Asif Ali Zardari meets Palin

I think it was funny and as an admin for this website I do not see anything wrong with this. This was nothing more than extended compliment. President Asif Ali Zardari made Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin a step back when he greeted her as ‘gorgeous’. That was not all. He went on to express a desire to ‘hug’ her.

Palin (44) is in New York to brush up her image of being internationally savvy. She has called on a number of world leaders who are here for the United Nations General Assembly.

As Palin entered the room at the swank Intercontinental Berkeley hotel, where Zardari and his entourage are staying, she was greeted by Information Minister Sherry Rehman who said, “And how does one keep looking that good when one is that busy?” a compliment that visibly pleased the Republican vice presidential candidate.

“Oh, thank you,” she replied, looking genuinely pleased.

The embarrassment got underway with the entrance of President Zardari. As Palin rose from her sofa to greet him and to say that she was ‘honoured’ to meet him, he left her reeling when he called her ‘gorgeous’ and as if that was not enough, he added, “Now I know why the whole of America is crazy about you.” Palin recovered her poise to say, “You are so nice, thank you.” An official aide to Zardari did not help matters much when he requested the two leaders to keep shaking hands for the benefit of the cameras. “If he is insisting,” he said pointing to the aide, “I might hug”.

By Asif Haroon Raja

PPP government was thrice booted out, once through a military coup in July 1977 after it had completed 5-year tenure and twice prematurely on grounds of inefficiency and corruption. In 1990, President Ghulam Ishaq performed the act and second time in 1996 President Farooq Leghari showed the door. It was hoped that the PPP leadership would have got reformed after two failures in the 1990s and after remaining in wilderness for 11 years. Hanging of populist and revered ZA Bhutto on 4 April 1979 and tragic murder of Benazir Bhutto on 27 December 2007 should have put fear of God in their hearts.

Alas! All such high hopes have proved elusive and one finds that there is not a slight change in their outlook and attitudes. Lust for power and pelf continue to attract them because of which they cannot desist from placing selfish interests before national interests. Morals, high principles, uprightness, truthfulness, regard for verbal or written pledges do not fit into their chemistry. Deceit and pretence, doubletalk, double-cross, double-dealing, deviance, falsehood and subterfuge are in their blood. Whatever they say they do not mean. They are a typical example of a hypocrite defined in our Holy Book and Haddith.

They are always keen to sup with crooks and unprincipled persons and even with enemies of Pakistan. Their conscience never pricks them when they get ready to barter away national interests to acquire power or remain in power. Authority is the ultimate they desire and seek for which they are prepared to go to any lengths. Each leading light whether man or woman is endowed with a gift of gab and misuses this quality to justify party leadership’s wrongdoings by indulging in endless arguments.

The ruses of ‘democracy’, ‘love for downtrodden masses’, ‘sacrifices rendered’, are often employed to score a point. They never explain under what circumstances and why Bhutto was hanged and why BB got murdered. They never say as to why Gen Ziaul Haq had to ultimately use the whip to put sense into incorrigible Jayalas and the criminals of Al-Zulfiqar. They do not explain as to why every President and PM hounded PPP leaders throughout the nineties and up to mid 2007 and most of them fled to safer shores. Those who stayed behind became part of king’s party and thus saved themselves from the net of accountability. They do not reflect as to why the militants choose to target PPP gatherings and none else.

Peeping into the past who doesn’t remember how ruthlessly BB-Zardari duo and their cronies bled the nation white during their two inglorious tenures. Who will ever believe their side of the story that they were innocent as lambs and their coffers got filled up from heavens. Why did BB runaway in 1999 and refused to come back despite repeated calls by her Jayalas and she kept their hopes alive by telling them that she was soon returning. During her self imposed exile of eight years, she led a life of royal princess in Dubai, London and New York. Despite that major portion of the looted wealth had got frozen; she still had plenty to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle. She had enough money to pay to the legal team she had hired to keep all her cases in Pakistan and foreign courts pending for years and the media team engaged to deny each charge made against her and to keep the party running through remote control.

Do we not know that BB had extended a hand of friendship to Musharraf on the very night on which he had staged a coup and axed a democratic government? From that day onwards she kept extending olive branch to him but he shunned her reconciliatory moves saying that PPP minus her was acceptable to him. That was of course not acceptable to her but she kept up with her efforts to woo him. Why did she have to accept the crutches provided by USA and UK to obtain pardon from the military dictator whom she outwardly despised? Having got her sins as well as that of her husband and her close acquaintances cleared through despicable NRO she claimed that she was the victim of political vendetta and propaganda.

