Once Again Question Mark on Asif Ali Zardari
By Maria Sultan • Jan 27th, 2010 • Category: Politics, Worth A Second Look • 12 CommentsWhen former president of Pakistan Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed first government of Pakistan People’s Party, he made a strong point in his speech and his argument was that the government of Benazir Bhutto was involved in massive corruption and he mentioned Benazir Bhutto’s husband, Asif Ali Zardari and called him Mr. Ten Percent.
Then came the second term of Benazir Bhutto. She appointed one of her closest acolyte as president, the Farooq Khan Leghari from Southern Punjab. After sometime, Farooq Khan Leghari dismissed the government of Benazir Bhutto, and told nation about the corruption of Benazir Bhutto’s husband Asif Ali Zardari.
On both occassion, the reason why Benazir Bhutto’s governments were shown the door was the alleged corruption of her husband. Now once again the question mark is on the Asif Ali Zardari, who is himself a president, but facing immense pressure from public and media to step down and face the charges.
President very skillfully manouvered himself to this lofted position and there is only one position in Pakistan which has got immunity from punishment and that is the presidency, and Zardari has reached there after taking immense help from NRO and luck was also with him.
Now as NRO stands null and void and courts are free and the media is digging out truth about the cases and the hidden accounts in Switzerland, things are getting tough, very tough for the president and for many of his companions. Now there are many questions upon his constitutional eligibility to serve as the President of Pakistan.
Quo-warranto appeal (challenging the eligibility of President Zardari) could come out any time.
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Pakistan cannot progress until and unless we rid the menace of corruption from our society and to do so we have to cull all the corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, technocrats, government officials, and army personnel and then throw them all into shark infested ocean.
Our problems are much bigger than a Zardari innuendos. The trap that has been laid out for Pakistan is so intricate that even the purest of the pure will get a migraine trying to sort out a noble path. The collective intellect of our nation has created such an environment where the “truth” can only survive by hiding behind a lie and Zardari is that lie and so was Musharraf and so on.
Nothing will happen … meray bacho ….
the theives’ bandwagon has been rolling full steam ahead since 1947 … sometimes under the cloak of democracy and sometimes as Martial Law …
Lets face the facts … reap the fruits of democracy !
Pakistan ki saadi public … forget it and jao shabaash apni daal roti ka bandobast karro …
Dont disturb the bandwagon … they are already busy planning where to spend next summer vacation with families on your tax money: Swiss alps or Austria.
Different ways are being adopted to disqualify Mr. Zardari through courts. If this happens, keeping in view courts favorible attitude towards PML-N and her inability to move against Musharraf, this will be seen as an act of vendetta. This will revoke the memory of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s hanging among the supporters of PPP across the country and it will be very difficult for PPP leadership not to launch an allout assault on courts. Also, these are the same courts which tried Mr. Zardari for 12 years without any evidence. When there is no reason for minus-Zardari at this stage, it seems impractical to oust Mr. Zardari as well. Parliament can impeach Mr. Zardari by 2/3rd majority. As of now, PPP has 155 of 442 members of parliament. This alone is sufficient to foil any impeachment move. If anyone thinks that there can be a major coup in PPP against widower of Benazir Bhutto and father of the party chairperson Bilawal Zardari, having full backing of the only living daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, I pray for sanity to him. If Leghari in presidency and PPP-Patriot Ministers with most lucrative of portfolios could not break PPP at a time when Benazir was in exile, then it seems unlikely that this will happen at a time when the man himself sits in Presidency. Also, knowing Mr. Gillani, he is not likely to be Farooq Laghari and will prefer resigning himself rather than backstabbing Zardari. Also, presently, it seems unlikely that ANP or MQM will go against Mr. Zardari in any such move.
A new chapter of discussion has opened after NRO, several questions are circulating in the minds of legal experts and public as well that what will happen next? What is the future of President Zardari following the NRO judgment? Are we heading towards a clash of the titans, that is, the executive and judiciary? Or will it be truckloads of soldiers piloted by a jeep? I think the imagination of the some TV show hosts has run wild. Many of them are merely doing wishful thinking. Zardari has also pointed out that a conspiracy is being hatched by ‘pen’ and ‘bayonet’ together. It is also apparent that some journalists have waged a war against the government targeting President Zardari.
Pakistan needs political peace badly. Political peace would guarantee the elimination of terrorism from Pakistan and its western borders, strengthening economy and focusing on core national issue. But in order to achieve this aim, all the institutions would have to work within their ambits; judicial activism would certainly badly hinder this aim. It is time to re-discover for our Survival is linked with this soil. These were not bigger goals that were un-attainable but leg pulling, conspiracies and non-sense attitude of some of the politicians and institutions made it hard to achieve. If Govt was allowed smooth functioning, We were far more strong and stable today.
