایسے ووٹر کو ووٹ کے حق سے محروم کرنے کا قانون بنایا جس پر دودھ میں پانی، پٹرول میں مٹی کا تیل، مرچوں میں سرخ اینٹ کا چورا، چائے میں لکڑی کا برادہ ، منرل واٹر کی بوتل میں نلکے کا پانی ملانے، بلیک مارکیٹنگ کرنے اور دو نمبر دوا، جعلی کھاد، جعلی بیج اور کاغذی سڑک بنانے کا الزام ثابت ہوجائے۔

کیا آپ نے کبھی ایسے شخص کو ووٹ دینے سے انکار کیا جس کی شہرت ہو کہ وہ بینکوں کے قرضے ہڑپ کرگیا ، ٹیکس چوری میں مسلسل مبتلا ہے، جس نے بدمعاشوں، ڈاکووں ، قاتلوں، چوروں اور املاک پر قبضہ کرنے والے پیشہ وروں کا گروہ پال رکھا ہے۔جو عصمت دری کرنے والوں کی ضمانتیں کراتا ہے۔جو جھگڑے کے تصفیے میں نوعمر بچیوں کو بطور ہرجانہ دینے کے فیصلے کرتا ہے۔

کیا آپ نے کبھی سیاست میں آنے والے کسی ایسے ریٹائرڈ ایماندار بیوروکریٹ، جج یا جرنیل کو قومی و صوبائی اسمبلی کا رکن یا ضلعی ناظم منتخب کرنے کی کوشش کی جس کے پاس ایک سے زائد گھر، گاڑی ، بینک بیلنس ، سینکڑوں ایکڑ مراعاتی زمین ، کھاد یا گیس کا مراعاتی کوٹہ یا کسی غیرملکی بینک میں اکاؤنٹ نہ ہو۔

کیا آپ میں سے کسی نے کبھی یہ مطالبہ کیا کہ ہر حاضر سروس جرنیل، جج، بیوروکریٹ یا سیاستداں، جب بھی اعلیٰ عہدہ یا ترقی پائے تو اپنی منقولہ و غیر منقولہ املاک اور کھاتوں کا گوشوارہ پیش کرے۔اور ان میں سے ہر سال بیس فیصد گوشوارے بذریعہ قرعہ اندازی مکمل چھان بین کے لیے منتخب کیے جائیں تاکہ باقی اسی فیصد اگلے گوشوارے میں غلط بیانی نہ کرسکیں۔

یہ وہ سوالات ہیں جو ہر ووٹر کے گریبان میں چھپے ہوئے ہیں لیکن اسے بوجوہ نظر نہیں آتے۔مگر ان گذارشات کا یہ مطلب نہیں کہ گند صاف کرنے کا آغاز ہی نہ ہو۔چلئے آپ مشرف، شوکت، شجاعت سے آغاز نہ کرسکے نہ سہی، زرداری گیلانی سے ہی سہی۔لیکن ان ووٹروں کا بھی تو کچھ کیجئے جو موقع پاتے ہی پھر ایسے لوگوں کو کرسی پر بٹھا دیتے ہیں۔

ایک بات بتاؤں

براعظم وسطیٰ امریکہ کے ملک نکاراگوا میں سموزا خاندان سنہ انیس سو تیس سے انیس سو اناسی تک مسلسل برسرِ اقتدار رہا۔ کسی نے امریکی صدر فرینکلن روزویلٹ کی توجہ دلاتے ہوئے کہا کہ حضور نکاراگوا میں جمہوریت کا سورج کب نکلے گا اور وہاں کے لوگوں کو سموزا خاندان کی حرم زدگیوں سے کب چھٹکارا ملےگا۔روزویلٹ نے کہا یہ سچ ہے کہ سموزا حرامزادے ہیں۔لیکن وہ ہمارے حرامزادے ہیں۔۔۔

بقولِ شیخ سعدی اصفہان کے بھیڑئیے سے اصفہان کا کتا ہی نمٹ سکتا ہے۔جب تک اسٹیبلشمنٹ اپنے حرام زادوں کو تحفظ دیتی رہے گی۔عوام اپنے حرامزادے ان کے مقابل لاتے رہیں گے ۔۔۔

Source: BBC Urdu

Pakistan's Supreme Court has been traditionally allied with the Punjabi-dominated military establishment against elected governments.

