Other Pakistan’s always and only been to create the Quaid’s Pakistan, indeed Express News has echoed our minute efforts in the more wider electronic format by recently attempting to draw focus on the Quaid-e-Azam’s Pakistan as shown below:

Express News campaign is welcome as it seeks to reconnect Pakistanis with our Pakistaniat and reminds us all that Pakistan can only prosper by following the path of the Quaid. It is hoped that Other Pakistan can play a small part in its own way in energising the Pakistani people to walk that path.

Other Pakistan remains a forum for dialogue, hence I invite all readers and visitors to contribute your views via comments and guest blogs on how we can together create the Quaid’s Pakistan. Last but not least I hope readers will pass on your suggestions for any improvements  and any criticisms of Other Pakistan by commenting on this post.

Let us come together once more and agree to work together to create the Quaid’s Pakistan, a just Pakistan, an ‘other’ Pakistan.

As Eid approaches in Pakistan amidst doom and gloom with rampant inflation and corruption, the very reason for Pakistan’existence seems to have been lost in translation. However the masses of Pakistan are still dreamers and we hope that we can realise the dream of the second Madina as envisaged by Allama Iqbal and the Quaid in this land of the pure.

In this regard, the work of Dawn Group in showcasing the Quaid this month has to be lauded . Indeed like before no words are necessary except to say that the second part of Dawn’s video that remembers the Quaid has been made available. I share it with you and all of Pakistan so that it serves to motivate a nation to realise its potential, the video is shown below:

This September, Dawn have led the way in remembering the Quaid, with Dawn Group producing an excellent video of the Quaid, both the man and the legend. No further words of explanation are necessary for the video says it all.

]]> http://blog.otherpakistan.org/2009/09/14/dawn-remembers-the-quaid/feed/ 0 http://blog.otherpakistan.org/2009/09/11/quaid-e-azam-zindabad/ http://blog.otherpakistan.org/2009/09/11/quaid-e-azam-zindabad/#comments Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:18:46 +0000 Wasim http://blog.otherpakistan.org/?p=1329

Courtesy: Ali Moeen Nawazish & Zahid Shafiq

Today is technically at least the 61st death anniversary of the Quaid-e-Azam. However for this Pakistani and millions like me, the Quaid never died and can never die, period.

As Pakistanis, we are thankful for a nation that the Quaid founded after endless toil and sacrifice and for this we remain indebted to the Quaid and Allama Iqbal and our forefathers of the Pakistan Movement for all time.

Indeed words are not enough and at a personal level I must share how hard it is to write this post, indeed any post on the Quaid for no words nor  any glowing tributes  can do enough nor can they  sum up my feelings for Pakistan’s greatest. Indeed even principled opponents of the Quaid are woven by the magic of the man, just ask Jaswant Singh across the border who too has joined the Quaid’s fanclub.

So on this day, let us pledge to honour the Quaid by working each and every one of us above all for Pakistan, so that we can truly realise the Quaid’s dream of an modern Islamic state fashioned as the second Madina. The words of the Quaid who believed in Pakistan and its people must guide us and I recall them below:

‘I have full faith in my people that they will rise to every occasion worthy of our past Islamic history, glory and tradition’, nature has given you everything; you have got unlimited resources. the foundations of your state have been laid, and it is for you now to build, and build as quickly and as well as you can, so go ahead and I wish you God Speed’

QUAID-E-AZAM ZINDABAD

Pakistan is a country fighting a battle for its very survival thanks to the frantic efforts of its ever-hostile Eastern neighbour, the ineptitude of Uncle Sam on the Western border and its constant drone attacks on Pakistani areas, and General Zia’s legacy – a generation of fanatical Mullahs hell bent on destroying everything that the founders of Pakistan lived and died for.

Hardly a day passes when some depressing sorry about Pakistan does not dominate the national and increasingly the international headlines. From the Taliban imposing their tyranny on the peace loving people of Swat Valley, to the daily bombings and acts of wanton violence that blight Pakistan’s name throughout the world; to the trouble in Balochistan. Pakistan seems increasingly like a lost cause, a failed state on the brink of imploding.

Yet we must not lose heart. We must at this dark hour seek solace in the words of the Quaid: ‘Musalman musebat main ghabraya nahin karta!’ “A Muslim does not panic when adversity strikes”. The words of the Quaid’s beloved master (saw) as found in the Holy Quran are even more inspiring for the sorry state we find ourselves in “Fear not, Allah is with us”.

Yet we must not delude ourselves that a horde of angels will descend from a golden cloud and fight our battles for us. The Lord helps those who help themselves. We must overcome this nightmare ourselves with full faith that Allah will reward our efforts and Pakistan will emerge stronger than ever inshallah.

