The Pakistani Spectator

Last year there were impressions in Washington that Pakistan was unraveling. In November, the Pakistani Ambassador Durrani hired a public relations firm named Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide by paying $45,000 per month for damage control which was result of the mess created with the firing of the Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftkhar Chaudhri (Ch).

In those days, also, something very explosive was found on the record of Justice Chaudhri. He was allegedly using a few gallons of Pakistani government’s petrol for the personal transportation.

Since you believe in ‘Pakistan first’, it’s understandable that you became very sensitive about Justice Chaudhri’s ‘stealing’ a couple of hundred of dollars petrol per month.

But what you don’t seem to know is that some of your ‘Jiaalaz’ (the one willing to give his life for you), like Ambassador Durrani are too generous for poor Pakistanis’ taste. You know well that some Pakistanis would be so thankful to God for surviving on a couple of pita bread pieces and an onion per day.

I know, Mr. President, you will be upset when you learn about Ambassador Durrani’s spending $45,000/month in his efforts to help you in Washington.

I believe you’re innocent in believing that you are the only Pakistani president who, with the help of some lobbyists, could flatter our nice and naïve Bush enough to give you million of dollars and some surplus parts for the weapons of the Pakistani army. But, please know, that what Bush is giving you is not more than some pocket change for America. And it certainly has nothing to do with $45,000/month lobbying bill.

Please click on this link and look at this article and you might learn that you can not change your reputation here even if we spend $45 million per month on you. U.S is too free a society to admire a third-world dictator. Maybe you should pay $45,000 per month from your own pocket, if like some other Pakistani crooks, you too have made a few billion dollars.  In this write up named ‘Pakistani Diplomatic Debacle In Washington’ I tried to describe the situation of how Washington tend to treat undemocratic Pakistan.

http://www.pakspectator.com/pakistani-diplomatic-debacle-in-washington/

The men and women your foreign Ministry sent to Washington seem to be very sincere folks. One could observe their faces when the Pakistani reputation gets trashed in Washington’s think tanks and on the Hill.  These Pakistani staffers would move heaven, if they can, to stop criticism directed at Pakistan in Washington.

But they can’t do it. No lobbying firm could do it. Even our too articulate President Bush can’t do it. This is the capital of free world. The people can yap here the way they are please to.

Now, as a matter of fact, you are doing something right to improve the Pakistani image. For example, you cast off your uniform which was sticking so strongly to your skin. You honored your words by managing a free and safe election, and you, hopefully, didn’t fill some Swiss account by stealing from poor Pakistanis.  And you didn’t let any IAEA experts to have access to Dr. A. Q. Khan. And now you should pick up the phone and ask Pakistani embassy in Washington that we do not need any lobbying firm to enhance the Pakistani image in America.
Please know that in his last press conference in Washington, Ambassador Durrani told Pakistani journalists he had established Pakistani-American advisory committee in every big city of the United States of America. As long as these committees could work effectively, the Pakistani government does not need to waste a single dollar by hiring any lobbying firm.

However, if you still need some help, please let me know.  I would love to do whatever I could for the betterment of Pakistani-American relationships.

I would like to state that in Washington think tanks whoever knows me, consider me as a straight shooter. About my role in some of the Washington Think Tanks, your office could ask retired General Jahngir Karamat. I don’t avoid answering difficult questions. I rather deal first with the difficult issue.

In addition, I have been in touch with the Pakistani embassy for several years, especially with the former Community Affair Councilors like Hikmatullah Khattak, Shahid Ahmed and the current Councilor Moeen Khan. In addition, I have been in touch with the New York embassy staffers  like Faisal and Shahid Mehmood Sadeeqi. Among these people anyone could be asked about my efforts of improving Pakistani-American relationships with the courage a very few Pakistani-Americans manifest in Washington.  Any of these people would vouch for me, I feel.

Mr. Masood Khan, the current Pakistani Ambassador in Switzerland knows me for almost a decade. Several years ago, before he left Washington, he introduced me to a couple of new officers in the Pakistani embassy. He asked me to help them to get familiar in Washington think tanks and on Capitol Hill.

About my qualifications in the States, in 1985, I came to the University of Toledo, Ohio, as a student.  I earned a B.A. in economics in 1988, and an MBA in 1995 from the University of the District of Columbia.

Though being economist by education and Personal Financial Advisor (with American Express) by training, from the beginning of my career my circumstances led and kept me presenting my South Asian rooted ideas to policy and law makers through various  platforms in Washington.

For example, my involvement with the American political system began in 1992, when I worked for International Business Councilors (IBC), a lobbying firm in Washington, DC. The firm assigned me to cover Congressional hearings and write reports on various international economics, financial, and political issues.

