l Sacred Cows – I | Pakistan Politics
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  • draasimhameed said:

    I fully agree. This corrupt civil-military class which always work in collaboration with each other , has eaten pakistan upto its roots.

    It is time for judiciary to fix the noose in their necks. But, who will be the prosecutor, can you expect any fairness from this government, who itself is a yeild of NRO.

    I as a common pakistani, wait for the day, when this blo-dy civil-military class will stand trial for its crime against this country and its 170 million inhabitants (or shall we say servants / slaves).

    26 November 2009 at 10:21 pm
  • bsobaid said:

    It forgets to mention sub-marine deal.

    Good article, thanks.

    26 November 2009 at 10:24 pm
  • griffins said:

    nice…
    but still politicians are good in doing corruption…
    seems to be politicians vs armed forces… but armed personal are gone and politicians are still here… who is dangerous??? campaign of politicians against army…

    nice article though

    26 November 2009 at 11:12 pm
  • mmmalik said:

    I CAN CONFIRM, THE FOLLOWING HAPPENED:

    In a purchase of 3000 Land Rover jeeps in 1995, Army officials allegedly received around Rs.2 billion as kickbacks.

    26 November 2009 at 11:14 pm
  • nota said:

    “Many road contracts were given to a firm Hasnain Construction Company without any public tenders by an ex Railways and Communication Minister General Ashraf Qazi. The company, owned by a relative of Gen Musharraf’s son, was also awarded the lease of a lucrative real estate in Lahore for construction of a Golf Course under frontmanship of Palm Country Golf Club, Singapore. The relative of Gen Musharraf admitted publicly that he was working for a commission to use his contacts and influence for the company.”

    Are you aware Hasnain Construction is still very much “in” even today? In fact your Prime Minister Gilani today occupies two 2-kanal houses in DHA Lahore gifted to him by the owner of that very construction company.
    (The land given to Husnain Construction for Royal Palm Golf Club belongs to Pakistan Railways)

    Most of the info in this seems to have come from A. H. Amin’s article from back in 2003. What is funny is it is also posted on the PPP’s official website under the title “Massive Charge Sheet Against Pakistan Army”. Wonder what spin will PPP put on their PM being so in with Husnain Construction now (Remember the other Mushy construction buddy — Malik Riaz — is bosom buddy of Zardari.)

    Let’s be certain this info only covers only a tip of the iceberg (and includes nothing since 2003, a period when the corruption in the military reached new heights) . It makes no mention of the fact that today the army is the biggest conglomerate, with vast holdings in industry (Fauji Foundation), real estate, and lets not forget agricultural land (it is my understanding the military also holds more agricultural land than all other feudals combined)

    ” Why the flag-bearers of NRO scenario are blind towards this aspect of institutionalised corruption in Pakistan.”
    Is this a surprise????

    · Why only politicians and bureaucrats should be punished under NAB ordinance and not the army officials.
    You are assuming too much. I don’t know of any politicians and bureaucrats who have been punished yet. Those who do get caught, are able to cut a nice deal and get away clean. For example, see the recent case of Mrs Gillani.

    Why the Parliament never thought of causing an amendment in the Army Act if the Generals cannot be investigated by NAB and cannot be tried in ordinary courts.
    I am sure the army has its own rules much stricter against corruption. Question should be why aren’t they prosecuting?

    Have any President of Pakistan, being Supreme Commander of forces, ever bothered to gather the statistics of inquiries or court martials conducted in connection with corrupt army officers and their organizations.
    Are you forgetting we have people like Zardari or Tarar for presidents. And before they can go after the army, they have to put their own house in order.

    Have the Supreme Court of Pakistan ever thought of initiating a suo moto action over any financial scam involving army generals.
    Have any Bar Association ever thought of moving a petition before the Supreme Court to bring corrupt army generals in the ambit of ‘equal citizenship’ given in the Constitution of Pakistan.
    Have any prominent anchor of media like Kashif Abbassi, Hamid Mir, Dr Shahid, Mazhar Abbas and Talat Hussain ever tried to float an opinion inviting discussions and comments of intelligentsia over the issue that if politicians and bureaucrats are being dragged in the streets of public consent then the generals should also be treated at par

    These really are silly — dare I say dishonest — questions, meant only to deflect focus away from “politicians and bureaucrats” and trying to put all of their “mulba” on others. “Politicians and bureaucrats” and “military” are all riding the same boat named “Corruption”. I will say I think the media has certainly done it’s job (of course their is a lot of room for improvement) in making us aware of various scandals. Bar associations don’t even go after their own bad apples so hardly anything can be expected from them in this regard. And SC really hasn’t been that strong — they are a little stronger today but have a long, long way to go (even today they have trouble getting police bigwigs to appear before them)

    27 November 2009 at 12:00 am
  • mir munsif said:

    Good work by Pkpolitics team by bringing counter arguments and facts against our HOLY COW Military Establishment who have enjoyed un-paralleled authority over state, bringing it near to the brink of failure.

    The accountability of Holy Cow is always IMPOSSIBLE chapter in History,one can find Politicians maligned,hanged,killed,prisoned but not a single Military Establishment and Alliance ever pass through any trial or turbulence,instead they plundered the most,while portraying them protectors of the state and Nationhood.In their appetite for power,they never gave free space to democratic system,always worked to weaken democratic systems.

    Holy Cows are exposed and such information should be passed to educate people about the illicit role of Generals and their cronies.

    27 November 2009 at 12:06 am
  • molvirpg said:

    Bravo, God bless, Excellent, excellent, excellent.

    We need this stuff come out and exposed each and every day. It must not end or stop on this article. And yes wake up so called impartial anchors or talk show hosts and educate masses about it! This is where the heart and core of corruption lies. In truth this is where it all started from, the military and field marshal Ayub Khan. This is the greatest service to Pakistani nation. Each and every evil that we face today each and every debacle and catastrophe that Pakistan has been through its 62 year history has its genesis in mega corruption by the military over decades. It is imperative that people of Pakistan know it. They are the first degree culprits in all of this. I urge to keep it up nonstop.

    27 November 2009 at 1:15 am
  • nota said:

    Here is another old one from 2002 from WaPo. It used to be here but has since been moved. Found a copy on another site though. It prettty much shows how the corruption is very much institutionalized in the military. (Military Inc. by Ayesha Siddiqa certainly added a lot more to this subject)

    Pakistanis Question Perks of Power
    Many Say Military Confuses National Interest With Its Own
    By John Lancaster
    Washington Post Foreign Service
    Friday, November 22, 2002; Page A01

    KARACHI, Pakistan — Public schools here are little more than warehouses, grim concrete shells lacking libraries, sports facilities, sometimes even teachers. Classes have as many as 60 students. But the children of Pakistani military officers almost certainly are not among them. For them, there is Army Public School O Levels.

    Geared toward preparation for the competitive O Level exams required by British universities, the handsome school is an educational showpiece whose computer, physics and biology labs would not seem out of place in an American suburb. Teachers make three times as much money as their public school counterparts.