I have thought long and hard about how we can deal with the multiple challenges we currently face. Here follow my suggestions for dealing with these complex problems, I welcome feedback from readers so we can further develop these ideas and send some sort of draft policy plan to the movers and shakers in Islamabad in the (perhaps, slightly naive) hope that some of these ideas might be heeded to:

1. Break ranks with the USA. Announce that Pakistan will not tolerate any further drone attacks or breaches of its sovereignty. Pakistan will in the first instance expel the US ambassador, then take the issue to the United Nations and finally strike down any planes or drones that fly into our territory. If this leads to an aggressive stance from the US, withdrawal of aide, sanctions and possible military strikes then so be it. Pakistan will eventually be the target of the American war machine, no matter how obedient we are. So better to keep our self-respect and fight to save Pakistan than to lose our dignity as well as our country and nuclear assets.
2. Pakistan should ask NATO to seek a speedy exit from Afghanistan and ask the various factions within that country to come to the table to work out a joint strategy to govern that country. This will obviously include the Afghani Taliban. If NATO bows before the US, we should consider blocking Pakistan’s supply routes to NATO troops in Afghanistan.
3. The Government, opposition and all other stakeholders should come together and with the ‘US attacks’ excuse stripped from the terrorists a Pakistani anti – terrorist strategy should be worked out based on dealing with Jirgas, isolating the terrorist leaders and reconciling the elements who came to arms as a result of the policies of Musharraf. The deals signed should be unequivocal and should brook no compromise with those who want to establish their own mini-states or implement their own brand of Sharia. The deals should be purely based on a renunciation of violence, the arrest and trial of the main leaders of the terrorist groups and plans to develop and reconstruct the affected areas. If use of force is required against small groups of hardcore terrorists than Pakistan should not shrink from the task and seek to enrol the support of tribal or local lashkars in these attempts. Any military actions should be a last resort and carried out with due concern for minimising harm to civilian infrastructure and ordinary people.
4. Convince misguided Jihadis that fighting a war against the state of Pakistan is creating fasaad in the earth – not Jihad- and those guilty of taking up arms against the government that exists according to the principle of shura (mutual consultation as demonstrated during elections) is a worse crime than any other, being a rebellion against the Sharia itself. They should be nudged to include this in capital letters in the syllabuses of Madrassahs. It should made clear to the would be islamists that Islam cannot be implemented by coercion, and they should carry out tabligh to convince the majority to support sharia rule. This is the only legitimate way to create the kind of state that they would like to see. Madrassahs associated with people like Javed Ghamidi and others willing to give this message should be set up across Pakistan and especially in the areas where extremism is strong.
5. The government should stem the tide of rising extremism and talibanisation by promising to bring the laws of Pakistan into conformity with the Sharia. The way to do this already exists in the constitution. The recommendations of the Islamic ideology council should be brought to Parliament and discussed and debated, and brought into force as soon as they are agreed. The media should be made to obey a code of conduct that restricts shamelessness and immoral behaviour on television, radio and the print media. Law-enforcing agencies should announce a Jihad against prostitution, drugs, alchohol and gambling carrying out raids and punishing perpetrators across the country. No new laws or Taliban style moral police should be created for this Jihad. The present law of the Islamic republic should be implemented in full. As for the other ‘Islamic’ laws that Taliban supporters would like to see (like banning music, films and forcing women to stay at home in veils or strict penal laws) the moderate ulema would be utilised to convince them that they should try to ‘educate’ Muslims about the need for these laws so that a majority votes for parties willing to carry out these changes. If they can’t they should simply try to reform individuals and groups rather than raise arms against the state. All these points can be made with reference to the Quran, Sunnah and opinions of the Imams and ulema whom they respect.

No doubt some of these things might be easier said than done, and others might open up a Pandora’s box of new problems. Yet I am certain we will find no solution to our problems by ignoring the danger posed by the extremists and pretending that all the terrorists are CIA or RAW agents. Nor can we close our eyes to the hatred generated by our docility before the American aggression and its role in motivating poor, illiterate and impressionable young people to fight against their own country.

If we remain true to our principles of unity (seeking reconciliation with all reconcilable Pakistanis not least the tribals) faith (seeking to implement the Islamic provisions of the constititution) and discipline (imposing the writ of the state from a position of strength) we can and we will inshallah, save Pakistan and begin the process of creating that ‘Other Pakistan’ the Quaid’s Pakistan.

Concluding I wish to extend my warm congratulations to every Pakistani inside and outside of the country on this historic day. This is a day to cherish and celebrate Pakistan, let us unite and face our challenges by following the ideals and principles of our founding fathers.

Allama Iqbal Zindabad and Pakistan Zindabad

And yes its still martial law until the Chief Justice is sitting in court number one of the Supreme Court which will happen tomorrow INSHALLAH, hence my end comment as below:

- WRITTEN UNDER MARTIAL LAW (My thanks to cowards Tariq Pervez. Sabihuddin, Sardar Raza & Co for selling out)