In Washington I have worked for Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Congressman Meeks (D-NY), Democrat National Committee (DNC), Democrat presidential candidate Al Gore in New Hampshire, and Senator Clinton in Washington and New York. I have also worked for Republican National Committee (RNC), and on the campaign of various Republican candidates, including Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

About my recent contacts with the embassy, on April 25, 2008, I met (by chance) our new Ambassador Hussein Haqqani. We offered Friday prayer together in the Embassy with its staff. After the prayer, we talked for 10 to 15 minute. I told Ambassador Haqqani that I had written against him. Then I asked him if he held any grudge against me.  He told me that he had read some of my writings.  Being a political intellectual, he has become used to people opposing him, he commented.

In addition, on Thursday, March 06, 2008, Councilor Moeen Khan and I met Defense Attaché (DA) Khawar Hanif.  I sought his help to secure a job in Islamabad, Pakistan. The DA told me that he was not promising me anything but he would think if and what he could do for me. He also told me that because of my U.S. experience my services could be more beneficial in Washington than in Islamabad.

Regarding my efforts to make a difference for the Pakistani-American community, on May 20 2003, Councilor Khattak arranged my meting with Brigadier Shafqat Ahmed, then the defense attaché in Washington and now your Military Secretary. Then the PAL-C had not come into existence, it was just a concept.  I gave him two page proposal, a blue print for the current PAL-C. My discussion on that proposal lasted for over an hour.

Regarding my efforts of getting a job with you, in January 2002, 1 made a same kind of request with the recommendation of three Members of Congress. Then, Congressman Tony Hall (D-Tex), current Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) wrote individual recommendation letters to you.  They send the letters to Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, then the Pakistani Ambassador in Washington.

On February 04, 2002, Dr. Lodhi sent me a letter letting me know that she was going to send my request to President Secretariat in Islamabad. After that I never heard anything about my request from any Pakistani government department, unfortunately. It was not very professional on your office part that I did not get even a courtesy letter about that request.

By the way, in August 2005, I visited Pakistan for a couple of months. On September 30, 2005, I met your ADC Amir Saeed (we share our home town) in his office.  I mentioned to him about my request, along with three Representatives letters, sent to your office by Dr. Lodhi.

Amir Saeed told me that he knew Dr. Lodhi well and could approach her by phone in London, England. I did not have any reference number with me then. And neither I met Amir Saeed for this purpose. I mentioned to him about that request because I was just curious that the office of the President of Pakistan should have shown some courtesy by writing a letter to three U.S. elected representatives’ request.

You might remember, that on Tuesday, February 12, 2002 (one day before you met President Bush), I asked you in public at the Woodrow Wilson Center that what made you think America is not going to dump Pakistan again after Pakistan served it cause in Afghanistan.

Yes, I have been writing against you as well.  As a matter of fact, I have been calling you a power hungry general. I would suggest you what I suggested to Ambassador Haqqani on April 25, 2008. If you hold any grudge against me, please disregard my request.

Thank you very much for looking at my request and I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Kami Butt

The following are some of the messages from my well wishers:

Hikmatullah Khattak <hikmatullahkhattak@hotmail.com> To: Kami Butt <kamibutt2@juno.com> Subject: Date: Wed, Apr 23, 2008 02:01 PM
Dear Kami Butt..
keep on doing wonderful work. We do need people of your commitment and courage. take care.

With regards; Hikmat Ullah Khan Khattak.
———–
From: “Saghir Tahir” <saghir-tahir@comcast.net>To:
<kamibutt2@juno.com Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2003 22:27:16 -0500Subject: Re: Thank you very much for your very encouraging remarks.

Dear Kami Sahib,

“What you do for yourself will die with you; what you do for others will live lot longer” drives you. Is it not the truth? You do what others do not. That makes you special. Do not look for reward from anyone but GOD. If Allah gives you resources/assets, money, education, health, intelligence, etc) it is your religious obligation to give benefit of those resources to human race (give to others) or give back to HIS people, not just Muslims, but, all of HIS people. It is in Quaan many places. Remember, like trillions in the past, we will be gone and be part of past history. If you want to be remembered, do something worthwhile others have elected not to do. KEEP ON GOING STRONG. May Allah bless you with all HIS blessings. AAMIN.
Rep. Saghir Tahir

From Dr. Maleeha Lodhi
From: Mlfs 1@aol.comTo: kamibutt2@juno.comDate: Fri, 04 Jul 2003
01:05:50 -0400

Thank you for keeping me in the loop. And well done with all your
efforts, Best wishes, Maleeha

Last 5 posts by kami

• Ahsan Iqbal on Rethinking U.S. Policy - August 5th, 2008
• Who Made Taliban Terrorists? - July 2nd, 2008
• Donde Drug Trade Dollars De Afghanistan? - June 4th, 2008
• Cross Fire - May 30th, 2008
• Good Memories With Some American ‘Right Wing Bigot Christians’ - May 23rd, 2008

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