Pity the nation that demands justice for all

but is agitated when justice hurts its political loyalty.

This is part of a long addition Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa made to Khalil Gibran’s Pity the Nation in a six page additional note that was released with the detailed verdict in Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s contempt case.

Justice Khosa, who was part of the seven-member bench that had announced the verdict, says that he is in ‘respectful agreement’ with the proposed judgement authored by Justice Nasirul Mulk.

In a six page addition that he makes to the 77 page detailed verdict, Justice Khosa quotes Khalil Gibran and with “an apology” makes a 321 word addition to Pity the Nation.

He says that Gilani’s conduct in the case is indicative of a bigger malady, one which if not checked or cured may “overwhelm or engulf all of us as a nation.”

Justice Khosa then goes on to quote an extract from For Whom the Bell Tolls by John Donne

Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

Power to the people

Justice Khosa said the ultimate ownership and power of the Constitution, all organs and institutions created under it lies with the people, going on to quote the preamble of the 1973 Constitution:

We, the people of Pakistan ——- Do hereby, through our representatives in the National Assembly, adopt, enact and give to ourselves, this Constitution.

Justice Khosa said that the power to punish a person for contempt of court is also with the people, and through the Constitution they have “entrusted or delegated” this power to the courts.

Emphasising on the power held by the people, Justice Khosa said that in a situation where the executive is bent on defying a judicial verdict and is ready to go to any limit in defiance, it is the responsibility of the people to stand up and defend the Constitution and all organs and institutions to deal with the delinquent appropriately.

It shall simply be naïve to underestimate the power of the people in matters concerning enforcement of their will. The recent phenomenon known as the Arab Spring is too fresh to be ignored or forgotten.

Justice Khosa further cites the example of former president Pervez Musharraf to talk about the power held by the people. He says that Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had refused to obey “unconstitutional dictates” of Musharraf, who had held quite a few divisions. But it was the chief justice who had emerged victorious with the help of the people.

I am not too sure as to how many divisions would a population of over 180 million make!

Collective damnation

Bleak words end the six page additional note. In the conviction of Gilani, says Justice Khosa, lies our collective damnation.

He said Justice Mulk’s order is a step in the right direction as, “It kindles a flame of hope for a future for our nation which may establish a just and fair order, an order wherein the law rules and all citizens are equal before the law.”

The full version of Justice Khosa’s addition to Pity the Nation is below:

Pity the nation that achieves nationhood in the name of a religion

but pays little heed to truth, righteousness and accountability

which are the essence of every religion.

Pity the nation that proclaims democracy as its polity

but restricts it to queuing up for casting of ballots only

and discourages democratic values.

Pity the nation that measures honour with success

and respect with authority,

that despises sublime and cherishes mundane,

that treats a criminal as a hero and considers civility as weakness

and that deems a sage a fool and venerates the wicked.

Pity the nation that adopts a Constitution

but allows political interests to outweigh constitutional diktat.

Pity the nation that demands justice for all

but is agitated when justice hurts its political loyalty.

Pity the nation whose servants treat their solemn oaths

as nothing more than a formality before entering upon an office.

Pity the nation that elects a leader as a redeemer

but expects him to bend every law to favour his benefactors.

Pity the nation whose leaders seek martyrdom

through disobeying the law

than giving sacrifices for the glory of law

and who see no shame in crime.

Pity the nation that is led by those

who laugh at the law

little realizing that the law shall have the last laugh.

Pity the nation that launches a movement for rule of law

but cries foul when the law is applied against its bigwig,

that reads judicial verdicts through political glasses

and that permits skills of advocacy to be practised

more vigorously outside the courtroom than inside.

Pity the nation that punishes its weak and poor

but is shy of bringing its high and mighty to book.

Pity the nation that clamours for equality before law

but has selective justice close to its heart.

Pity the nation that thinks from its heart

and not from its head.

Indeed, pity the nation

that does not discern villainy from nobility.

ISLAMABAD: Hours after Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif warned  Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to step down or face a protest movement, all hell broke loose in the National Assembly as the opposition benches raised slogans and disrupted the session.

MNAs from PML-N had arrived in the National Assembly wearing black armbands as a sign of protest against Gilani, who has repeatedly refused their calls to step down on account of his conviction by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a contempt case.

Members of PML-N went straight to sloganeering after the recitation of the Holy Quran, disrupting the question and answer session. The MNAs were seen holding up placards that said ‘Go Gilani Go’, ‘We want freedom’ and ‘Respect the judiciary’.

