Pakistan

Zardari in Karachi: ‘This is an ideological war’

'Killing a manifestation of the continuity of the same 'mindset' which had murdered Zulfikhar A Bhutto and...

Hafeez Tunio March 03, 2011

KARACHI: Condemning murder of federal Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Wednesday that the killing was a manifestation of the continuity of the same ‘mindset’ which had assassinated Pakistan Peoples Party founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

Addressing legislators of the Sindh Assembly at Bilawal House, he said that terrorists wanted to ‘defame’ Pakistan by committing such crimes and wrongly portray Pakistan as an ‘intolerant’ country. “But we will continue Shahbaz Bhatti’s mission by electing one of his family members on his seat,” he said.

The meeting was initially called to review progress made by PPP MPAs, but later it was converted into a condolence meeting.

The president said that they were ready to render sacrifices to save the country and would not surrender before terrorists. “This is an ideological war. We should try to develop a soft image of Pakistan,” he said.

Sources privy to the meeting said that the president directed MPAs who had severely criticised the Sharif brothers during a Sindh Assembly session a few days ago to ‘avoid’ what he termed ‘unparliamentary’ attitude.

During the 30-minute speech, the president talked about Bhatti, the party’s reconciliation policy and terrorism, besides briefing about his visits to Japan and the US.

Sources said that the president said that although Nawaz League had backtracked in Punjab, the PPP was still adhering to its reconciliation policy.

Former adviser Sharmila Farooqui briefed reporters about the meeting.

Earlier, President Zardari telephoned Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain. Sources said that both sides discussed petrol prices. The president assured the MQM leader that their concerns would be addressed. An MQM delegation is also likely to meet the federal finance minister.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2011.

COMMENTS (13)

mohammad khan | 13 years ago | Reply It is utterly shocking for any sane Pakistani to see these killings in the name of our religion by Muslims. These murderers and their supporters have done more damage to Islam than any enemies of Islam could ever do and by appeasement to these murderer and hate mongers our religion is under greatest threat. there is no concept of conservatism and liberalism in Islam ALLAH SWT tells us about the sacredness of life in Quran that one who kills one life he is killed entire humanity the one who saved one life has saved all humanity our Prophet SAW showed us his tolerance when he prayed for people of Taif after they injured him. Our Prophet signed a covenant with the Christians for their safety for all times to come. The Christian countries where millions of Muslim are living have more freedom to practice Islam than in their own Muslim countries and are free to spread Islam. I belong to the in side of the Lahore city I know how emotional we are when it comes to the religion matters and I know how suicidal it would be for any body let alone a Christian to utter any insult to our Prophet SAW or to Quran people will tear that person apart on the spot no question of waiting to file police report and letting the courts decide the fate of that person. But this blasphemy law was made not protect our religion it has become a tool to harass the minorities any one can for personal animosity can register a case under this law. This is man made law it is being abused we need to have nation wide campaign to save Islam and take our religion back from these enemies of Islam. Till the late 70’s I never saw this kind intolerance in our nation the Islam became the fastest growing religion in the world the only way the enemies of Islam could stop this spread was to attach these murderers and hate mongers and intolerant element to hijack Islam and we Muslims just never saw it coming.

Realist | 13 years ago | Reply All of you who are so much disturbed by "Islamic republic of Pakistan" are free to leave.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