Make so much noise that everything becomes inaudible-then people would hear what we want them to hear. This is how the Pakistani Establishment is controlling the game at the moment – It is very clear who is who, and what is what. But because of a concentrated effort to remove the current Government and head of state, all the other noises and all other logic is being drowned.

Today the Supreme Court of Pakistan has given the Government six options to remedy the NRO decision. Yes you heard this right, Courts are now providing multiple answer type option to their decisions. I am not aware how this would work in future, would this be that decisions would be given to murders they have six choices, varying degrees of punishment and even a possible acquittal. We provide, you decide.

Court has stated following options:

Option 1: Court would move against the Prime Minister, President and Law Minister because they were ‘harping’ that they shall not write a letter to Switzerland, and this equates to violating the court’s order they have violated their oath to office and so are not worthy of the office. 

The Honourable Judge states that Prime Minister made these claims in the floor of the House and Senate. Honourable Judge has made many references to Quran, but perhaps has oversight over Article 69 of The Pakistan constitution that explicitly prohibits any scrutiny of statements made on the House floor. The said speech is non-justiciable in any court as it as it was made in the floor the house – How has there been such an oversight is amazing.

President made a similar statement in an interview with Hamid Mir – Be that may, Only way to remove a President is through Article 47 of the constitution, i.e. two-third majority of the Parliament.

Option 2: The Prime Minister and the Law Minister would be held to have made contempt of court, virtue of which both Gentleman could lose their membership of Parliament, and their office along with it.

Though again Article 63 (1) (g) (ridiculing Judiciary or Armed Forces) is mentioned, though again Article 69 defence should apply. Thus only 63 (1) (h) is applicable.

Option 3: Supreme Court would form a commission under Article 187 that shall execute the said relevant decision. 

Option 4: Immunity to President under Article 248 has NOT YET BEEN DISCUSSED  and if anyone seeks to discuss this in the court, they may do so. 

In any case, it is highly astonishing thus far that court has not heard anything under Article 248 presidential immunity, which one would have thought is a highly important defense available to the Government against writing the letter.

Option 5: NAB chairman has failed and protected the accused, namely Ahmed Riaz Sheikh, and Adnan Khawja who have been appointed wrongly and to take actions against Malik Qayoom.

Option 6: Court may ask the Parliament to take such steps as it sees fit to ensure that court’s judgement is implement  

It is not clear what court means about handing over the implementation to the Parliament. Does the court expect a resolution by the parliament would suffice, which would first form a commission to ensure implementation and the the said commission can advise parliament of way it has ensure implementation .

In the 2008 General Elections, Azeem had beaten stalwarts like Ishaq Khakwani and Tehmina Daultana. He received 49,299 votes while his nearest rival Ishaq Khakwani got 47,898 votes.

(Source: The Election commission of Pakistan)

He had previously held the uncelebrated position of Parliamentary Secretary on Information and Broadcasting, where he would present the case of the government and his party in a most eloquent manner on TV and in the national assembly.

In Azeem Daultana, the PPP and the current national assembly have lost an educated and well groomed legislator. He was one for the future, but the Almighty had other plans.

According to the Express tribune report; Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, Mian Azeem Khan Daultana has died in a road accident at Kot Wali Bridge near Luddan.

The Pakistan Peoples Party’s MNA, Daultana was on his way to his constituency of Vehari, when his car was involved in a fatal accident.

Daultana was due to get married in early next month.

He belongs to the famous Daultana clan of Luddan, being a close relative of PML-N leader, Begum Tehmina Daultana.

He had successfully contested on a PPP ticket from NA 168, defeating Ishaq Khan Khakwani and Tehmina Daultana in the February 2008 elections.