If she and her acquaintances were innocent why did they not follow the legal path and let the courts prove their innocence or otherwise. How will the scandals of Surrey Palace, diamond necklace, palatial houses abroad, dozens of shady off-shore companies created to siphon ill-gotten over $ 3 billion to foreign banks, drugs case and murder case of Murtaza Bhutto will wash off from the minds of the people? We also recall how the PPP leaders took advantage of the lawyers’ movement to activate their disheartened Jayalas suffering from inertia. Having achieved their purpose Justice Iftikhar and the lawyers have been ditched.

Going a little back into history, we will recall that her father ZA Bhutto had supported Gen Yahya and not Sheikh Mujib just because the latter was not prepared to share power with him. Bhutto’s words which he uttered on 26 March 1971 soon after the military operation in Dacca still echo in our minds. He had stated ‘Thank God Pakistan has been saved’. His short-sighted statement proved false and within seven months Pakistan got dismembered. None can deny that he had a hand in the dissection of Pakistan. Have we also forgotten that he had become more autocratic than Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan once he took over? Did he not sack Gen Gul Hassan within three months of his taking over as army chief who had played a pivotal role in forcing Yahya to resign and had invited Bhutto to return from Washington and hold the reins of power?

The 1973 Constitution which he formulated was first mutilated by him to become all powerful.. He dissolved Baluchistan and Frontier Ministries and waged a military operation against the Marris and Mengals for four years and insurgency would have continued had he not been removed. Don’t we remember that all the political parties had ganged up under the umbrella of PNA and they bayed for his blood? Had Bhutto not imposed mini-martial law in three major cities to save his throne? When he was sinking he tried to expose white elephants (Americans) but then it was too late.

How can we forget that return of BB to power in 1988 was made possible by Americans? This favour was extended to her so that she could roll back our nuclear program. She failed to honour her commitment because of hurdles created in her way by Presidency, Army and ISI. Once she was sacked and was living in London, in one of her interviews to the BBC correspondent she revealed that she had provided the list of Sikh separatist leaders to Rajiv Gandhi, her Oxford friend. It had resulted in the decimation of Khalistan movement. Who doesn’t know that she earned the name of ‘security risk’ because of her hobnobbing with India? The couple had indulged in such massive plunder that her husband earned the name of ‘Mr 10%’. They went to such extents that even her handpicked PPP loyalist President Leghari could not refrain from sacking her.

While everyone genuinely grieves over the murder of BB, if one goes over the events dispassionately, would it be too incorrect to say that she asked for it. Why she had to make compromises and earn the animosity of extremist forces before her arrival? Why did she not delay her departure when she was advised by many of his well wishers not to go? Her return was being viewed by many of her detractors as a disaster for Pakistan because of her track record and closeness with USA. She had a very narrow escape on 18 October and still she didn’t consider it prudent to curtail her political activities. Why did she pop her head out of the sunroof, or is it true that Zardari told her daughter to tell her on cell-phone to do so? The big question is that who has benefited the most after her death? Why so much of keenness for UN to investigate her murder when all levers of power are in the hands of PPP? Is it a ploy to put the matter in cold storage and if so, why?

Musharraf made number of serious mistakes but sanctification of National Reconciliation Ordinance by him was his worst act. Pakistan was legally handed over to the blood sucking vultures to loot and plunder with abandon and to indulge in target killings, kidnappings and extortion without any fear of reprisals from law enforcers. After taking over power, the PPP led by regime maintained close links with Musharraf but never admitted it. It remained insincere about judges’ issue but pretended otherwise.

Neither BB nor Zardari ever wished to restore judges but kept playing monkey tricks to befool the people and simpleton Nawaz. Using his forked tongue Zardari kept promising that judges would be restored but also continued to devise ways and means how not to reinstate them. Flimsy and unconvincing excuses were made to confuse the simple issue. To make matters worse, 82-point infamous constitutional package was framed and several formulas were floated all in a bid to scuttle the issue. At the same time drama of removing the president through impeachment was played.

Zardari repeatedly backtracked on his commitments on judges without any compunction which finally led to the breakup of coalition. To top it all, PPP leaders strained their lungs to put the blame on Nawaz. They argued that his single point agenda and his inflexibility led to break up of coalition. Although never short of long and dreary arguments to justify the wrongs of their party leader, their lack of sincerity due to selfish interests and their compulsions due to NRO and US dictates made their stance unconvincing.