They also tore up booklets and threw them towards the front of the assembly.

So loud was the ruckus created by PML-N MNAs, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain failed to start the question and answer session due to the noise in the assembly.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi was forced to adjourn the session till Wednesday.

The parliamentary committee of PML-N had earlier met under the chairmanship of Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar to devise a strategy for their protest against Gilani’s refusal to step down as prime minister.

During an earlier session, PML-N MNAs had threatened that they would not let Gilani sit on his chair in the assembly, but had walked out in protest instead.

The PML-N has repeatedly called for Gilani to step down as prime minister since the Supreme Court of Pakistan convicted him in a contempt of court case after he refused to write a letter to Swiss authorities, asking that cases against President Asif Ali Zardari be reopened.

The largest opposition party – PML-N – has already announced it would continue to force the ruling PPP to nominate a new prime minister.

KARACHI: If God exists, why do good people suffer? Did Man create God or did God create Man? Can suffering eradicate, or strengthen faith? Questions like these were raised at the book launch session of The Terror of God: Attar, Job and the Metaphysical Revolt by Islamic scholar Navid Kermani, moderated by Samina Qureshi at the second day of the Karachi Literature Festival on Sunday.

Kermani was quick to point out that throughout history people had dealt with why God let people suffer by either justifying or negating His existence, but there were also those who quarrelled with Him. This, he said, was the central motive behind a lot of mystical literature in both Islam and Judaism.

Attar’s The Book of Suffering was the most radical way of questioning God on human suffering. Kermani pointed out that the “prophets and fools” in Attar’s book had expected God to act like a god, so they quarrelled with Him and believed in Him at the same time.

The session was quick to move into interaction with the audience after a brief introduction by the author. Most of the questions focused on the existence and qualities of God and each time Kermani was quick to point out that he was a scholar, and therefore his role was not to give solutions but to raise questions.

One of the attendees questioned Kermani on if it was Man who created God or the other way around. The author said that he was no one to say who created who and it was up to everyone else to find the solution themselves. Kermani said that by writing on human suffering and quarrelling with God, he had put his finger on a forgotten chapter of Islamic literature. He said that these were things that were no longer discussed and were a “forgotten motive.”

Cultures throughout history had been strongest when they were self-critical of themselves and questions were being raised. If you look at Islamic literature, critique, including that of God, can be found everywhere, but none of it can be found today. “I speak about Iran but this can also be translated to Pakistan,” he said.

Kermani said that there was no more questioning of authority today. Questioning made religions strong and if the questioning was internal, it would make it stronger. “The way of thinking today is not the way of Islamic tradition, which is much more open and complicated than it is portrayed today.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2012.

KARACHI: Walking into a session on Balochistan, one would expect a discussion and questions on human rights violations, separatist talk and where the government is going wrong. But the session titled ‘Songs of the Falcon: Balochistan’ at the second day of the Karachi Literature Festival on Sunday was anything but that. In fact, it was a talk on the cultural diversity and brief history of the province, and quite dull if summarised into one word.

Named after a short story by Russian author Maxim Gorky, the session was moderated by author and political commentator Dr Rasul Baksh Rais, who spent more than 15 minutes with the introduction and presenting the first question to the panel of Naheed Azfar, Zobaida Jalal and Yaqoob Bangash.

Jalal, who was the education minister during Pervez Musharraf’s tenure, focused more on personal accounts for her answers. Her answers therefore drew on the Makran region, where she comes from, and even when it came to discussing civil society, she chose to mention the construction of a school by her family and how Balochistan focused more on community-based organisation.

Naheed Azfar’s talk on the other hand was more focused on the cultural side of the province, differences in dress, jewellry and a personal account of Baloch hospitality, which left a section of the audience clapping and cheering. This obviously wasn’t very interesting for Bangash, who was seen yawning on stage during one of her answers.

As it turned out, Yaqoob Bangash was a lot more engaging and interesting than the other two panellists – he did exactly what he was good at: give a history lesson to the audience.  Perhaps if the organisers had chosen Bangash to moderate the session, it would have gone differently.

His ‘lesson’ focused more on the history of British Balochistan, the state of Kalat and Baloch tribes existing in both Balochistan and Sindh (mention of the Zardari tribe also being Baloch had Jalal smirking on stage).

Bangash said that it was important to understand the diversity of the province and engage with it, a creation of a state that can hold together. “The reason we don’t understand Balochistan is because we don’t understand what is going on there.”