Azeem Daultana was the son of Zahid Khan Daultana, born on April 4, 1979.

Azeem Daultana’s 1st Speech in Ludone Vehari

Most of Pakistan, loves to hate a man. A man to them who is the “inventor and master of corruption”, who has supposedly “robbed” this resourceful nation blind. According to them, he is the reason for all the evils, that plague the promised land of Quaid. Simply speaking, how could someone, who is so villainous, a plunderer, who gets so much disdain, can possibly survive. There are people who are baying for his blood and utter nothing but filth about him. Subject of almost every possible and imaginable form of character assassination, ridicule and remembered in the ugliest terms of any language, spoken or understood in Pakistan.

As much as people hate and loathe him, berate and chastise him, he emerges with a smile. The other thing that irks his opponents is, with every single such instance, he never retaliates, in that fashion and disregards all the petty nonsense. OK, all the haters, abusers, you can deny all you want, but you cannot deny the following 10 things about, the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari:

1) Ever since he has taken office, he has relinquished the power of his office, rather than usurping or hoarding it.

2) He talks about supremacy of Constitution. He wants the institutions to work within their framework.

3) He is not vindictive, has not followed the politics of enmity.

4) He has tried to forge alliances with all parties across the isle to move this fragile democracy forward. His politics is based on dialogue and not dislodge.

5) AAZ is a statesman of a President. He takes decisions based on consensus of the Parliament and not his personal whims.

6) Despite his endless character assassination, he has not retaliated with low blows or other nonsense.

7) What ever he says he tries to live up to it. Case in point his recent departure to Dubai for medical reasons and his timely return as promised.
His mind is much sharper than his adversaries. He comes up surprises and ideas, that no one ever anticipates.
9) He demonstrates patience and practices that in every adversity.

10) He represents a party that strives to build a strong, collective and cohesive federation.

Now with all of this being said, is he perfect? No he is not. Has he made mistakes, Of course a lot. But the bigger question here is who hasn’t. With a year or so left in his Presidency, his recent interview on TV with GEO, has been quite an eye opener for many. Like a very famous anchor of TV tweeted that, “AAZ is the most misunderstood politician in Pakistan, and he should appear in media more often.”

Folks, people come and go. Like everyone he will too. Disagree with him all you want, but there are certain things that are undeniable and quite irrefutable. I am not a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), nor an office bearer. I am just an observer, like many of you, and I disagree with a lot of his moves. But cannot and will not be able to come up with anything, that refutes the items mentioned above.

Source: Pak Tea House

Related Article: President Asif Ali Zardari exclusive interview with Hamid Mir

کیپٹل ٹاک کے اینکر پرسن اور مقبول صحافی حامد میر نےاپنے حا لیہ کالم میں صدر آصف علی زرداری سےکٔے گۓا انٹرویو کے تناظر میں ان کی مضبوط,دلیرانہ شخصیت, پیپلز پارٹی کی جنگ گروپ سے ناراضگی اورپاکستان میں ریاستی اداروں کےدرمیان تصادم اور اس حوالے سے سیاسی مستقبل پر گفتگو فر مایٔ ہےـ

اپنے اس کالم میں وہ صدر زرداری کے آدھے سچ کی نشاندہی کرتےہوۓ, اپنے آدھے سچ بولنے کی صحافتی روایت سے منکر نہیں ہوۓـ

حامد میر صاحب نے اپنے صحافتی ادارے کا دفاع کرتے ہوۓ فرمایا ’صدر زرداری اور پیپلز پارٹی سےہماری نا راضگی کی وجہ معزول ججوںکی بحالی کی تحریک تھی‘۔

یہ دعوی۱ تاریخی حقائق سے مطابقت نہیں رکھتا؛ زوالفقار علی بھٹو کو تختہِ دار تک لا نے سے لے کر بی بی شہید کے میڈیا ٹر ائل‘ ا’ن کے خلاف کینگروں کورٹس میں پیش ہونے والی نام نہاد انوسٹی گیشن رپورٹس کی فوٹو کاپیو ں سے موجودہ جمہوری حکومت کے خلاف بد ترین مہم جویٔ: جمہوری حکومتوں سے مخاصمت کے ایک لمبی تاریخ ہے۔ پھر کسی وقت سہی۔