    The officer class in Pakistan has always had a strong sense of entitlement stemming from its dominant role in defending the country and in running it, directly or from behind the scenes, for most of Pakistan’s 55-year history. It has been aided in that regard by corrupt and incompetent civilian governments, the most recent of which was toppled in 1999 by Gen. Pervez Musharraf in a coup d’etat that many Pakistanis greeted with relief.

    Three years later, though, a backlash has set in, as the military’s accumulation of lavish perks, and its growing encroachment on civilian institutions and the economy, cause many Pakistanis to ask whether uniformed leaders — like the corrupt politicians they replaced — are confusing the national interest with their own.

    Why else, they wonder, would officers’ children at the seven-year-old army school enjoy basketball courts, fields for cricket and soccer, even a petting zoo stocked with ducks and deer.

    “The army considers itself a privileged class,” Khayyam Durrani, a retired officer who is principal of the school, said with a smile. “The fact is that the actual rulers in Pakistani society are the army people, so they want their children to go to a privileged institution.”

    But among the critics of the military’s perks are members of Pakistan’s newly reconstituted parliament, which convened last week after last month’s elections for the first time since the military takeover. Lawmakers and party officials have vowed to halt what they call the militarization of government, economic and educational institutions that they say has accelerated under Musharraf’s rule.

    “I think this is one of the biggest issues that is confronting civil society in Pakistan,” said Raza Rabbani, secretary general of the Pakistan People’s Party, headed by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who lives in self-imposed exile. “Never before has the militarization of Pakistani society been as complete as it has since” Musharraf seized power.

    Some critics go a step further, accusing the military of deliberately stoking tensions with India, particularly over Kashmir, to justify its hold on resources and power. “Peace would be a disaster for the military,” said Pervez Hoodbhoy, an anti-nuclear activist and MIT-trained physicist who teaches at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad.

    There is no denying the military’s dominant role in Pakistan. The military owns the best farmland and several of the largest industrial conglomerates. Retired or active-duty military officers run the ports, postal service, electric utilities, sports federations, telecommunications authority, culture ministry, mineral development agency, anti-drug police, railroads, civil aviation authority, national shipping company and Pakistan’s biggest steel mill. They hold top administrative posts at the best universities. Many ambassadors are retired officers.
    …
    …
    The military’s primacy is reflected in the national budget, about 22 percent of which goes for defense, compared with 16 percent in the United States and 15 percent in India, according to the CIA World Factbook. The high proportion of defense spending has come at the expense of social programs in this impoverished nation of 147 million, which spends 42 percent less per capita on health care than other countries at the same income level, according to the World Bank.

    Whatever the hazards faced by Pakistani officers, they also inhabit a kind of parallel universe that insulates them from the hardships endured by other Pakistanis. Many live with their families in manicured, colonial-era “cantonments” with good schools, well-maintained roads and reliable power and water supplies.

    One of the fanciest clubs in Karachi is the Defense Housing Authority County and Golf Club, a sparkling new facility with lush fairways, a two-story driving range and a gracious stone clubhouse overlooking an inlet of the Arabian Sea. Active-duty military personnel can join the club for an initiation fee of $16, compared with $9,166 for civilians, according to the club’s fee schedule.

    Under an arcane point-based system that dates to the British Raj, the military also rewards its senior officers by allowing them to purchase agricultural and urban land from the army’s vast inventory of real estate at prices far below market value. A number of these properties are grouped into “defense societies” in tony suburbs of Karachi and other major cities. The societies are administered by the Defense Housing Authority, which ensures the provision of municipal services. Officers who acquire such land often develop it as rental property or sell it for hefty profits.

    One of Pakistan’s most coveted addresses, for example, is the blandly named Army Housing Scheme II, which is built on the site of an old antiaircraft battery in the upscale Karachi suburb of Clifton. A gated community protected by paramilitary troops, the development consists of spacious, Mediterranean-style villas grouped around a playground and an elaborately landscaped Japanese-style garden. Nearby are clothing boutiques, jewelry stores, restaurants and a yoga studio.

    Property owners in the neighborhood include several army corps commanders, Interior Minister Moeenuddin Haider, a retired general and Musharraf, who rents his large stone house to a German business executive and his wife for $1,416 per month, according to a local real estate agent. Musharraf owns seven pieces of property in all, including six residential plots and a piece of agricultural land, according to the asset list he disclosed shortly after seizing power.

    Raza, the military spokesman, said he would not comment on specific cases. But he defended the reward system, saying the army was in most cases turning over “barren” land that would not have been developed otherwise. He also said the program helps compensate for low salaries and pensions. “It’s part of the package,” he said.

    Individual perks aside, the military presides over a network of businesses and industry that ensures it a dominant role in the economy. In the 1980s, for example, the military government of Gen. Mohammed Zia ul-Haq set up the National Logistics Cell, which ferried supplies to Islamic rebels fighting to oust Soviet forces from Afghanistan. The organization is now the largest freight company in Pakistan, grabbing business from railroads and private trucking firms, according to Hasan Askari Rizvi, an academic and author who has written widely on the Pakistani military.

    In a similar vein, the military after independence established several charitable foundations to look after the welfare of retirees. They have since grown into huge business empires. The army’s Fauji Foundation, for example, is Pakistan’s largest industrial conglomerate with assets of $133 million in 1996, including sugar and cereal mills, cement plants, fertilizer factories and a power project, according to Rizvi.

    Installing men in uniform in civilian businesses and institutions did not begin with Musharraf. In 1980, Zia established a 10 percent quota for military personnel in civilian government jobs. But Musharraf, by all accounts, has taken the process further than his uniformed predecessors, dispatching military “monitoring teams” to key civilian agencies and replacing top officials with senior officers. He contends that corrupt and incompetent management by civilians left him little choice.

    Durrani, the principal of Karachi’s army school, acknowledged that he is troubled by the military’s gradual encroachment on civilian institutions. At the same time, however, he has big plans for the school, including a new auditorium and perhaps even a swimming pool.

    “I just have to convince the general,” he said, referring to the school’s chairman. “If the general wants to arrange for funds, he can.”

    Special correspondent Kamran Khan and researcher Robert Thomason in Washington contributed to this report.

    © 2002 The Washington Post Company

    27 November 2009 at 1:48 am
  • adil said:

    a fact sheet was also pulished by PML N in 2002 which is also available on its site.

    http://www.pmln.org.pk/track_record.php

    27 November 2009 at 2:00 am
  • scary said:

    I think it would be very wise that when we accuse these scums we also give proof beyond doubt. In other words disclose our sources and every other evidence that there may be. We just got to start sending them to jail, one by one. Maybe a dozen in a day. We should also make our own Guantanamo Bay. Maybe in Chitral, right up on the mountains.

    27 November 2009 at 3:00 am
  • tmukhtar said:

    Thank you so very much for loading Aal e Hashmat article. He writes quite regularly and his articles are good for bed time stories. Referring to books and tell tales can not help establish enough proof for CJ of Pakistan to move forward and help establish equal justice for all ruling stake holders.