All sorts of pressures were exerted on the lawyers and the deposed judges to create cleavages in their ranks and to sabotage lawyer movement. He got rid of Musharraf with the help of his benefactors but enacted the drama of impeachment to befool Nawaz. Zardari got himself elected as President on 6 September irrespective of the fact that he didn’t meet the criteria laid down in the constitution and had been tagged as a national villain because of his habit of disowning public commitments.

Having captured the chair of presidency, he has got himself indemnified from getting prosecuted by any court of law. He has also taken control of all levers of power to not only allow his team to plunder without any fear of accountability but also to be able to give access to USA in areas where it had so far been denied. Having stubbornly maintained that the judges could not be restored through a resolution or executive order, most of the deposed judges have been restored through a simple notification after making them agree to retake fresh oath so that 3 November acts could be legitimised. He has no intention to restore Justice Iftikhar or to put former president Musharraf on trial. Instead he is keen to pardon all his sins and give him a safe exit since their common mentors’ desire so.

Why is Zardari playing into the hands of USA well-knowing their track record? Does he not know that there is a common belief that Americans had a hand in making a horrible example of ZA Bhutto? CIA is suspected of having a role in the murder of BB. Did America not ditch all our military dictators after its interest were served? Musharraf was darling of the west and USA and yet none came to his rescue.

How is Zardari so sure that Americans would save him once the wrath of the people fall on him? They have already given a hint by getting two scandalous stories of his linkage with Zalmay Khalilzad and his mental disorder in NY Times and FY Times. US drones are repeatedly violating Pakistan’s ground and air space and killing innocent people in FATA despite giving assurances that they would respect its sovereignty. USA has given a free hand to RAW and CIA to destabilise Pakistan and its clandestine activities are no more secret. Having given all the goodies to its strategic partner, USA has given a raw deal to Pakistan despite the latter having staked its security to serve US interests.

-Asian Tribune-

Admin of this website gives President Asif Ali Zardari 6 stars for this Interview and I think he did great job.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan’s military is better able to track down and capture terrorists along its lawless border with Afghanistan than U.S. forces, whose presence threatens to unite opposition factions into a cohesive anti-democratic coalition, Pakistan’s new president told NBC News in his first Western interview since taking office this month.

“Give us the intelligence, and we will do the job,” President Ali Asif Zardari said in an exclusive interview with NBC’s Ann Curry. “It’s far better done by our forces than yours.”

Zardari, the widower of slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, spoke Saturday just hours after a truck bomb killed 53 people at a Marriott hotel in Islamabad, an attack he said was calculated to send a message to the new democratically elected government that militant Islamist insurgents “are here, we mean business and we intend to take you on.”

“My response is the same,” he said in the interview, excerpts of which were aired Monday on NBC’s TODAY show and “NBC Nightly News.” “I intend to take them on. My government intends to take them on.”

U.S. raids into Pakistan called ‘counterproductive’
Zardari, who is scheduled to meet Tuesday with President Bush in New York, said he was grateful for U.S. support in his campaign to succeed Gen. Pervez Musharraf in a democratic election. But he said now that Musharraf is gone, it was time for Washington to stand by its democratic principles and trust the new government to run its own affairs.

Citing a U.S. raid on Sept. 3 that left 15 people dead and angered many Pakistanis, Zardari called U.S. military actions in the border region “counterproductive.”

“If you do the incursion, then … the constituency that I am trying to appease — they take it … as a foreign-incursion war. They take it as a foreign war, and then they unite,” he said. “If they consider it a foreign inflow, then they might all unite.”

Zardari said the Pakistani military was well-equipped and experienced in conducting operations in the mountainous areas where U.S. officials insist that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is hiding. All they need, he said, is information and logistical support.

Signaling his willingness to face off with Bush over the critical issue, Zardari did not disavow a reported order issued to his military last week to open fire if U.S. troops launched another air or ground raid across the Afghan border.

“Our orders are they (Pakistani forces) are not to allow any intrusion of anybody in Pakistan,” he said. “If the American troops are coming in without letting us know, without Pakistani permission, they are violating the United Nations charter.”

Asked if U.S. personnel would be confronted militarily, he replied, “Whatever it takes.”
Zardari thanks Bush for U.S. backing
Zardari took office earlier this month for a five-year term after elections that followed the forced resignation of Musharraf, with whom U.S. officials had a contentious relationship. Despite his strong words for the United States, Zardari owes his election significantly to Washington.