ہمیں یاد ہے اس حکومت کے آتے ہی سب سے پہلا حملا اسٹبلشمنٹ نے حسب روایت میڈیا سے کروایا‘ الزام یہ لگا کہ حکومت ‘جیو انگلش‘ کو لأسنس نہیں دے رہی؛ اب لوگ پوچھ رہے ‘بھٔی اب کہاں ہے چینل؟ خیر جب بات ٹیکس دینے پر پہنچی تو جمہوری حکومت کے خلاف ’جنگ‘کا ایک بار پھر آغاز ہوگیا۔

مہم جو اینکروں کے زریے جمہوری حکومت کے خلاف بدترین مہم چلایٔ گیٔ‘, پیپلز پا رٹی کی حکومت جانے کی تاریخیں دیتے رہے؛ ا’ن کے مطا بق صدر کو ایون صدرسے ایمبلینس میں جانا تھا۔ معاف کیجئےگا میر صاحب لوگ ابھی کامران خان شو اور شاھد مسحود کے ’میرے مطابق کو نہیں بھولے۔

بہر حال یہ ایک یہ ایک مثبت پیش رفت ہوگی , اگر میڈیا اپنی ماضی کی غلطیوں سے سبق سیکھتے ہوےجمہوریت کے رستے میں رکاوٹ بننے کی بجاۓسیاسی راستہ کشادہ کرتا ہے۔ اور اپنا وزن تاریخ کے اس اہم موڑ پر جمہوریت کے پلڑے میں ڈالتا ہے۔

حامد میر لکھتے ہیں, ’انکیُ حکومت بہت غیر مقبول ہے اورانتخابات میں دوبارہ اکثریت حاصل کرنا مشکل ہوگا‘۔ اس کا فیصلہ آئندہ انتخابات میں ہوگا لیکن ماضی کے انتخابی نتائج اور خاص کر ضمنی انتخابات کےنتائج کو نظر انداز کرنا, بہتر تجزیعہ نہیں۔

حامد میر نے مستقبل میںجوڈیشری اور ایگزیکٹیو کے درمیان تصادم کی جو تصویر کشی کی ہے اور جس میں انتظامیہ کو بڑا قصور وار قرار دیا گیاہے, درست نہیں ہے۔ یہی وجہ ہے کے علی احمد کرد اور عاصمہ جہانگیرجیسے لوگ عدالت کے ساتھ نہیں کھڑے۔ اور تاریخ دان لکھے گا کہ وکلا تحریک کے یہ روح رواں درست سمت میں کھڑے تھے۔

حامد میر کا کالم ذیل میں پیش خدمت ہے۔

Source: Daily Jang

وہ تختہ دار پر پیدا ہوا تھا؟

اور 4 اپریل کی درمیانی شب دو بجے 3 ذوالفقار علی بھٹو تختہ دار پر پیدا ہوا تھا۔

اس کو ہمیشہ کی زندگی عطا کرنے کی آخری تیاریاں مکمل ہوچکی تھیں۔
عدالت اعظمیٰ کے عزت مآب چیف جسٹس انوار الحق نے ایک فیصلہ صرف دس سیکنڈ میں سناتے ہوئے 6 فروری کے سپریم کورٹ کے دائمی زندگی کے فیصلے کو برقرار رکھا۔

6 فروری کو بھٹو کاتاریخ میں ہمیشہ کے لئے زندہ رہنے کا فیصلہ سپریم کورٹ کے چیف جسٹس انوار الحق نے پڑھ کر سنایا جس سے جسٹس کرم الٰہی چوہانٴ جسٹس اکرم اور جسٹس نسیم حسن شاہ نے اتفاق کیا لیکن تین ایسے جج بھی تھے جسٹس صفدر شاہٴ جسٹس دراب پٹیلٴ اور جسٹس ایم حلیم جنہوں نے اختلاف کیا کہ آج ایک شخص جنم لے گا کہ آنے والی نسلیں اس کو ہمیشہ یاد رکھیں گیà