mohammad khan | 13 years ago | Reply My Pakistani brothers and sisters this is the gravest moment in our country’s history let us become one nation under one GOD ALMIGHTY to protect our mother land GOD ALMIGHTY had given the greatest gift to Pakistanis a Land which on one side had the worlds greatest peeks and on the other side the most beautiful Beaches but due to the blind leadership and corruption in every wing of our state machinery and self-serving attitude of the elite society we have become Banana republic and failed state Our country is facing the greatest danger since its creation and it is in the most vulnerable situation right now. The world has gone in hand of corporate feudalism and the world powers have adopted fascist policies under mask of democracy and cornering the entire world’s wealth in few hand is the ultimate goal and that is the new world order since Muslim courtiers are sitting on these resources how do we get total hegemony on these assets Pakistan and Afghanistan are part of this equation the Baluchistan and Afghanistan are sitting on enormous amount of wealth in untapped resources and since they are unable to attack Pakistan from outside because of our nuclear deterrent then plan b is to disintegrate us from inside. Fanning of provincialism TTP/Al-Qaida/ sectarian killings/ Target killings/ are all part of that planning. With vision less leaders and corrupt elite society this has become very possible and the latest statement of PM Gilani about Baluchistan is the proof of that and once the country is broken in 4 parts they can take care of all the warheads. And then attach Baluchistan with Afghanistan so they will have one of the most resource rich area with its own port of Guawader thus have control of warm waters and the straight of Hormez. And there goes our strategic importance. Our real asset is not our location but our human resource and this asset we have turned in to a threat against the state by totally neglecting it. Just see our children standing around garbage dumps trying to salvage some thing of value and we pass them by in our millions of rupees cars without blinking an eye. I have never seen such a disconnect between the haves and have not’s. we created these extremist organizations to capitalize on this asset of mass of illiterate young people to make them mujahedeen to topple soviet union in Afghanistan and then utilities them for Kashmiri struggle and now these extremist organizations have come back to hunt us. Murder of salman tasseer and shahbaz bhatti is example of that. The corporate feudalist lords and the enemies of Pakistan and Islam saw a ripe opportunity to capitalize on them by funding them and these extremist terrorist organizations actions are being attached with Islam and Pakistan to achieve their goals. And now well organized propaganda by the media has been leashed against Pakistan by associating it with terrorist acts all this is being done to shape their own public opinion since this blue print is designed by so called greatest Democracies and the public opinion matters to them. We need to wake up and do something about this before it is too late. The Government and media should start Mass campaign to make our public aware of this plan and unite our country. This is the need of the hour. Let us not bicker with each other at this moment because our country needs our 100% attention and concentration on war like footing to address this situation. Establish government of the people by the people for the people take away all vip privileges of this corrupt elite society and address grievances of people of every province which is going to be poverty, poverty, poverty, there is no easy solution to this Hugh problem but the education is the only solution the inflation and unaffordable daily essential food prices has broken the back of a common man we need to provide cheap energy reliance on war like footing this is death and life issue for our industry our agriculture every segment of our national security and the answer lies in nuclear power plants. We need to start country wide campaign of importance of tolerance and sacredness of life according to Quran and the sunnah of prophet SAW and eliminate the hate mongers leaders from our society. we need to reduce defense spending our economy can not afford this kind of defense budget we have nuclear deterrent and we don’t have any offensive motives this saved money from defense can be allocated to the education budget after high school it should be mandatory to serve in the army so we have a large reserve but small standing army and start real accountability from the top to recover all written off loans and the looted money and payback our national debt so we can stop taking dictation from the lenders bring the entire income under tax regardless if it is from agriculture or industry provide free education to every child and take the first step towards making a citizen. And develop understanding the like which exists between Spain and France over Andorra. We need some thing like that on Kashmir with India. And I pray may Allah SWT save our Country.

Sahazada Malik Zahid Mahmoud Loan | 13 years ago | Reply The law of blasphemy is good for the country and we should neither attempt to amend or abolish it. The reasons are obvious, as to why it should be left as it is, since it brings harmony to the country - they have it in Britain, it works. It... is the application of the law and the support of the terrorists by the CIA/MOSSAD and the Indian terror agencies that are causing the killing. No Muslim is allowed or would kill - the religious Ulema could never condone taking of life - unlike the Pope, The Anglican Bishops. They had consistently maintained a defeaning silence when the Muslims in Bosnia and Chechnya were slaughtered by their crusading armies. It is stupid and highly dangerous to put the blame for the killing on the Madrassas or the religious organisations since they are the only one that provides relief to the poor in Pakistan. These so called Liberals in Pakistan are supporters of the West in disguise - they want to implement the Christian agenda in the state that was created to protect the Muslims from the cruelties and bigotries of the Hindus - look at the state of the Muslims in India today, there should be no doubt after the sentencing of 11 innocent Muslims to death by an Indian court. Mr 10 per cent Zardari need to be careful about what he say since he is the one person that is responsible for the killings of so many inncoent lives in North Wazirstan. There is no ideological war, only war on corruption fought against him and his PPP through other means.