    And what a naivity to request CJ of Supreme Court to take an action on Militray’s corrution when he could not even fulfil his promise of publishing a list of civilians who were abducted and later sold to US, by the very militray top brass who collaborated with US on first creating and now eradicating their sin terrorist child a.k.a Terrorist as Talibans of Pakistan (TTP). Also, why forgetting the fact that CJ of Supreme Court was re-instated on the orders of COAS of Pak Army. Why would CJ hurt his supporting stake holder by being ruthless to their financial misdeed which were done almost two decades ago. All such stories have already been covered in Shaheen Sahbai’s former South Asia Tribune (SAT). Soo what is the point of this story?? Is it that Don’t go after the 8041 – 35 = 8006 bureaucrats????? Or to save the 35 politicians.

    Aal e Hashmat please bring new stories with proof or learn from PKP guys how to back up allegations with documentary proof (read Rauf Klasra story on these pages). Your stories of two decades ago have already been published and ridiculed many years ago.

    27 November 2009 at 3:11 am
  • khank78 said:

    A very simple question to you:
    - Who are your sources?
    - Where the proofs?

    We can’t just believe in allegations coming from a nameless person without any reference or proof.

    PKpolitics will loose it’s credibility by publishing allegations without any reference.

    27 November 2009 at 11:22 am
  • i_shah said:

    let us try to answer the questions raised in the article:

    · Why the flag-bearers of NRO scenario are blind towards this aspect of institutionalized corruption in Pakistan.

    -Most of these flagbearers of the NRO cause are opportunists, who cannot resist the urge of mid-term elections and the chances of themselves getting popular with all the hypethey are creating over the issue. Sadly the public is equally responsible for this attitude as is shown by the growing popularity of coas kiyani in gallup surveys, desspite the fact that he and his corps cmdrs are the main shield hindering the proseqution of military corrups

    · Why only politicians and bureaucrats should be punished under NAB ordinance and not the army officials.

    -the army considers itself above the law, getting away scot free from even gruesome incidents like the humiliation of a teacher by petty army guards. i believe no action was taken against them. in a civilized society a teacher occupies the prime position of respect- not so in ours. there was some hue and cry but ultimately it died out and now we as a nation hardly remember the incident – again a case of apathy on our parts.

    · Why the Parliament never thought of causing an amendment in the Army Act if the Generals cannot be investigated by NAB and cannot be tried in ordinary courts.

    – the parliment seems afraid that kiyani and co will send them packing if they dare tread that path. the “bedaar” media keeping mum over the issue and eulogising kiyani every now and then is certainly of no helf either. the parliment is helpless even as army personell-even lowly ranks- are not ready to pay a meagre Rs. 5 toll tax over roads and bridges. when they can not extract this small amount how can we expect them to recover millions out of the corrupt generals.

    · Have any President of Pakistan, being Supreme Commander of forces, ever bothered to gather the statistics of inquiries or court martials conducted in connection with corrupt army officers and their organizations.

    -the supreme commander has never been acknowledged as such by the army. how can we expect him to act and court martial corrupt army officers. kiyani and co will act over night and depose him in “supreme national interest” with his huge unpopularity and corruption being cited as primary reason-by the corruption of the current president is nowhere near that of his military counterparts ayub/zia and old mush and even other generals/A.Ms/admirals.

    · Have the Supreme Court of Pakistan ever thought of initiating a suo moto action over any financial scam involving army generals.

    -the supreme court can only act within the ambits of the constitution, which sadly doesnot allow for them to be prosecuted in ordinary courts. even if the CJ takes action, there will be a lot of hue and cry raised in the name of the army getting demoralised in the middle of war on terror. interestingly, it was zia who laid the eggs of terrorism, which hatched into the present brood of terrorists in the form of taliban, laskar e jhangvi etc.

    · Have any Bar Association ever thought of moving a petition before the Supreme Court to bring corrupt army generals in the ambit of ‘equal citizenship’ given in the Constitution of Pakistan.

    -i guess the public’s sypathies for the army -as indicated by kiyani’s popularity graph from gallup surveys- hinders the prospect of such a scenario taking place

    · Have any prominent anchor of media like Kashif Abbassi, Hamid Mir, Dr Shahid, Mazhar Abbas and Talat Hussain ever tried to float an opinion inviting discussions and comments of intelligentsia over the issue that if politicians and bureaucrats are being dragged in the streets of public consent then the generals should also be treated at par.

    -thats one question that should be put to these popular anchors- and ourselves who make these anchors popular

    27 November 2009 at 11:36 am
  • block said:

    I guess we all need a break from politics on the occassion of Eid. I wish all of you a very happy eid with following message:

    The Mayonnaise Jar

    When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

    A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and start to fill it with golf balls.

    He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

    The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

    The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous ‘yes.’

    The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

    ‘Now,’ said the professor, as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God, Family, Children, Health, Friends and Favorite Passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

    The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

    The sand is everything else – the small stuff.

    ‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

    If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, You will never have room for the things that are important to you. So…

    Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
    Play with your children.
    Take time to get medical checkups.
    Take your partner out to dinner.

    There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

    ‘Take care of the golf balls first — things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’

    One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

    The professor smiled. ‘I’m glad ! You asked’.

    It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.’

    Shall you share this with other ‘Gof Balls’? I just did ! ! !

    27 November 2009 at 1:25 pm
  • Azizi said:

    It is a fact that corruption and crimes by Pakistani elites do not have any stigma attached to them. White-collar crimes are extremely difficult to prove. Specially, when the entire system is working in favor of the criminals. Only the sting operations can catch the corrupt red handed. But corrupt stings will not have any allergens or venom in it. Other solution is to serve China style justice.

    Reality is that majority of government officials and generals are corrupt in Pakistan as well as in the neighboring country. The difference is that everyone writes and knows about the corruption of the “civilianized” but no would dare to speak about the “non-civilized” nobles. May be our baggage of morality pinches us more to complain about corruption than those in the neighborhood?

    27 November 2009 at 1:28 pm
  • ConcernedAmericanPak said:

    I totally agree with that we should have equal standards of accountability for all the Pakistani’s including the military brass and PKP youngsters are very timely to bring this up so we do not forget that the problem of corruption is not only a political issue it is a cancer which is spared in all facets of life in Pakistan.

    My parents, my friends, my family, my school mates, my teachers almost all of us are systematical corrupted by the Pakistani system. We all had to give bribes at one point in our life and at times corruption in Pakistan is so “normal” that you do not even feel it.

    My father was an army contractor and manufacturer of army supplies and he had to be corrupt to stay in business, even in his older age he became very religious and had grew a beard and prayed five times a day and stop wearing his expensive suites, and only wore Pakistani “Islamic clothes” still to survive he had to be corrupt.

    Oneof the reasons, I left Pakistan was that I could not kiss up to people and always had feeling for the poor and could not take advantage of the poor. The question is that all of us who are writing about corruption, how corrupt we are? I know that since I came to this country, I have worked hard and stayed out of public corruption, paid my due taxes and has a simple life, but if I was in Pakistan it would have been very difficult.