وہ کوئی اور شخص تھا جو 5 جنوری
1929 ئ کو پیدا ہواٴ اور جس نے امریکہ اور برطانیہ کی اعلیٰ یونیورسٹیوں میں تعلیم حاصل کیٴ اور وہ جو آکسفورڈ یونیورسٹی میں قانون پڑھایا کرتا تھاٴ اور وہ شخص جس نے اپنے وقت کے ڈکٹیٹر سے اختلاف کیا اور اس کی سیاست کو ماننے سے انکار کیاٴ اور حکومت سے علیحدہ ہوکر عوام تک پہنچا۔ اس نے پاکستان کے 20 برسوں سے یرغمال انسانوں کو آزاد کرانے کی جدوجہد کا آغاز کیاٴ
وہ باغی تھاٴ وہ کیسا عجیب شخص تھاٴ وہ انقلابی تھاٴ وہ وزیراعظم بن گیاٴ اس نے عوام کو احتجاج کرنا سکھایاٴ وہ عوام کی آواز تھاٴ گہری تاریک رات میں وہ ایک تنہا آواز جو لوگوں نے سنی اور اس کو پہچان لیا کہ وہ لوگوں کو عزت اور احترام کی زندگی دینے آیا ہے۔ اس نے کمزوروں ٴ غریبوں اور مجبوروں کو اپنے پائوں پر کھڑا ہونے کی ہمت دیٴ اس نے عوام کے اندر بغاوت اور انقلاب کی آگ بھڑکا دیٴ وہ گرجتا تھا تو عوام کے دل دھڑکتے تھے۔ وہ کیسا شخص تھاٴ اس کو جنون تھا کہ وہ عوام کی زندگیاں بدل کر رکھ دے گاٴ سامراجی آقائوں کے غلاموں کو زندگی کا نیا چلن سکھائے گا۔
وہ عوام کی آواز تھا اور یہ اس کا جرم تھا۔ وہ عوام کی امید تھا یہ اس کا گناہ تھا۔ اس شخص نے یہ جرم کیا اور وہ خوش تھاٴ پرامید تھاٴ آنے والے دنوں میں لوگوں کی وہ تعبیر تھاٴ وہ صبح کا ستارا تھاٴ وہ چمکتا ہوا سورج تھا۔

ایک مستبد اور جابر ڈکٹیٹر کو اس کی یہ ادا پسند نہ آئیٴ اس نے دیکھا کہ لوگ اس کے لئے اپنی جانیں قربان کرنے کے لئے تیار ہیںٴ ڈکٹیٹر بوکھلا گیاٴ اس نے عجلت میں کہ کہیں عوامی بغاوت نہ پھوٹ پڑےٴ اس کو زندان میں ڈال کر عدل و انصاف کا سٹیج تیار کیا۔ عدالت اعظمیٰ میں بڑے بڑے ججوں نے اس کے مقدمے کی سماعت کی۔
مولانا ابو الکلام آزاد نے کہا تھا کہٴٴ دنیا کی تاریخ میں سب سے بڑی نا انصافیاںٴٴ

جنگوں کے میدانوں میں اور عدالتوں کے ایوانوں میں کی گئی ہیں۔

ذوالفقار علی بھٹو جانتا تھاٴ کہ وہ جسم میں زندہ رہ سکتا ہے لیکن اس نے تاریخ میں زندہ رہنے کو پسند کیا۔ انقلابیٴ باغی اور عوامی لیڈر اپنی پسندٴ اور اپنی مرضی سے زندہ رہتے ہیںٴ انہیں خوب راس آتی ہیں جیل کی تنہائیاںٴ جیل کی اذیتیںٴ اور ان کی راتیں جاگ کر گزرتی ہیںٴ عوام کے دکھوں کو وہ دن بھر محسوس کرکے سلاخوں کے پیچھے سے آسمانوں کو دیکھتے ہوئے وہ جانتے ہیں کہ زندگی اور موت کے کوئی معنی نہیں ہیںٴ وہ ایک ایسی زندگی گزارنا چاہتے ہیں جو موت کی بانہوں میں ہوٴ وہ اپنے عمل سے زندگی اور موت کا مفہوم اور مقصد طے کرتے ہیں۔