Billoo | 13 years ago | Reply PPP are corrupt bought aand paid for stooges of the US, Israel and the UK they have been put in power by their masters to destroy Pakistan, all of us Paks living outside of Pakistan can see this. Why can't people in this forum see this!!! They are stealing Billions for the country and getting away with it for years what type of democracy is this? Get up and do somthing about it before its too late!

Faisal | 13 years ago | Reply Yes this is an ideological war and it cant be fought out while siting in Karachi...Come up and face the challenge

bunny | 13 years ago | Reply Its all ur bad decisions and selecting bunch of cowards...weak investigation...lack on interest and many more makes us see this day....Please change urself or leave this governement belive us you cannot govern...its not ur business....I am so sorry to say but please changr this picture at the top of this report...I dont like PPP not PML any and MQM all have ruined us...

Moise | 13 years ago | Reply If he can become 1% of ZAB we might see improvement. Sad fact is ZAB had a vision to change Pakistan, the current PPP members are just busy filling their Swiss bank accounts like Gadhafis and Mobaraks of other muslim world. Like othe parties, they had chance, they decided to ruin it.

RizwanTKhan | 13 years ago | Reply All these politicians are cursed to this country.

abul sami | 13 years ago | Reply jinnah created "the republic of pakistan". The rabid,hatefilled maulvis then tempered with jinnah's vision & we have the "islamic republic of pakistan" now & the results are there for everyone to see .

ghulam-e-mustafa | 13 years ago | Reply If the ppp hadn't been such a bunch of cowards,mr.taseer & bhatti wouldn't have had to die. The ppp's shameful capitulation before the religious hatemongers has led to the death of its ministers. A gift of bangles to the ppp leadership seems about right after their pathetic surrender & their shameful policy of appeasement of the religious barbarians.

amjad islam | 13 years ago | Reply If he had the courage to take on these religious terrorists we wouldn't have been in the situation we are in today. The ppp abandoned their governor completely after his stance on the barbaric laws & then after his death the ppp's ministers competed with each other to show who could fall on his knees quicker before the religious barbarians. Benazir bhutto had more courage by herself then all the ppp mna's,mpa's & ministers of today.

muhammad faraz | 13 years ago | Reply Mr.president ,you are responsible for the deaths of salman taseer & shahbaz bhatti.Your party's pathetic & absolute surrender before the religious barbarians has led to this situation. you should have taken a more public & open stance against these religious terrorists ,instead of surrendering so meekly before them. Appeasement doesn't work,it didn't work for chamberlain,it didn't save bhutto,it won't save you.

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ

Entertainment

Jussie Smollett's conviction overturned by Illinois Supreme Court

Shaboozey calls out CMA Awards for microaggressions after record-breaking year

Shaboozey’s historic CMA Awards night was marred by microaggressions, sparking calls for respect and accountability.
Kneecap’s Móglaí Bap raises £30,000 for Gaza food aid with 10k daily runs

Kneecap’s Móglaí Bap raises £30,000 for Gaza food parcels by running 10k daily during their tour.
Angelina Jolie calls motherhood her greatest joy: 'Nothing else matters'

Angelina Jolie reflects on the joy of motherhood, sharing insights about her kids and her new movie, 'Maria.'
How to block Donald Trump from your digital life in his second term

Navigate Trump fatigue with these practical tips to block Trump-related content from your screens and stay stress-free