    As a nation we need to collectively rise above the temptation of easy money, skipping a line, do whatever it takes to get ahead, not paying the fair share of taxes, cheating in schools and all petty crimes than we will have the courage and discipline to avoid the bigger crimes.

    As a young child, I was told that the God chooses the leaders from your own kind, the Zardari presidency is the height of Gods punishment to the nation who has accepted the cancer of corruption testily and is living with it.

    After carefully watching the Pakistani, political, ethnic, religious family Mafia’s destroying this nation piece by piece and people making deals, such as NRO and COD with the brut force of money, influence, black mail, foreign backings, I am loosing hope for my country of birth.

    Watching the President yelling at people warring a Sindhi cap and his cronies “throttling” the Sindh card, PML-N giants shriveling like little boys once threatened by the PPPP leader about their corruption and deal making, MQM commandos being challenged about their lethal acts of violence and corruption and reading about the Pak armies corruption, one wonders who is lesser of the evil?

    Do the Pakistani people have to choose the lesser of the evil, if that is the case, the question arises, who is more sincere to the country, but than again, what does that mean? I do not see any hope unless some one like Bawa or Nota shed some light on it. My understanding is that the establishment created the MQM, which I can see why, after seeing the true colors of the PPPP top leadership as an ethnic gang. Now who should they create against the MQM? Taliban’s were created by the establishment, so they created ANP?

    Punjab was the only province which elected all kind of people, did the establishment created Noon League? So they can control Punjab by controlling an undereducated business man and his brother and sons and family Mafia? Who are these so called establishment “Gods” who are able to create one monster and than create the other to fight it?

    How to deal with corruption? As some people will say, if you are complaining do you have any solution, well I can guide you and let you decide, one of the options are to start from the education system..

    The systematic discussion of corruption as an impediment to the effective delivery of education services is a relatively recent phenomenon. While a substantial amount of literature exists on the incidence of corruption in education systems, documentation relating to measures designed to combat corruption in education is still relatively sparse.

    Corruption can interfere with the delivery of educational services at three stages:

    In countries where education falls into the domain of local government units, during the transfer of resources earmarked for education from the central to the local government. Examples of corruption at this stage would include the use of resources for means other than those related to education, like the embezzlement of funds by public officials.

    During the transfer of resources from local government to schools and teachers.

    Corruption is likely to occur in the procurement of non-wage related goods and services, like the maintenance or building of schools, the design, manufacture and distribution of textbooks, the procurement of equipment such as chairs and tables, but also in the form of, for example, ghost teachers.

    During the transfer of resources from schools and teachers to the students, i.e. during the delivery of education services. Typical behaviours would include absenteeism, the acceptance of bribes in exchange for grades and/or access to schooling, and the charging of fees for students’ access to textbooks and the utilisation of school property for private commercial purposes.

    Corruption in education systems thus distorts both the quality and availability of education services, and has a negative – and, by affecting even the youngest citizens -sustainable impact on a nation’s socio-economic and political development not only

    Change of attitudes and institutional culture: Anti-corruption reform can only be sustainable if it is accompanied by a fundamental change in public attitudes to corruption. Several steps can be taken to facilitate this process, and while the respective measures address different audiences, they are all based on a combination of training, awareness raising and the creation of a feeling of ownership of the new values.

    http://www.u4.no/helpdesk/helpdesk/query.cfm?id=25

    27 November 2009 at 1:52 pm
  • Jalali said:

    Without distinction whoever looted the public money be it in civil or military should be prosecuted mercilessly and all the money recovered.

    27 November 2009 at 3:58 pm
  • sabazbagh said:

    Like many other Pakistanis, I have also been aware (since a long period of time,) of such ‘doings’ & ‘undoings’ by our ‘great’ soldiers, but mostly through indirect knowledge gained from association with ‘soldiers’ & ‘civilians’ alike.
    That is why, I have been always commenting, (not only in these columns but otherwise too,) that Zia-ul-Haq died while still saying ‘sub awaay ka awaa bigr-raah huwa hae’ but despite 11 years of absolute military rule behind him, YET he did nothing BUT ‘sweet f$$k all’ so as to ‘fix’ the bigra ‘huwa awwaa,’ what to say of putting other things right!
    Again, I, like others, usually, also comment, as to, ‘who will bell the cat’?

    27 November 2009 at 5:59 pm
  • sahibzada1 said:

    @ All

    “Is this the business of Navy that was miserably shut up in a mouse hole in Karachi Port in 1971 War?”
    “What began as an idealistic journey ends with the shady deals around creeks in Karachi which the Navy failed to defend in 1971 ”

    while i agree to most of the contents of the article…….the above extracts show either the ignorance of the writer of our history or is reflective of his personal grudge………

    Infact Navy was constantly neglected prior 1971 and one naval Chief had even resigned over his differences with Ayub Khan…….Navy Command did try to persue govenment to invest in it, but military Junta failed to realise the need for a strong navy…….
    Despite all this Pakistan Navy put-up a valiant effort in 1971…..and sank an Indian ship after whichindian Navy didn’t dare to repeat attack on Karachi…… Submarine Ghazi undertook a near impossible task and laid there lives in the line of duty…..

    It is good to comment on military’s corruption ….but why are we trying to malign our forces’ role in war time……is it Us agenda or Indian???/

    27 November 2009 at 6:31 pm
  • hafeez said:

    hamaray khoon paseenay ki kamaee k tax se khareedi huee bandooq army ne hum hi par taan rakhi hay… pakistan ki pasmandgi k asal zimmadaar fauji hain… in hi nay pakistan ko loota hay… tamaam kamzor siasat daan bhi inhi ki pedawar hain…. pak fauj aur isi pakistan ki society se corrut afraad ko khareed kar politician banatay hain… phir un ko hakoomat dilwatay hain…. phir un se corruption k maal main se hisaa(major part) vasool kartay hain… jab kabhi koee miss undestanding ho jaey to … hakoomat par qabza kar k mashal law laga detay hain… in tehaee buzdil hain… cowerd hain.. greedy hain.. pakistan par in ka bharpoor qabza hay… asli qayadat ko yeh mazboot honay nahin daingay… siaat daan ,fudal aur mulla in kay agent ka kirdaar ada kartay rahaingay aur awam zaleel o khwaar hotay rahaingay…. amrica zindabad … pak fauj zindabad

    27 November 2009 at 7:02 pm
  • draasimhameed said:

    This should be investigated. There cannot be dual standards. I’m sure, a
    transparent investigation will shut the doors of corruption. The cult of army supeiority was torn apart, when a civilian got them rescued in the wake of a humiliating surrender . There ‘s no one supeior or inferior in an islamic society ( what we claim to be ). Law is law, it should be applied equally to anyone. I’m sure when justice will speak, many mouths will be shut. The parasitic civil-military administration will resist the application of the rule of law but once it is applied, this will pave the way for a clearer and transparent tomorow for pakistan and pakistanis.