Derisively known as “Mr. 10 Percent” for longstanding allegations that he pocketed profits from numerous government contracts during his wife’s presidency, Zardari had faced corruption charges in Pakistan, Britain and Switzerland. But U.S. negotiators persuaded Pakistani authorities to drop them as part of the deal that allowed Bhutto to return to Pakistan from exile.

Zardari said he would tell Bush that “we thank him for democracy.”

“It was part of the promise that President Bush made to our part of the world,” he said. “And the people are looking forward to democracy.”

At the same time, however, he said he would press Bush for more economic and material assistance for Pakistan, whose economy is faltering.

“I’m talking money, access to markets — technology, for instance,” Zardari said. “We definitely need the tools to do the job.”

The bombing Saturday night at the Marriott was a stark reminder of how unstable Pakistan remains, the president said, illustrating that “it’s a large and complex problem…. Obviously, something is not right here.”

“I want the world to understand that this is a signal from the terrorists,” he said. “They are challenging this democracy of Pakistan. They are challenging the people of Pakistan. They are challenging the world.

“We are there to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world, looking the terrorists in the eye. And we will fight them.”

By Alex Johnson of msnbc.com and Ann Curry of NBC News.

First speech after becoming President. Why the hell Afghan arrogant Karzai was sitting in the press conference? This Karzai should be given no respect as his previous statements on Pakistan were so arrogant. I call this First screw up by Zardari. No problem for inviting him for oath ceremony but why he was in new conference ? What do you all think?

We are more than happy to know that Elected President Asif Ali Zardari will visit china. This is positive move by Asif Ali Zardari and we support him for this.

Let’s be honest with President as no need to kiss up to him, neither he wants that, I am sure he wants sincere people around him. He should be told the truth and do not keep him in dark by kissing up to him. Z A Bhutto was also screwed up by his own people who used to kiss up to him for promotions or money. Do not be the one who can dance to show up and later ask for favors. PPP says Democracy is best revenge , I would say hard work for the country is the best revenge. Bring this country out of troubles by working hard and this is true revenge.

Sept. 6, 2008 in pictures:

Fireworks are launched by supporters of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party to celebrate the victory of their leader Asif Ali Zardari in front of the President House in Islamabad, Pakistan Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008.

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Supporters of the ruling party, Pakistan People's Party, distribute sweets to celebrate the victory of Asif Ali Zardari in the presidential election in Hyderabad September 6, 2008.

An elderly blast victim is helped into a hospital in Peshawar. At least 16 people were killed and about 80 wounded when a suicide car bombing ripped through a security checkpost outside Pakistan

Supporters of Pakistan People party celebrate unofficially announced victory of Asif Zardari in the Presidential election in Multan, Pakistan on Saturday, Sept 6, 2008.

A dead horse lies on the ground after being killed by a suicide bombing on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008. A pickup truck packed with a large amount of explosives blew up a security checkpoint in Pakistan

A supporter of the ruling Pakistan People's Party fires his pistol to celebrate the victory of his leader Asif Ali Zardari after unofficial results for the presidential election at the Parliament in Islamabad, Pakistan on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008.

A Pakistani woman walks past the wreckage of a truck destroyed by an explosion near Peshawar, Pakistan on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008. An explosives-laden car rammed into a security checkpoint in Pakistan

Supporters of Pakistan People party celebrate unofficially announced victory of Asif Zardari in the Presidential election in Multan, Pakistan on Saturday, Sept 6, 2008.

more pictures from Sept. 6, 2008

Free Media of Pakistan only showing celebration.

From today’s New York Times:

In April, Mr. Zardari told Ishaq Dar, the finance minister at the time and a member of Mr. Sharif’s party, which has since broken with Mr. Zardari, that he wanted the price the government paid farmers for wheat to be raised substantially as a way of rewarding an important constituency in Punjab Province, the nation’s most populous, according to two participants in the discussion with Mr. Zardari. The government would then have to heavily subsidize the cost of wheat to the consumer.

When Mr. Dar asked Mr. Zardari how he thought the government would pay for the subsidy, Mr. Zardari replied, “Print the notes,” according to the two participants, a government official and an associate of Mr. Zardari’s. In an effort to solve the impasse over the subsidy, it was suggested that Mr. Zardari form a committee of experts.

“ ‘I am the expert,’ ” Mr. Zardari said, according to his associate.