3 اور 4 اپریل کی درمیانی شب کو ذوالفقار علی بھٹو پیدا ہوا۔

27 دسمبر کی شام کو بے نظیر نے جنم لیا۔
20 ستمبر کو ایک سڑک پر خون میں لت پت مرتضیٰ بھٹو نے آنکھیں کھول کر مردہ لوگوں پر ایک نگاہ ڈالی۔
18 جولائی کو 27 سالہ شاہنواز بھٹو کی بے یارو مدد گار میت سے ایک نوجوان نے اپنے بابا کو پکارا اور دائمی زندگی حاصل کی۔

گڑھی خدا بخش کا فاصلہ کربلا کے میدان سے صرف چند لمحوں میں طے ہوتا ہے۔ صحراٴ تپتی ہوئی ریتٴ تیز دھوپ میں جلتے ہوئے خیمےٴ اور اپنے جسموں کے نذرانے پیش کرنے والوں کا مقابلہ کون کرسکتا ہےٴ کوئی تلوارٴ کوئی نیزہٴ کوئی بندوقٴ پھانسی کا کوئی پھندہ انہیں صرف ہمیشہ زندہ رہنے کا حوصلہ اور ہمت عطا کرتا ہے۔

زندہ لوگوں میں کتنے ہزاروں اور لاکھوں لوگ ہیں جو مرچکے ہیںٴ اپنے لئے زندہ رہنے والے ساری زندگی اپنی ہی لاش کو اٹھائے پھرتے ہیں اور وہ جو دوسروں کے لئے اپنی جان قربان کردیتے ہیں وہ گڑھی خدا بخش میں رہتے ہیں۔

کیسا گھر ہےٴ اور ذرا اس گھر کے مکینوں کو دیکھوٴ ایک ہی صف میں قطار اندر قطار اپنے اپنے گھروں میں کیسے سکون اطمینان اور خاموشی سے زندگی گزار رہے ہیں کہ وہ جو دربدر ہیںٴ اور جنہیں زندہ رہنے کی سزا ملی ہے۔ اور وہ جو حرف انکار کہنے کی جرات کرتے ہیںٴ وہ جو زندان میں ہیںٴ اور وہ جنہیں زنجیریں پہنائی گئیں
۔
اور وہ جنہیں ایک بار پھر کڑی آزمائش سے گزارنے کی تیاریاں شروع ہوچکی ہیںٴ ان کے سینوں میں بغاوت کے علم روشن ہیںٴ وہ گڑھی خدا بخش سے چاروں اطراف پھیلنے والی ہوائوں پر لکھے ہوئے اس شخص کا پیغام پڑھ رہی ہیں جو 3 اور 4 اپریل کی درمیانی شب پنڈی کی ایک جیل میں تختہ دار پر پیدا ہوا تھا؟

Source: Daily Mashriq Lahore

Source: Daily Express News

“The High Seas are free for all” – with this intrepid avowal, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto spoke for mankind at an International Conference in Geneva in March, 1958. Bhutto emerged on the world stage as Leader of the Pakistan Delegation to the UN in 1959.  To muster the support for Kashmir issue he successfully toured China, Britain, Egypt and Ireland.  He also held a series of talks with the Indian Foreign Minister Swaran Singh.    He was appointed Foreign Minister in 1963 and remained at that post until his resignation in June 1966. Bhutto made ineffaceable indentations on world community by his inimitable oratorical skills in United Nation’s General Assembly and the Security Council. He had the vision to build a strategic relationship with China at a time when it was isolated.  Zulfikar Ali Bhutto believed in an independent Foreign Policy which had hitherto been the hand maiden of the Western Powers.  During his tenure as Foreign Minister, Pakistan and Iran cemented a special relationship.  His opposition to the Tashkent accord between India and Pakistan led to his resignation from the government, as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto believed in a Foreign Policy of bilateralism in which no state would be entitled to interfere in Pakistan’s relations with other states.