He was quick to point out that the problem lay with not honouring the Baloch. “You have to engage and honour them, admit past mistakes and tell them that we want you to remain with Pakistan… they will get on board.” Thus, the Baloch will become a part of a national discourse if they are given the opportunity. Probably the most interesting part of the session was not Bangash’s history lesson, but an angry gentleman from the audience who pointed out that the historian was wrong in presenting the geographical history of the province and that the people who knew Balochistan were not being given their rights. The gentleman also directed his ‘mild rage’ towards Jalal, stating that language was a cultural expression of the province and she had not even given its people the right to learn in their mother tongue during her tenure.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2012.

LAHORE: One of the owners of the pharmaceutical companies, against whom cases were registered for manufacturing substandard drugs in light of the deaths as a result of a ‘mystery’ disease, has said that the case was a result of mismanagement as the issue had come up at one hospital only.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered cases against three pharmaceutical laboratories and arrested their owners for manufacturing substandard drugs. FIA’s Punjab chapter swung into action on the orders of Interior Minister Rehman Malik and registered cases against three firms – Alfalah Pharma (Pvt) Limited, Mega Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Limited and Pharmawise Laboratories (Pvt) Limited – on the complaints of federal drug inspectors.

The owner, while speaking to the media, said his company had been supplying the medicine to a number of hospitals and that it had been ‘ill-prescribed’ in this case. He said that a dengue patient already has low blood platelet count and the doctors should make sure that they check the patient’s history before administering the medicines.

Answering a question if this was all a conspiracy, he said that there was a possibility that this was propaganda from multinational companies to suppress the local industry.

He said he accused the doctors, staff at PIC and those prescribing the medicines for the entire episode.

Another owner said that the booklet inside the medicine box clearly stated that the medicine was used for blood-thinning and that it was up to the doctor to decide the intake.

Death toll rises

At least 73 people have died after reacting to a free medicine from the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Express News reported on Tuesday. The government of Punjab has claimed that only 28 have died of the reaction so far.

More than 300 patients are reported to be under treatment at different hospitals in Lahore, out of which 226 patients are at the Services Hospital.

Official response

Confusion abounds in official circles on the death toll.

Principal of the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), which is affiliated with the Services Hospital, said at a press conference that 36 people had died. In the same conference, the health secretary put the toll at 27.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also visited Jinnah Hospital and told reporters that he will take ‘stern action’ against those responsible for the incident. He said an investigation was being carried out and culprits will be brought to task soon but did not give a timeframe.

The CM also ordered the demotion of Services Hospital’s medical superintendent to an officer on special duty.

Compensation worth Rs0.5 million for the victims, while Rs0.2 million for the under-treatment victims, was announced by Shahbaz Sharif on this occasion.

Former Governor Salmaan Taseer was never short of words, be it for his political opponents, militants and extremists, Indians interacting with him or just regular people on Twitter looking to pick a fight.

Taseer joined Twitter on October 6, 2009. His initial tweets focused more on the former governor’s daily agenda and self-promotion, but this later branched into hitting back at political opponents (specifically the Sharif brothers) and commenting on a host of other issues.

On the politics front, Taseer never missed a chance to take a jab at the Sharif brothers and the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), and was also an early critic of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan.

Taseer was also fond of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and would tweet about the sacrifices he made for the PPP during General Ziaul Haq’s tenure and also about slain party leader Benazir Bhutto.

He was also a vocal critic of the Indian Army in Kashmir and would equate its presence to the actions of Israeli forces in Palestine.

The following list of select Twitter updates from the late governor’s profile encompass his online political persona.

(Tweets have been proofread for readability)

