What Musharraf is doing in Europe?
By Ghazala Khan • Jan 23rd, 2008 • Category: Politics • (2,216 views) • 9 CommentsThe answer of this question depends upon from whom you ask. PML-Quisling would surely say that “to improve Pakistan’s image, and to dispel the misconception and misunderstandings.” If you ask from the rest of the country they would just roll their eyes.
Retired General’s long four-nation Europe visit (Belgium, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) cannot be a leisure trip, as some sadists are implying. According to them, after the months long battle with lawyers and deposed judges, then “winning” the Presidential Elections, then imposing and lifting of emergency, banning and dis-banning of media, then tackling through the terrorists and riots which followed Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, former man on the horse’s back needed some respite and what better place to loosen up then the ravishing Europe?
It seems that Musharraf’s luck is really thinning out now. Just he commenced his tour, the arrest of 12 suspected Pakistani militants in Spain. made the taste of his mouth bitter. In eastern Swiss town of Davos, our President didn’t get much of a warm welcome. Though the core theme of the forum was “The Power of Collaborative Innovation”, but the pestering world leaders were either asking our man about democracy or terrorism and some were downright offensive, when they ask about the safety of our nuclear arms.
The only viable, solid and pertinent answer which Musharraf gave at the World Economic Forum was about the safety and security of the nuclear arms and that was it. He really placed an egg on our faces by saying that world shouldn’t be obsessed with democracy and human rights in Pakistan, and that protests wouldn’t be allowed during Election days.
Condy, the beautiful perhaps replied justifiedly first time in her life to this by saying, “Should one be obsessed with the rights of human beings to live in freedom? Maybe so?” But then all of a sudden she recalled the glaring face of Bush the Crusader, and hastily added, “Oh, I understand Democracy isn’t born in a minute.”
Could Pakistan’s image be rebuilt in just a tour? This is the 80th tour of President Musharraf abroad since his takeover of the throne, and what in the world could he do so miraculously to improve country’s image abroad?
By the way, what exactly has happened to the image? World thinks that we have no democracy, no free media, no judiciary, no safe nuclear arms and the militants is rising in Pakistan. Except the safety of nuclear arms, all the other image-denting question marks are very much valid and there answers lies with our President. If he only he let the judiciary and media free, and if only he let the free and fair elections happen, and if only he delegates powers to the elected representatives of the country, the image would be repaired automatically.
Last 5 posts by Ghazala Khan
- Ramadan and Price Hike - September 1st, 2008
- Precarious Pakistan - August 23rd, 2008
- 14th August 2008, Just another Day? - August 14th, 2008
- Pardesi Leaders : Desi Awam : Silver Lining - July 10th, 2008
- Interview with Blogger Chief Happiness Officer (Alexander KjerulfAlex) - June 30th, 2008
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Ghazala Khan
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January 24th, 2008
Pakistan’s politicians and media have given more ammunition to hawks in the USA than any one else. Pakistan is the only country in the world where politicians destroy the image and reputation of the country by their own greed, loot, and foolishness: Look how we are stuck with non-intellectual so-called nationalists Sharif brothers, looter and agitator Zardari, uneducated Mullahs, Q’s Chaudhrys and many other ethnic parties. PPP would have been a national party, but by bringing 19 years old boy on the basis of brand name, which destroyed Pakistan’s economy, is a joke to democracy, a nation and politics as a whole that there was not a single person who would have told PPP higher body to pick up a middle class educated ‘economist intellectual’. PPP is like a communist or king party. PPP lost many people’s sympathies. For the last 8 years, Pakistan was not only stable, but it progressed also. Since BB and Sharifs are back, all this instability had started. We need to adopt Chinese system, which will save nuclear assets and also develop the country economically because political parties do not have democracy within their own ranks. If nation goes after these looters and mullahs, then the situation will be sad.
January 24th, 2008
According to Ardeshir…. this was the great leaders 80th trip in 8 years abroad.