@ Faisal Naqvi
I respect your views but there is no comparison between Zulifqar Bhutto and Zaradri. Mind you, Zulifqar Bhutto was a true leader and visionary whereas Zardari is, in many ways, a fluke president. He married Benazir and was lifted from relative obscurity into Pakistan’s most powerful political dynasty. A Karachi playboy who had reportedly turned his basement into a disco, Zardari stabled his polo horses at the Prime Minister’s official residence during Bhutto’s first term in office. Meanwhile, he earned
the nickname “Mr 10%” for the kickback he purportedly took on government contracts. Zardari would spend most of his political tenure in prison on charges ranging from corruption to murdering his brother-in-law, he has always carried a certain, well, unsavory reputation as a crooked, back-room operator. Zardari wouldn’t remain in the shadows forever.
Trust me; I don’t see any revolt if he is removed from the presidency thru legal process,
Under the Kerry-lugger bill 7.5 billion $ will be spent over a span of 5 years in the areas of energy, education and health. These sectors are in dire need of reforms and we need to devise a monitoring mechanism so to ensure that this money is spent in the right direction.
AZ whenever appears with his entire show of Buttees Dant which clearly messages this is a commission gaining smile this man always ready to enhance his own FCA.
*FCA = Foreign Currency Account
Kitna Aur *FCA Bharnay Kee Tamana Tujhay-
Deikhna Kay Corruption Tujhay Kehan Khara Karay-
I myself being an advocate very sincerely advised to Zardari in last January i.e quiet well before LONG MARCH that don’t pay attention to Americans & Brits & listen only to Lawyers as in every Society only the faction of Advocates deeply know the Set Up of Any Sort of Country because in daily routine life only Lawyers visit & meet in depth with every class of people & communicate directly to them from bottom to top — that is why mostly fathers of Nation are advocates all over the world but regret to state Zardari was not with all ears so that how time has been changed plus still = No Realization = with the passage of time how cruelled, cunning & crafted this Wukla Bradari has become — just because of facing daily Injustice acts of Powerful English Speaking Ruling Elite of Pakistan.
*Thaira = As decided according to fate
Zardari & Co. Tum Nay Meri Batoun Ko – Hansee Mazaq – Jana-
Likh Kur Register Kurlo Meri Yeh Baat – Gur Tu Aab Bhee Na Mana-
Aur Liya Halka Mazid – Tu Aur Tera Tola *Thaira Salakhoun Kay Pechay Jana-
http://pkpolitics.com/2009/01/27/zardari-threatens-lawyers/#comment-151656
A concerted media campaign has been mounted against the head of state, being accused of engaging in corrupt practices should be nothing new for Asif Ali Zardari. Most of the shenanigans are attributed to his friends who not only seem to fit in and out of the presidency at will but also flout the authority that stems from it, also at will. The media’s responsibility to carry out accountability notwithstanding, who is orchestrating the regular feed of information fuelling the accusations of impropriety? And why?
Corporate details are the work of insiders, either passed on voluntarily, or given ‘on request’. What is the objective? To bring to power another adventurer or simply effect a change of face at the presidency as the ‘minus-one formula’ suggests? Normally one would discount uniformed intelligence agencies being behind this, it would be monumentally stupid for the Pakistan army to try to run Pakistan again. The question arises, will burning ambition ever learn?
Both Benazir Bhutto (in exile) and Asif Zardari (in incarceration) courageously fought their court cases. For Asif Zardari compromise in exchange for his freedom was repeatedly dangled in front of him. Neither Nawaz Sharif nor Musharraf’sregime managed to convict him or make him bend to their will. Even though the ‘hijacking’ charges against the Sharifs were trumpeted ones having no legal basis whatsoever, the agreement allowing them exile was the easy route. In contrast Asif Zardari conducted himself in eight years of incarceration with bravery and dignity, and to his credit, with abundance of humour. One has to admire his courage and tenacity in standing up to the odds stacked against him for a lifetime in prison for cases he was never convicted for. Therefore his acceptance of relief under Musharraf’s NRO when he could have easily fought the court cases into oblivion was a shock. The democratic process by which he took the president’s chair by a heavy mandate was good for the federation since all the provinces contributed significantly to his victory, the NRO stained that success unnecessarily.
Unfortunately, some anti-Pakistan elements full of hatred against the current elected government and particularly President Asif Zardari, are continuously trying to do just that based on recent opinion polls. Media campaign against the head of the state is condemnable. Neither Nawaz Sharif nor Musharraf’s regime managed to convict him or make him bend to their will. It is true that both Benazir Bhutto while staying exile and Asif Zardari in incarceration courageously fought their court cases. Yes we admire his courage and tenacity in standing up to the odds stacked against him for a lifetime in prison for cases he was never convicted for. Any move against democratic government or President would be disastrous for country. People of Pakistan have given mandate to PPP government and President Zardari. We must support present democratic government and elected President.
mind it or not but Musharaf was a way better then this.
How many of you voted in the last election?If we, the educated class leave the fate of the country at the hands of te illetrate class we are bound to have such pathetic leaders..Look how we have selected Jamshed Dasti again.Shame on us!.Lets decide that we will participate whole heartedly in the next election and will bring new leadership…May be Imran Khan??