    27 November 2009 at 7:24 pm
  • jazoo said:

    Corrupt kings suppose to have an army of corrupt ministers.
    A loyal servant of king would talk in depth about the corruptions of ministers just to reduce the crime of king.
    Those corrupt minsters won’t be there if king weren’t corrupt.

    Article insinuatingly expanding the subject of corruption just to distract the focus on current corrupt elite.
    This hardcore corrupt elite is continuation of recent past corrupt elite of Musharaf.

    Its easy for SC to go after two corrupt leaders(current and recent past) but to go after an army of corrupt individuals is not possible in CJ’s lifetime.
    Another idea behind writing such article could be “eis hamam mein sab nangey hein” whom will you catch….lets start fresh with new zeal of new corruption ideas.

    27 November 2009 at 7:41 pm
  • netengr said:

    Lambi Lambi chori by Zia Mafia …where is the name of Corrupt Hameed Gul in this story ?

    27 November 2009 at 9:03 pm
  • Babloo said:

    Pkpolitics becoming Tehalka.com by exposing corrupts, insane, and coward politicians, and Gernails.

    27 November 2009 at 9:35 pm
  • agrana75 said:

    Best analysis of our so called democracy.

    http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/nov2009-daily/28-11-2009/col5.htm

    28 November 2009 at 12:17 am
  • Aftab Ahmad said:

    if America wants a transvestite, the Pakistan army will hurry up and promote a hijra through it’s rank.

    A religious bigot like Zia ul Haq was built-up when America wanted to exploit religious sentiments. And, Gen. Musharaf was nurtured as a ‘westernized’ voice when that was the need of the day. This willingness to be anything the U.S. wants is often observed by Pakistan watchers who say.

    http://ibrahimsajidmalick.com/is-pakistan-army-anti-america-not-really/433/

    someone else thinks,

    SAME IS TRUE FOR PPP.
    ie. if America wants a transvestite, the PPP will hurry up and promote a hijra through it’s jiyalas.

    28 November 2009 at 1:43 am
  • Haqueeqat said:

    Great list .. though incomplete!

    28 November 2009 at 2:16 am
  • hariskhan said:

    Assalam-o-Alaikum-Warahmat-ULLAH ALL,

    I agree with impartial, across the board, FAST!, non-discriminatory JUSTICE that obeys Islam

    I don’t care if its politicians, bureaucrats, Officials of Armed Forces or ANY other person.

    I .. WANT!!! .. impartial, across the board, FAST!, non-discriminatory JUSTICE!!! that obeys Islam

    This nation MUST!!! adhere to law of the land.

    NO!!! ONE is above the law.

    Pak Army MUST!!! accept the LAW of the LAND or it MUST DIE!!!

    Its as simple as that.

    28 November 2009 at 6:11 am
  • sabazbagh said:

    It is not very surprising that some visitors to this website, (whom I happen to know personally,) further claim to know themselves, most of the characters & their involvement as named in this featured article. In other words, they are privy to such events.
    Thus one can safely vouch about the correctness of the ‘stories’ & the personalities involved there-in.
    But, alas, or pity, NOTHING WILL EVER happen, & NO heads will ever roll. All such ‘stories’ as usual, would be ‘brushed under the carpet’ as the famous saying goes; & as it has been going-on since 1947, the year we thought we gained ‘independence’ from the British Raj.

    28 November 2009 at 7:19 am
  • abbas2 said:

    well nothing new… but good job by pkpolitics… we know very well dat our generals r extremly corrupt… dats y they were interested in kicking our politicians (altho our politicians r corrupt too) from the scene… but it z good to expose these holy cows… they hav damaged n looted our country several times… well its good there z law for grabbing chor politicians…. we know well…. how politicians r in problem these days…. coz of NRO n blablaaaa… media n every pakistani z after them…. but y there z no law for chor n ghaddar generals?????????? y our 6 lac army men always supported these dictators?????? no one here to ask from them….. i think pak army z the only institution hu has damaged pak the most…..shame on our army…. politicians r corrupt but cant compete in corruption wid these generals.

    28 November 2009 at 7:27 am
  • wbuttar said:

    @Nota

    Very well argued. But what is the solution. Only a leader of calibre can change the situation. Otherwise “Leepa Poti se kaam nahin chale ga”.

    28 November 2009 at 1:09 pm
  • ConcernedAmericanPak said:

    This is a very relevant article to the current situation in Pakistan and the Indo/American propaganda machine is working overtime to demonize the Pak army. My first comment was about that nation of Pakistan has corruption problem in all fascists of their lives.

    The Zionist Media has been able to project the current government as a legit elected government of Pakistan and they do not mention how this democracy was forced upon Pakistan by deals like NRO and COD by the two most corrupt and failed political family Mafia Bosses of the time , BB and NS, with the help of a dictator and a fake and illegal judicial system.

    Before the people of Pakistan go too far in their criticism of Pak Army, which as a free nation of conscience they have a right to do so, keep in mind the current “game of deception” played by the enemies of Pakistan and the role of the criminally insane “Asif Ali Madari and his gang of international criminals, the most dangerous, The Pakistani Neo-Con(Neo-Satan) Husain Haqqani.

    Lets start with some American comments…..

    CHL wrote on 11/28/2009 01:08:05 AM:
    Heavens to Betsy!!! How dare a civilian elected leader seek to strengthen democracy in his country? What is this… India? The Pakistani military demands that they be allowed to follow the proven successful path of North Korea without any interference from those giving charity. Beggars CAN be choosers.

    caveman1957 wrote on 11/28/2009 08:15:01 AM:
    their is not enough money in americas budget to educate the stone age people in pakistan i say no to a tax to continue this venture and dont try to sneak more funding buy ading it to phone bills and electric bills if india is not secure with its neighbor let them take care of the problem after all it only means more influx of unskilled workers that we cant afford unleash india and let them solve the problem;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

    Sir_Francis wrote on 11/28/2009 01:59:29 AM:
    American interference in Pakistan could just trigger an Islamist coup. That would make our troubles in Afghanistan look like a missed cue in a high-school Shakespeare production.

    Pakistan’s president facing military anger over his U.S. ties

    By Saeed Shah | McClatchy Newspapers

    ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Suspicions by Pakistan’s powerful army that the country’s civilian leadership is growing too close to the United States are fueling a political crisis that analysts here believe threatens the survival of the government and could divert attention from the battle against Islamic extremists.

    Military officials believe that secretly taped conversations between Pakistani President Asif Zardari and his ambassador in Washington, prove that it was at Zardari’s insistence that a $1.5 billion U.S. aid package passed by Congress in September contained several provisions that angered the Pakistani military. The military publicly protested the aid package last month.

    “The reaction (from the military) was not so much to what was in the bill but to the thought that the government was trying to create a civilian-to-civilian dialogue (with Washington),” said a senior Pakistani official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

    The army has ruled Pakistan for most its existence, with civilian rule returning only last year.

    Now the military is responding by pressing a confrontation with Zardari over the expiration of a legal amnesty for politicians that benefited many members of Zardari’s government, including the president himself and his ambassador to Washington, Husain Haqqani.