 The anecdote of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s accomplishments is certainly too protracted. However, evoking his surfacing as “the leader of the people of Pakistan” – “Quaid e Awaam” can absorb oceans of ink. His historical struggle against the vicious government of Ayub Khan merits recognition. Indeed, it was only Pakistan Peoples Party, which managed to bring the politics to the chalets of the deprived and granted them a say in the affairs of the state. The very manifesto of the party glimmers and outshines, till the very day, and stands for perpetuity.

After the fall of Dhaka on December 16, 1971, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto lucratively placed the derailed nation back on the track by renovating national institutions. Formed in 1947, the state had failed to pass an effectual and undisputed statute even after three decades of its establishment.  Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s lasting achievement was the unanimous adoption of the Constitution in 1973.  He established the  Pakistan Steel Mills, Heavy Mechanical Complex Taxila,  Port Qasim Authority, Quaid-e-Azam University, Allama Iqbal Open University, Karachi Nuclear Power Plant; thus,  invigorating the  prosperity, integrity and security of Pakistan.  Using his familiarity as Foreign Minister, Bhutto cemented Pakistan’s relation with Afro-Asian and Islamic countries and by 1976 had emerged as the Leader of the Third World.

Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the initiator of Pakistan’s nuclear programme. Even a layman is aware of what he so eminently nattered: “We will eat grass and make a bomb”. The Karachi Nuclear Power Plant was inaugurated by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as President of Pakistan at the end of 1972 but long before, as Minister for Fuel, Power and National Resources, he has played a key role in setting up of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. The Kahuta facility was also established by Bhutto. Under his guidance and leadership, Pakistan developed into the unique Muslim State with a nuclear capability for which he paid with his life.  In his book “If I am assassinated” written from the Death Cell, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto revealed how Kissinger had said “We will make an example of you”. 

The Pakistan People’s Party won the elections held in 1977 with a large majority; but the conspirators soon joined hands with Zia ul Haq at the behest of foreign powers who feared Bhutto’s capacity of uniting the Third World countries and sought to punish him for developing Pakistan’s nuclear capacity, and imposed Martial Law upon the country on 5th July, 1977. Soon afterwards, Bhutto was arrested and on 18th March, 1978, was sentenced to death in a politically motivated murder trial. The majority of original Court was for acquittal but was whittled down to a 4-3 verdict by the retirement of two judges.   Despite appeals of clemency from several world leaders, Bhutto was executed on 4th April, 1979 – one of the worst examples of the judiciary, committing a murder!

Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the leader of the masses, and could sense the soreness of the demoralized slice of the public. He left behind the apparition of Pakistan, free from starvation, paucity, illiteracy, bigotry and radicalism. In his assassination, the third world was deprived of its idol – one, who could undauntedly speak for the just. Nevertheless, he did leave behind an undying bequest in the form of Pakistan Peoples Party and billions of adherents worldwide. Bhutto’s visualization would always remain the PPP’s undertaking and the flag bearers of the Pakistan Peoples Party have always given their blood to escort this dream to materialisation. Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is the voice of the awaam, he is immortal – the soil of Garhi Khuda Bux does provide the proof.
Shaheed Bhutto’s history doesn’t necessitate to be quoted on documents or stated in the verdicts of the courts – it is engraved too intensely on the soil, for which he and thousands of his disciples laid down their lives.

Jab Tak Souraj Chand Rehay Ga,
Bhutto Tera Naam Rehay Ga!

Happy Birthday, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto! You live on with us, for “To live in the hearts of those you leave behind is not to die”…