TASEER BASHES THE PML-N

• MQM in Punjab? Excellent all parties should go national.
• I only wish PML N could get off the GT road and go national.
• In May I will complete 2yrs as Governor Punjab. Please send your flowers gifts etc to Raiwind to thank the Sharifs for their love and support.
• Noting with concern the Sharifs are only paying rs5000 per month tax. I have asked for them to be included in the Benazir Income Support Program.
• Let the Sharifs teach the UK Conservative Party the method of coalitions aka lota’s and forward blocks.
• I heard CM Punjab has joined Twitter after my debut. Imitation is the sincere form of flattery, bare mian to bare mian, chote mian subhanallah
• Like a newly married wife doesn’t take her husband’s name PML N refuses to say TALIBAN.
• I need input what sharmili dulhan PML N should call Taliban. Tweeters have suggested MERE VO or MUNE KE ABU etc…
• I’m writing to WWF to replace Panda as symbol of endangered species with Nawaz Sharif! In the political jungle he’s become extinct.
• News item today the US Govt wants to buy Governors House. I think the PML N govt will sell it for $1 provided they take the Governor with it.
• Nawaz Sharif and George Bush have degrees. Jomo Kenyatta and Mao ze Tung had no degrees. Form your opinion!
• After a long time PML N has come out Number one for the first time? Topped the list of fake degrees holders by a long way. Mubarik Chote bare Mian
• Initially I was targeted by PMLN, Islamic fundo hate groups etc. Now it’s Hindu lunatics RSS and Pak haters. I must b doing something right!
• Another Muslim League! PML N< nincompoops Q< qalabaz F < no marks 4 guessing. One has a sher now Shaheen next should have a rat!
• It’s comforting that anti Bhutto forces are led by Nawaz Sharif. If someone with brains was in that position we could face real problems!
• Shabaz Sharif threatens ANOTHER long march. If he can walk unaided from his new house in model town to Raiwind I’ll resign as Governor!
• Interviewing with Najam Sethi CM Shahbaz said Governor “honest good person”. Sethi “Govnor Punjab?” CM “no governor SBP!” I was shattered.

TASEER ON THE PPP/GOVERNMENT

• Vo jo karz rakhte th jan par vo hisab aj chuka diya… PPP gave the 1973 Constitution and now PPP gives the 18th historical Amendment.
• 18 Tarameem ka matlab hai 2018 tak Zaradari rehay ga!
• Told Bangladesh press delegation that by releasing Mujibur Rehman in 1971, Bhutto saved Pakistan from ignominy and shame.
• In politics there is no ultimate power and no ultimate defeat… 18th Amendment is good for the evolution of power… it is a victory for Pakistan.
• Signing of 18th Amendment by the President was a historic moment. Some people looked sad! Jahan shehnai bajti hae vahan matam bhi hota hae.
• Ranj se khoogar hua insaan tu mth jata hae ranj…Mushkelein itne pari mujh par ke ahsaan ho gayen
• The great Bhutto quoted that Ghalib sher before his judicial murderers in the Supreme Court.
• Like 1973 constitution what PPP sows is RAPED by others. This time Inshallah PPP will again be in power 2017.
• Perhaps UK Conservative Party should take advice from PPP as to how form a government with a hung Parliament.
• Of BB’s political life of 30 years she was in office 5 years only. Ironically she is more powerful in death than in her life as an icon visionary.
• I started my political career with Bibi witnessed the poisonous attacks on the Bhutto’s. Today they are the symbol of the federation of Pakistan.

TASEER ON IMRAN KHAN

• Imran Khan says he can solve Pakistan’s Problems in 90 days: terrorism, power, population growth water etc. What about Imran? Who is going to solve that?
• People messaged me Imran Khan must be given a chance. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for Pakistan it requires 173 seats in the NA. Thank God for democracy.
• Does this mean we will never be a welfare state! RT @ImranKhanPTI vows to make #Pakistan ‘welfare state if PTI comes to power.
• Imran Khan and Sarah Palin is a match made in heaven.

TASEER ON INDIA

• I’m always amazed to see how eager to believe Pakistanis are when there is anything negative about their country unlike Indians who cover up.
• The killing fields of Kashmir have overtaken Palestine. Under the cloak of shining India is a brutal story of murder, rape and suppression.
• The Indian occupation of Kashmir is an exact parallel of the Israelis in Gaza. Same tactics, same brutality.

TASEER ON THE ARMY/MILITANCY

• It is a time to stand up for Pakistan. I do not fear the terrorists. Never give in.
• Wants all Pakistani’s to stand firm behind the army and support your troops. A united Pakistan under one flag.
• How can the ISI aid Taliban who are killing Pakistani troops ? Irresponsible selective WikiLeaks are poison.
• I’m not a conspiracy believer but there are shadowy spook agencies that cannot see Pakistan as an Islamic moderate democratic nuclear success story.