    The amnesty, known as the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), wiped away long-standing charges against politicians and bureaucrats who served between 1986 and 1999. But the Supreme Court ruled that the measure, which had been decreed in October 2007 by then President Pervez Musharraf, was unconstitutional, and it will come to an end on Saturday.

    That will expose serving ministers and senior aides to prosecution over cases that range from corruption to murder — including Zardari, who was charged with taking kickbacks when his wife, the assassinated Benazir Bhutto, served as the country’s prime minister.

    Most here argue that Zardari, who is head of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, will still have legal immunity as president. But analysts believe the military is behind a campaign to oust Zardari and, with the help of sympathetic media and opposition politicians, is using the end of the amnesty as an opportunity to strike. While dislodging the president will be tough, it is possible that he’ll be forced to transfer most of his powers to the prime minister through a constitutional amendment.

    Suspicions in the president’s camp about an attempt to isolate him were heightened when the law ministry released a list of amnesty beneficiaries that featured those close to the president, including his top aide and several cabinet ministers, but none of the allies of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

    At the center of the civil-military conflict is the relationship between Zardari’s government and Washington, with the Pakistani army resentful of the close ties and the government’s agreement with some U.S. security policies that don’t fit with the military’s view.

    The political confrontation came to the fore with the passage of the $1.5 billion U.S. aid package, which insisted on civilian control of the armed forces and threatened to cut off assistance if there were a coup. The legislation also demanded that Pakistan crack down on extremist groups that were previously considered close to the country’s army.

    A military spy agency recorded Zardari and Haqqan discussing the legislation. Knowledgeable civilian and military officials, who spoke only if they were not identified by name, said the recordings captured the two discussing how to strengthen democratic institutions in Pakistan.

    Even when there have been civilian governments in Islamabad, the military has viewed sensitive foreign and security policies as its purview. In particular, the military jealously guards its role in relations with India, Afghanistan and the United States, as well as the policy toward the country’s nuclear arsenal.

    Zardari, however, has intruded in all those areas since taking office. He’s reached out to traditional enemy India, improved relations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai — usually seen in Pakistan as dangerously close to India — and agreed with the U.S. that Pakistan must eliminate extremist groups on its soil — the same Islamic militants that the military previously used to fight proxy wars in India and Afghanistan.

    Zardari also unsuccessfully tried to place the main military spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, under civilian control, and he offered a “no first use” policy on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons to India.

    “The army does not like too much civilian interference in their internal affairs,” said Hasan Askari Rizvi, a defense commentator and author of Military, State and Society in Pakistan. “The military thinks that the Pakistan government wants to use this (U.S.) law to somehow interfere in the affairs of the military.”

    “Zardari is perceived as too dependent on or too pro the United States, and sometimes not quite in agreement with the strategic view of the army,” said Arif Nizami, a political analyst and former newspaper editor.

    The law ministry’s list of amnesty beneficiaries contained over 8,000 names, including bureaucrats and party workers, on charges ranging from murder to embezzlement.

    The list includes Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Ports Minister Babar Khan Ghauri, Overseas Pakistanis Minister Farooq Sattar, the governor of Sindh province,Ishratul Ebad, and the president’s top aide, Salman Farooqui.

    Also on the list are the high commissioner to London, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, and the ambassador to Washington, Haqqani — who both deny taking advantage of the amnesty. Haqqani has sued to have his name removed from the list.

    28 November 2009 at 3:34 pm
  • ConcernedAmericanPak said:

    For @Bawa, The present global situation reminds me of Bob Dylan’s song Eve of Destruction.

    The eastern world it is explodin’,
    Violence flarin’, bullets loadin’,
    You’re old enough to kill but not for votin’,
    You don’t believe in war, but what’s that gun you’re totin’,
    And even the Jordan river has bodies floatin’,
    But you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
    Ah, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.

    Don’t you understand, what I’m trying to say?
    Nn, Can’t you feel the fears that I’m feeling today?
    If the button is pushed, there’s no running away,
    There’ll be no one to save with the world in a grave,
    Take a look around you, boy, it’s bound to scare you, boy,
    And you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
    Ah, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.

    Yeah, my blood’s so mad, feels like coagulatin’,
    I’m sittin’ here, just contemplatin’,
    I can’t twist the truth, it knows no regulation,
    Handful of Senators don’t pass legislation,
    And marches alone can’t bring integration,
    When human respect is disintegratin’,
    This whole crazy world is just too frustratin’,
    And you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
    Ah, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.

    Think of all the hate there is in Red China!
    Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama!
    Ah, you may leave here, for four days in space,
    But when your return, it’s the same old place,
    The poundin’ of the drums, the pride and disgrace,
    You can bury your dead, but don’t leave a trace,
    Hate your next-door-neighbour, but don’t forget to say grace,
    And you tell me over and over and over and over again my friend,
    you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction. mmm, no, no.
    you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.

    Source: Sing365.com – Url.: http://tinyurl.com/yaavkpr

    28 November 2009 at 4:00 pm
  • Justice4all said:

    How about corruption of CIVIL BEAUCRACY? All these DMG/POLICE/FORIEGN SERVICE/ACCOUNTS GROUP/etc……
    please SOMEONE write about these SACRED COWS too,
    Police in particular which is the other name of CORRUPTION, from a KAKA Sepoy to IG, the only income they can digest easily without a burp is HARAAM.
    Matter of fact we, as a whole nation are deep deep into HARAAM, the only people who donot eat HARAAM are the ones who were raised on Rizq-e-Halal or those who donot get an oppurtunity to get HARAAM.
    SO when HARAAM is everywhere, what else should we expect for our fate other than what we are going through these days, after all, ALLAH(SWT) has to prove his revelation too.

    28 November 2009 at 10:17 pm
  • trika007 said:

    Very Good p.poltics, the nation should know whats going on. They all corrupt thats why they defend each other, Asif Zardari apent 8 years in jail but everybody know he is a very very corruput but nobody intrested to prove it because they all( generals and politican) are” ek hi theli kay chatay batay”

    28 November 2009 at 10:21 pm
  • paki.revolution said:

    Great stuff. Very important.

    It is indeed a pity that the army and bureaucrats corruption isn’t discussed more often on the media, though I still believe that the politicians should bear most of the brunt. Why? They are the representatives of the people – they are given the power to create policy. Bureaucrats and military officers can’t be thrown out by the people.

    Good work.

    28 November 2009 at 10:27 pm
  • sabazbagh said:

    @ ConcernedAmericanPak.
    Sometimes your comments force me think that probably your are wasting your time by showing too much eagerness in pointing mistakes amongst us. All Pakistanis may not be as bad as we presume nor all ‘goras’ can be an ‘ideal’ or an ultimate standard of perfection to follow.
    While you are still away from your homeland, could you please write a featured article & present on this website & inform us of the negative points of the Western society which our pro-Western writers do not portray while ridiculing our Pakistani society & praising only life in the West?

