Political leaders critical of Altaf Hussain's statement

I am no fan of Altaf Hussain but maybe he has a point. Maybe our nation doesn’t deserve democracy and need a “stick” instead. Every time there is democracy, things seem to be more destabilized. The “dictatorship” was so much better than these corrupt inept and bickering politicians.Recommend

Democracy works only with educated enlightened masses having independant thinking which our country severely lacks, dictatorship or presidential form of govt suits our country, look at the flood relief efforts, gross mismanagement, our country needs army to rule only, i welcome musharrafRecommend

worst democracy is better than the best dictatorship.
Let the democracy to work, it will take time to get the things mature.
dont be reactionary. we and india are of same nature and culture. they support the democracy always and now india its on its way to shine. corrupt people are in every institution, why only politicians blamed. follow the recent biggest corruption commonwealth games scandal in india, but no one raised the finger at democracy. Be patient, be part of election next time and vote to your favorite party instead of sitting aside and only criticizing democrats . its dilemma of urban middle and educated class, they always blame democracy.Recommend

This absolute obsession with politicians makes me sick to the stomach to tell you the truth, reader, when high officials of other organs of state are equally, actually more, to blame for the state this poor country is in today. Why you might well ask? For the very simple reason that politicians aka ‘bloody civilians’ have never been allowed to even complete their tenures in office, being booted out ever so often by the establishment. For the very simple reason that army dictators ruled the country for far longer, individually and collectively, than politicians.

Sample: Field Marshal Ayub Khan: 11 years; Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: six years; Ziaul Haq: 11 years; Benazir Bhutto: two years eight months; Nawaz Sharif: two years eight months; Benazir Bhutto: three years; Nawaz Sharif: two years eight months; Gen Musharraf aka ‘Commando’: nine years.

It is right to ask, for example, why the rivers were not dredged so that their beds would not silt up and rise, resulting in the devastating floods. It is right to apportion blame to political governments, but surely more of it rests on dictators’ shoulders. While civilian governments must be held answerable for what they did not do in 17 years should army governments not be asked why they did not do what they should have done in 31? For how long will the establishment take the rest of us for fools?

It turns my stomach when I read on the Internet about how much an MNA costs, how much a senator costs, and how much an MPA costs? Why is it that no one asks how much a major general or a lieutenant general costs? Why this lighting on politicians only?Recommend

@hafeez: why is democracy such a great system? In theory, each government is better than the preceding one as selection competence of public improves. This might happen in Pakistan as well if given an opportunity. My concern is whether we can afford giving time to democracy. The way things are going south, who is to say that we will not end up in a fractured, morally corrupt, divisive failed state; Our salvation lies in a martial law whether we agree with it or not. people tend to think that we have no quick fix to our problems but I say otherwise. A martial law which is not shackled by “political realities” and is not averse to spilling some blood for the greater cause is what will allow us as a nation to rise from ashes.Recommend

Army would be good for our country.It is when they try becoming politicians and start creating there own democrated party(Q league)that the train is derailed.Recommend

Pakistan should be governed by a government where people should not think and imagine of doing any corruption. There are too many loop holes due to which the government is running in deficit.

Pakistan lacks transparency and transparency will only come when people will leave corrupt practices.

Day by day the system is going down the drain.

What Pakistan need is a person who should act similar to Tun Mahathir bin Mohamed, former Prime Minister of Malaysia.

The poor is becoming poorer and rich are becoming filthy rich. Time is changing fast and Pakistan is heading towards a real revolution which will change every thing overnight.Recommend

altaf hussain must come to home and fight.but you know who wins democracy:)))))))
because all our leaders support democracy.Recommend

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH ALTAF.
But it will not happen till further misery.Recommend

I bet in times like this, no one gives a s**** bout democracy, judiciary or just whatever crap these politicians use to make fool out of us.