OTHER POLITICAL VIEWS

• Police beating doctors… Doctors beating media… Media beating lawyers… Lawyers beating police……….. Circle complete!
• Knowledge can only thrive in a liberal atmosphere!
• Pakistan has been raped by the so called educated, not illiterates. So why do MPs need to be graduates?
• I have taken leave from the affairs of state to master by new iPad. Who says politicians cannot be techies?
• I was driving today without security talking on the phone and a policeman challaned me. I had to explain I have constitutional immunity!
• Legally the governor as constitutional head of province CANNOT be charged for anything including murder! My family is never excused they pay.
• Other than me which governors, Ministers,CJP, President, PM, Chief ministers etc are on Twitter and listening to the people?
• Bullet proof car being purchased for protocol use by governor house. Not by me I drive my own car, live in my own house and pay my own utilities.
• The existing car is 16 yrs old. Representing the Federal government I have to host Presidents international visitors. So can we stop the BS?
• Next time the Turkish president comes I’ll drive him around on a motorbike and if Hakimullah knocks him off we can tell the world we are too poor.
• Nothing in the Constitution prohibits a Governor from being member of a political party. So-called Non-political governors turn out the worst.
• A politician’s personal spending habits are his business as long as he is not stealing from the Government. I know many frugal thieves – we are not Ghandi.
• Nobody has accused me of a fake degree. NRO safe passage, bank default, tax fraud. Kya baat hae? Maza nahin a raha. I’m feeling left out!
• A judicial coup cannot work in Pakistan. The only formula is democracy, democracy and more democracy.
• The best thing about the APML (2) is that both their leaders Chaudhry Shujaat and Pir Pagaro can’t speak.
• One thing is clear from WikiLeaks – that elected persons with peoples mandate don’t run Pakistan. Makes elections pointless.
• Corruption! I believe rich and wealthy are more susceptible to greed than the poor.
• It is the rich educated and privileged who have destroyed Pakistan, not the poor illiterate and dispossessed.

In today’s episode of the Tribune Take, we take a look at the recent attacks on franchises of telecommunication companies in Karachi.

Salman Siddiqui, Investigative Reporter for The Express Tribune, says that officials looking into the matter are baffled and have not been able to determine who could be the motive behind these attacks. He says no demands or claims for the attacks have come forward as yet.

Siddiqui says investigators were earlier convinced that a militant organisation could be behind the first attack, but after the recent attack on a local company there is a possibility that extortionists might be involved.

Read Salman Siddiqui’s articles here.

Follow Salman Siddiqui on Twitter.

The Tribune Take daily news web show will appear on the tribune.com.pk home page.

The Take will feature in-depth interviews and analysis with editors and reporters who are covering the major stories, exploring front page events and major ledes. The news analysis covers the way The Express Tribune examines a story, how we cover it and why.

In today’s episode of the Tribune Take, we take a look at some of the major events that took place around the world during 2011 and how they will define 2012.

Zarrar Khuhro, Editor of T-Magazine, does a roundup of some events that are expected to take place in the new year, including the United States (US) presidential elections. He says events in 2011 will develop and culminate into new pardigms in 2012 across the globe.

Khuhro says 2012 will see the continued rise of the right-wing, not just in the United States (US), but also in Europe and the Middle East.

Read Zarrar Khuhro’s articles here.

The Tribune Take daily news web show will appear on the tribune.com.pk home page.

The Take will feature in-depth interviews and analysis with editors and reporters who are covering the major stories, exploring front page events and major ledes. The news analysis covers the way The Express Tribune examines a story, how we cover it and why.

In today’s episode of the Tribune Take, we take a look at the issues the transgender community in Pakistan faces and how they are progressing.

Samia Saleem, The Express Tribune reporter in Karachi, says that Shahana Abbas Shani’s decision to contest elections is a great step in terms of rights for the transgender community in Pakistan.

She says that  the community has started to stand up for their own rights and are now taking steps to safeguard their own interests.

Shahana Abbas Shani, President of She-male Association, had earlier announced that she will contest elections as an independent candidate for Muzaffargarh PP-254 constituency of the provincial assembly. Shani had said that she had made this decision because she wanted to discuss problems faced by her community in the assembly.

Read Samia Saleem’s articles here.

The Tribune Take daily news web show will appear on the tribune.com.pk home page.

The Take will feature in-depth interviews and analysis with editors and reporters who are covering the major stories, exploring front page events and major ledes. The news analysis covers the way The Express Tribune examines a story, how we cover it and why.

Taking a look back across 2011, there is no doubt that Pakistan has been through a tumultuous year.

The stories below represent some of the top news articles that featured in 2011 based on both reader interest on The Express Tribune website, and overall news value.

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Note: This round-up is not exhaustive of all important events in 2011. Additionally, it does not include opeds or blogs.