    29 November 2009 at 11:49 am
  • sabazbagh said:

    @ paki.revolution.
    I am sorry I disagree with your above comment as in the last sentence.
    I STRONGLY believe any ‘bad guy’ can be ‘sorted-out’ whether a bureaucrat or a military officer, if there IS A ‘WILL’ BEHIND IT.
    That’s why it is said ‘ If there is a WILL, there is a WAY!
    It was the ‘WILL’ behind the Fidel Castro’s Cuba that killed maximum ‘BAD GUYS’ in the 60′s & again it was the ‘WILL’ behind Ayattullah Khomenie’s Iranian revolution in the 70′s that eliminated all the ‘bad guys’ of that time, including a serving Iranian Air Force officer, who was shot to death by a military firing squad, for the following reasons:-
    He was charged with corruption for wasting govt fuel which was intended to fly him, only on official duties; & not to fly (often,) his fighter jet to visit his home town (a few hundred miles away,) in order to meet his family.
    Take another extreme example of our PAF, as follows:-
    The then PAF Chief Anwar Shamim’s wife Tahira’s purse was left behind at home in Peshawar when she flew to Karachi to attend a ‘ladies only’ meeting of PAFWA (or, PAF Women’s Association.)
    She forgot her purse at home & a special C-130 airplane was ‘ordered’ to be flown directly from Peshawar to Karachi to collect her purse from her home & deliver it to her.
    Yet another: During Air Marshal Anwar Shamim’s tenure as Air Chief, PAF came to be known as TAF (or as Tahira Air Force) because NOT ONLY due to her over-bearing & boorish attitude, (but also because every other decision made at that time,) at the highest level in the PAF, directly flowed from ‘her’!
    Our PAF HERO Air Cdre M.M. Alam was thoroughly ‘disgruntled’ mainly due to ‘such reasons’ & despite being an ACE FIGHTER PILOT & A WAR HERO, was conveniently removed from the center of activity & ‘sidelined’ placing him into an inferior position.
    took the initiative of reporting the same matter directly to ‘Mard-i-Haq’ Zia-ul-Haq, who 1st made him to wait ‘outside’ for over an hour before an ‘audience’ was granted by the CMLA (or by ‘C’ancel ‘M’y ‘L’ast ‘A’nnouncement.)
    Then all our great ‘Mard-i-Haq’ did was to listen to the ‘ whole story’ & then tell M.M. Alam that he was ‘ALREADY AWARE’ of it; (meaning thereby that he could do nothing in that matter, or ALL THAT HE COULD DO was ‘Sweet F##k all’ !)
    The last portion of the story was told to me by a common friend. Ask any friend/relative or any acquaintance in the PAF, who will give more such narrations.

    29 November 2009 at 2:55 pm
  • c hussain said:

    Switzerland has through a referendum banned the construction of minarets over the mosques. This clearly speaks of their bias against Islam and their hidden prejudices against the Muslims which in fact is very rampant in the whole of Europe. We should not forget how they slaughtered poor Muslim Bosnians and the NATO forces just overlooked them and ignored them. And yet we Muslims and our rulers steal our money and deposit them in Swiss banks – We really dont have any conscience and we are the people whose rulers didn’t even protest when Denmark artists drew caricatures and published them. Shame on our rulers – present and past.

    29 November 2009 at 3:21 pm
  • sabazbagh said:

    Specal flights for Special Animals/Special People.
    I hope many people don’t forget that Air Chief Anwar Shamim flew special cows & buffaloes (of Faisalabad) to USA by Pakistani C-130 cargo planes before he retired from service.
    A well-known story has done many rounds within the PAF, how Tv actress Ateeqa Odho flew all alone with then Air chief Air Marshal Abbas Khattak for a sojourn in the Maldives, in his personal Aircraft, (probably then, a ‘few’ seater especial Learjet or a Beach craft?)
    It is also an old story how Abbas Khattak got his promotion to the rank of an Air Chief, simply on the recommendation of Asif Zardari, the spouse of the then PM Benazir Bhutto, coz’ of their ‘wining & dining’ together.
    Unbelievable!

    29 November 2009 at 5:52 pm
  • ConcernedAmericanPak said:

    @sabazbagh

    While you are still away from your homeland, could you please write a featured article & present on this website & inform us of the negative points of the Western society which our pro-Western writers do not portray while ridiculing our Pakistani society & praising only life in the West?

    I commend you for taking a stand for the Pakistani Society, but to ask me write about the negative points of the western society is a very difficult challenge. There is no such thing as a homogenized western society, the Europeans are different then the colonies, such as The Australian, American and Canadians. I live in North America in California, Bay Area in a small bedroom community of 50,000+ people, in Silicon Valley.

    I went to collage and university in the same area and have been living here for a long time. The word society is very comprehensive set of interaction amongst the people or even animals.

    so·ci·e·ty [sə s ətee](plural so·ci·e·ties)
    n
    1. relationships among groups: the sum of social relationships among groups of humans or animals

    2. structured community of people: a structured community of people bound together by similar traditions, institutions, or nationality

    3. customs of a community: the customs of a community and the way it is organized, e.g. its class structure the role of women in society

    4. subset of community: a particular section of a community that is distinguished by particular qualities In those days, the subject was never mentioned in polite society.

    5. prominent people: the prominent or fashionable people in a community, or their social life

    6. companionship: the state of being with other people seek the society of coworkers

    7. group sharing interests: an organized group of people who share an interest, aim, or profession

    [Mid-16th century. Via French < Latin societas "companionship" < socius "companion"]

    -so·ci·e·tal, , adj

    What aspect of society would you like me to discuss, because in each of the above, I find that the American are much better than the most of the third world countries due to their wealth and good governance and a strong legal system.

    If you want to compare the morality such as “Zinna”, which one of the writers has labeled Imran Khan as a Zani and me as a supporter of a Zani is different, because more than 50% of the American population is born out of wedlock, the blacks are more than 70%. In our society that is a taboo and technically the majority of the Americans are “Haramiees”, Bastards: (A child born out of wedlock)

    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS341US341&ei=stESS_mfJpOusgO7g7TmAQ&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&ved=0CAYQBSgA&q=born+out+of+wedlock+Americans+basterds%3F&spell=1

    Each society has different norms and religious social and moral values. As far as social values are concerned the West is way ahead of us Pakistani’s the moral values and the foreign policies is a different animal, especially the foreign policy, I have great issues with and I condemn it and write about it in the American media.

    As I said, kindly give me some pointers so I can compare, otherwise I may have to write a book, and my health does not permit it. I hope it may help you. A good friend is the one who shoes you your weaknesses and be honest about it. I am a friend of Pakistan not a foe.

    29 November 2009 at 8:04 pm
  • nota said:

    @sabazbagh
    “She forgot her purse at home & a special C-130 airplane was ‘ordered’ to be flown directly from Peshawar to Karachi to collect her purse from her home & deliver it to her.”

    This reminded me of the very recent incident:
    Missing purse: Singer forces PIA flight back to airport
    What gave this third-rate singer, Shabnam Majeed, the power to divert flights? Having ”performed” at the Presidency!