Honestly, to hell with democracy, we have had enough of it already. Democracy for Pakistan is more like setting all the wild animals free.Recommend

petrol price increase, foods prices increase, loadshedding increase, utility prices increase, int’l loan increase,corruption increase, fake degree cases increase, daroan attacks and target killing increase etc. but only one thing is decrease “PAKISTAN”Recommend

Assalam-o-Allaikum Warahmatullah.I totally agree with Altaf’s statement that patriotic generals should impose martial law because we are facing the most worst form of democracy than dictatorship we have seen in General Zia’s and General Musharraf’s regime.Mostly in regard of price-hiking,corruption and instability in especially internal security conditions.In the present governmental conditions dictatorship is much the best than democracy because our leaders in the government and opposition are fighting like cats and dogs with each other and common man’s problems are still increasing in the form of price hiking of electricity and eatable items and are being ignored very badly also.Most of the our present leaders are corrupt and have declared themselves innocent thru NRO.Recommend

current situation of pk is getting worst, no any sincer politician is coming forward to honestly cooperate with the flood affectees. Leader of pakistan muslim leauge is politizing the natural phenomenon for his political designs, in keeping with the statent of the MQM leader, it is absolutely good for the pak army to impose martial law in order to save the pakistan from the corrupt politician who are not only destroying the future of the innocent people of pakistan but they are also destroying the future of the pakistan,Recommend

Your C-n-C, your retired bureaucrats masquerading as visionary politicians, and your support for unpopular steps through means as mean as “khuhroism” just to impose One Unit and your suppressing the popular dissent in East Pakistan through police and military high-handedness, and who was at the back of all this? Don’t you know? In India, there had remained one and the same PM from 47 to 62(if my memory supports me) with a change of 10 or 12 C-n-C’s during the same period. And in our dear homeland, this was quite the opposite, Mr Cheema.

Anyway, lets put an end to this discussion.Recommend

Jinnah survived the assasination by hands of khaksar – rootrd from the heart land of feudals under relgious disguise. 1st prime minister assasinated by an afghan (where he was kept and trained no secret now). All started with creation of Pakistan. Get rid off the feudels or live in misery.Recommend

I agree with altaf sahib point of view. Create a neutral govt. of fair and just people( liberal minded–No religious person please). Bring a liberal and independant judiciary as todays judiciary is corrupt and consist mostly of mullahs with no respect to human rights especially minorities.Follow bangladesh lead and ban use of religion in politics. Control hate literature and strictly control mosques as they are centers of hate. Make good laws and implement with full force. Convert madrassahs in to public schools and teach tolerance and civility to students and respect for human rights. Change the constitution and make it secular republic as visioned in Jinnah August 11 ,1947 speech. only return to democracy once these goals are achieved.Recommend

What democracy are we talking about? Is democracy about having to choose between the lesser of two evils namely the Bhutto’s and the Sharif’s? What has the current sham of a democracy offered us? The economy is going down south, inflation is at it’s zenith, corruption is at it’s peak. Our so called leaders are completely oblivious to the plight of the common man or perhaps they don’t even care. I am glad that Altaf Hussain has thrown a spanner in the wheel and raised a point that has mobilized the nation into a debate. I honestly hope that the army does take measures to rid of these incompetent leaders and unlike Musharraf actually take the current set of leaders to task for all their wrong doings.Recommend

The levels at which this call to topple democracy is heinous are too numerous to count. But consider Mr Hussain’s words: “If we have to choose between two evils, we will go for the lesser evil. If our generals are ready to take any initiatives against these criminals (politicians) who have looted and plundered this country, then we will welcome them.” Who is he appealing to, two generals, a few, or all the corps commanders? Is the recently reappointed chief of army staff (COAS) included or even the intended audience? If not, is he calling for a mutiny within the armed forces as well? And who is to certify the ‘patriotism’ of the potentially revolting officers? The demagogy a la Il Duce and the ‘captive’ audience of both glued to faceless speakers notwithstanding, Mr Hussain would have been well advised to think his too-clever-by-half instigation through. While Article 6 of the Pakistani constitution may not be of much consequence to such instigators, the top brass is not likely to look kindly at any turmoil within its own ranks.Recommend

Army is the pain killer for today’s problems,then in the meantime we can find the anti biotic to correct our system,if we are serious to heel this worst system we have to do something right now,otherwise……..you never know.Recommend