January 24th, 2008
Musharraf is there to urge Europeans to help us fight their war, the so called “War on Terror”
January 25th, 2008
i beg to differ from zafar.the politicians atre always blamed be it ppp pmlq pmln but it is actually thge army which is corrupt .the army has given fuel to usa and its allies in the so called war on terroe.musharraf to save hisstarts sayin that osam bin laden is in bajour.what person in his right mind would say that.its like inviting the red bull to hit ur self.secondy army ios more corrupt than civilians are.mush has asseys of 48 crore and has bought a lear jet.how the hell can he affiord one.but if a ploiticians had done the same his ass would have been wiped clean in the media.the damned army has to go and alsomusharraf. what kind about stability are u talkinf about.bomb blasts powers crises wheat crises., cartelization of every commodoty,rising food inflation(and then govt ministers says that its because pakistan is the cheapest country–beegharat loag)all the instituiions have been destroyed.ISI is kidnapping people..The army destbilizes political governments.what nawaz sharif and bb did in their 2 yrs each eas more than what this bloodyarmy and mushararf did in its 8 yrs ruke.only army has become stronger and c ivilians have been treated like bull shit.
January 25th, 2008
aoni bacahany gia hai salah
January 27th, 2008
Zafar Bokhari on January 24th, 2008 :
Pakistan’s politicians and media have given more ammunition to hawks in the USA than any one else. Pakistan is the only country in the world where politicians destroy the image and reputation of the country by their own greed, loot, and foolishness: Look how we are stuck with non-intellectual so-called nationalists Sharif brothers, looter and agitator Zardari, uneducated Mullahs, Q’s Chaudhrys and many other ethnic parties. PPP would have been a national party, but by bringing 19 years old boy on the basis of brand name, which destroyed Pakistan’s economy, is a joke to democracy, a nation and politics as a whole that there was not a single person who would have told PPP higher body to pick up a middle class educated ‘economist intellectual’. PPP is like a communist or king party. PPP lost many people’s sympathies. For the last 8 years, Pakistan was not only stable, but it progressed also. Since BB and Sharifs are back, all this instability had started. We need to adopt Chinese system, which will save nuclear assets and also develop the country economically because political parties do not have democracy within their own ranks. If nation goes after these looters and mullahs, then the situation will be sad.
January 27th, 2008
At the end of the day he is a puppet for who one can choose from a long list.
Not to name names I will call it the “Global corporation empire” who launder money to protect there own best interest on the backs of poor country like ours
for ex.Infrastructure projects which already have been in progress for sometime and more will follow led by the so called “global corp empire”. what will be the real price for that, time will tell
Sadly the rich will get richer on the backs of poor
Thanks for selling out Musharraf
May Allah bless your soul
February 4th, 2008
Essentially what musharaf has tried and been doing in europe is looking for support for his regime.
The western imperiums, (usa, brittish, and eu) have not a very high impression of musharaf.
Personally i think because he is too good for muslims, to patient and to considerate while adapting
to the wishes of the international community, ofcourse partly because the international community is such a fraud.
I don’t know if this is all equally obvious with you in pakistan, wich is why i tell. For me, I belief in change of powers more then the institutionalisation of the such. In between PPP , sharif and Musharaf i see no candidate that would be an effective change. I think it is still better for a people to be so flexibel as to change who is in power. Most of the time i favoured musharaf, because i think i understand how he is trying to do good for pakistan. This sentiment is definitily not shared by the majority of officials in EU. That is absolutely clear from the bad press Musharaf receives. The one argument voiced the most (and the one i grew doubting most for there was handed so little proof)
is that musharaf is a diktator. These two words have been used together a lot in our media from shortly before Benazir arrived in pakistan. As i said with no elaboration.
Choice is up to the ppl of pakistan, and honestly i trust every people in the world to can have their minds together, and get it working, if not for the supression by the rich.
Hasta la revolution siempre:)
February 18th, 2008
POLITICS IS THE ONE OF THE BROAD FEILD !
U CANT KNOW THAT HOW MUSHARAF IS DEALING THE WHOLE WORLD BY POLITICS !
AT LAST I WILL SAY
“GEO MUSHARAF”