That was news to me.  Audacaious and maddening, but not surprising.  I’ll just make myself forget it by repeating, “roti, kapra, makan.“

But this below wasn’t news to me, nor to most observers of/in Pakistan:

“The two officials described another episode in May as the budget was being prepared. Mr. Zardari decided to scrap a proposed capital gains tax after a visit from a group of influential stockbrokers from the Karachi stock exchange, they said. The revenue from the capital gains tax, and from an income tax proposal on the rich, would have paid for an income support program for the poorest Pakistanis, they said. More than half of Pakistanis live on less than $2 a day, according to the World Bank.”

In mid-June, The News, a leading Pakistani English-language daily reported a claim that Zardari was visited in Islamabad by an unidentified person who arrived on a chartered plane (not an alien, but probably a leading banker) who was decisive in the reversal. Note that the person allegedly visited neither the finance minister, nor the prime minister, but the unelected (and many times indicted) “co”-head of a political party (or, more technically, an association of liberals, feudals, serfs, and others who share lineage/linkage/bondage to a set of charismatic figures and/or distributors of patronage).  Anyway — that’s democracy?  Well, maybe it’s just politics — sans rules and morays.

An official at Pakistan’s largest foreign exchange firm described the coalition’s breakup — and Dar’s departure — as “a welcomed move.” He said, it “improved sentiments in the financial markets as both [Shaukat] Tarin and Naveed [Qamar] are very pro-market.”

Pro-market?  More accurate would be pro-mafia.  Very mature attitude.  So these spoiled brats are unwilling to cooperate with a minimally redistributative mechanism in their deeply poor society but American taxpayers are expected to dish out $1.5 billion/year to their country for developmental aid?  These guys are not the exception, but the rule.  I — and most of you readers — have paid more taxes than people such as Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari.

Trickle down in Pakistan means wealth trickling down from wealthy parents to their children.  More likely than a tax on capital gains is one on poor Pakistanis who have to sell their kidneys.  It’s a growth industry there.

And remember, Zardari heads a ’social democratic’ party.  That’s how convoluted it is.

The election of Zardari, albeit constitutional and a political fait accompli, is like locking a nation of 165 million in a ship with a madman at helm and chucking the keys into the Arabian Sea.  Zardari can prove everyone wrong.  Pakistan, and indeed the world, needs him to.  But the odds are, the Zardari of now differs little from the Zardari of yesterday.  Pakistan, in perhaps as early as six months, will be back to square one, with one of its best opportunities for structural reform and rebalancing — led by its two largest parties, checked by civil society and the media, and in concert with a supportive military — vanquished.

Lawyers tear down a poster of PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari during a demonstration in Islamabad calling for the reinstatement of dozens of judges removed by former president Pervez Musharraf.

Pakistani election mess

From the Khaleej Times, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The more things change in Pakistan, the more they seem to remain the same. It was only six months ago that the people celebrated when the outcome of Feb. 18 polls brought the two leading parties and bitter rivals together in an unprecedented coalition.

That historic alliance is now in tatters ahead of the crucial presidential election.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League has finally walked out of the governing coalition with the Pakistan Peoples Party of Asif Ali Zardari.

What happens now? Pakistan’s leaders and politicians will be held to account by the voters.

Asif Ali Zardari is ousting party aides loyal to his wife,

Dean Nelson in Islamabad

Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto and himself a leading contender for the country’s presidency, was suffering from severe mental illness as recently as last year, it has been reported.

Mr Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan People’s Party, was diagnosed with a range of psychiatric illnesses, including dementia, major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The illnesses were said to be linked to the fact that he has spent 11 of the past 20 years in Pakistani prisons fighting charges of corruption. He claims to have been tortured during his incarceration.

In March 2007 New York psychiatrist Philip Saltiel found that Mr Zardari’s time in detention left him with severe “emotional instability”, memory loss and concentration problems, according to court documents seen by the Financial Times.

“I do not see any improvement in these issues for at least a year,” he wrote.

Stephen Reich, a psychiatrist from New York State, said Mr Zardari was unable to recall the birthdays of his wife and children and had thought about suicide.

Mr Zardari used the medical reports to successfully fight a now defunct English High Court case in which the Pakistan government sought to sue him over alleged corruption. The case was dropped in March.

Mr Zardari was not available to comment on the documents, but Wajid Shamsul Hasan, the Pakistan high commissioner to London said he was now fit and well.

Mr Zardari is his party’s candidate to succeed Pervez Musharraf as president of the nuclear-armed country.

However, his coalition government with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, fell apart yesterday after Mr Sharif withdrew his party, the The Pakistan Muslim League-N.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/2622123/Pakistan-presidential-candidate-Asif-Ali-Zardari-suffering-from-severe-mental-problems.html