    Things have ‘improved’, haven’t they? :-)

    30 November 2009 at 4:11 am
  • murtazahasaan said:

    It is not fair enough to “categorize” the military as corrupt. The media should help by showing how effectively they are fighting terrorism in the country by putting their own lives on the line. The ongoing operation in South Waziristan is an example. There should be more positivity in the country regarding this matter.

    30 November 2009 at 11:09 am
  • sabazbagh said:

    I think Shabnam Majeed’s story has been taken from the following link:-
    http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/south-asia/pia-plane-returns-mid-flight-to-find-singers-handbag_100233128.html
    Here is another link about how she looks like;-
    http://www.google.com.pk/#hl=en&q=pics+of+shabnam+majeed+&meta=&aq=f&oq=pics+of+shabnam+majeed+&fp=1f18944bb9a1983b
    Also very nice comments on her by Dawn newspaper, as follows:-
    http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/images/shabnam-majeed-is-a-flight-stopper
    ‘Call it a flight of fancy or whatever you like, but a local singer Shabnam Majeed can not only turn heads on Pakistani
    soil but can also turn passenger planes’ route midair.. . . .If singing can make you control airplanes, can’t it inculcate some sense in you. . . . ?

    30 November 2009 at 3:45 pm
  • sabazbagh said:

    @ ConcernedAmericanPak.
    Thanks of your approval of me for ‘taking a stand, for the
    Pakistani society.’ If you, really & seriously ‘sanction’ my right to do so, then I suggest please take a ‘dig’ & DO NOT LOOK BACK by indulging in any ‘rhetoric’ as an escape route for yourself.
    I am NOT CHALLENGING you; no, not at all. Just make a ‘START’ somewhere, & ‘by Jove’ you will soon feel like ‘controlling’ yourself & to ‘put a stop’ by your own self, somewhere.
    Here is a link of poems by the famous English poet, Wordswoth, which can help you in your said task:-
    http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/henry_wadsworth_longfellow/quotes
    Please read the following quote from the above poems of Henry Wordsworth Longfellow, which will provide you with a guidance:-
    ‘Each morning sees some task begun, each evening sees it close; Something attempted something done, has earned a night’s repose.’
    After going to ‘college & university’ in the same area & after living there for a long time’ gives you a very good ‘insight’ about their ‘good & bad’ points.
    As for us, Muslims, their society is a ‘DECAYING’ one. I want you to ‘DISCUSS” every aspect of their society; BUT I AM SORRY TO DISAGREE with you, when you find the Yankee ‘BuSTARDS’ OR ‘BASKETS’ much better than the 3rd World countries.
    Sorry again, I tend to disagree that in social values, they are ‘way ahead of us.’ Just by making a ‘Que’ or a ‘beeline’ does not make them socially better than us.
    Once a ‘HARAMI’ will always be a ‘Harami;’ sorry nothing can change that status of theirs.
    Maybe, I cannot make myself MORE clear in this short space available here; but maybe if I had an access to your e-mail address, then I could dwell upon it, in a much better manner.

    30 November 2009 at 5:24 pm
  • Saloo297 said:

    To: khank78
    What is the evidence against Zardari he was in jail for 10 plus years but nothing was proved. I think Zardari is corrupt to bone but we do not have the evidence to convict him in a court of law.

    How did Ijaz ul Haq, Hamyun Akhtar and others make that money. It is money tainted in blood of the Pakistani and Afghan people.

    Has any army official (event a lowly ranked captian) gone to jail only politicians have gone to jail.

    It is time to make a NAB for Fauji’s only. If we only prosecute Zia ul Haq and Akhtar abdul Rehman we will easily recover the amount of our foreigh debt which is 51.6 billion USD

    May Allah give us the courage to bring these army thugs to justice

    30 November 2009 at 7:31 pm
  • ahamin said:

    NOTA SAHIB

    Thanks for quoting my article written after five years research and first printed by Shaheen Sehbai in South Asia Tribune.It was later picked up by PPP and put on their website.

    I met Yusuf Raza Gillani in 2002 or 2003 in Sindbad Restaurant Multan at the Seraiki Congress.He was in a bad shape having been released from jail and told him about the article.He was unaware.I had known him since early 80s when I was posted in Multan as a cavalry officer.

    Now its all very sad.I met a contractor in 1999 and he told me how his company was lowest bidder in Makran Coastal Highway and Musharraf now in power gave it to FWO the army organisation which was seventh highest bidder,told FWO to change design and bring cost lower than the lowest.This is a liberty never given to a contractor and is sheer dishonesty.I agreed to help him , gave the story to omar quraishi of dawn who got it published in DAWN.I told the contractor to go to Supreme court,he did so and supreme court never gave a decision.FWO gave most of the work to civilians with underhand dealings to civilian contractors on the coastal highway.

    Shahbaz Sharif gave 8 Billion work to NLC on Lahore Ring Road just recently without bidding at 15 % higher than NESPAK Consultant estimate.NLC gave the same 8 billion rs job to civilians at 30 % lower rates without bidding.I sent an article to newspapers but non one published it.Clearly there is a racket.

    The Jahangir Karamat tanks commission story was first broken out by me in NATION Lahore in 2003 in an article titled Kargil Conspiracy.No one ever challenged it but there the matter ended.

    GEO and all these yellow journalists are instruments of agencies.Now the agenda is to bring a Murgh i dast amoz of the armys choice as i wrote in an article on chowk called NRO is just a name.However now the situation is so bad that not even a bismark or napoleon would be able to change pakistans real quagmire.Just see what happens in next five years.

    Interestingly in submarine deal civilians did not take more than 5 million while 40 million went to ministry of this that and to uniform guys.

    its all very unfortunate.when we read this we realise that every day suicide bombers are being created.i am not a religious man but i can understand why they are doing it.its no indian or jewish conspiracy i tell you.may be the foreigners make use of it but all thats happening is connected with our internal failures.

    cheers and best regards

    Agha H Amin

    30 November 2009 at 8:37 pm
  • ahamin said:

    not only is the NRO civilian specific , it is PPP specific , Sindh specific and Karachi specific

    30 November 2009 at 8:41 pm
  • ahamin said:

    pakistani press is neither free nor autonomous.it is free in a certain manipulated manner.it knows its bounds and limits.yes it can criticise politicians but not the generals and not the politicians who are in generals good books.

    no so called bold TV journalist took up the most dubious purchase of phenom jets by PAF for VIP movement in any seriousness.These were not required and a big dra8in on budget of airforce.

    no so called bold TV journalist took up the issue of purchase of the near obsolete Russian mid air refueling aircraft by PAF.

    Ex airchief had agreed to testify about a dubious PAF deal but later simply disappeared on pretext that army chief had told him not to appear before the assembly committee.

    30 November 2009 at 9:10 pm
  • ahamin said:

    the writer of the article refers to his word by word reproduction from the PPP website as a major political partys work.The correct position is that someone in the PPP picked up my article published in South Asia Tribune verbatim and published it.

    the link is:–

    http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:d7-UuP_5zVEJ:www.satribune.com/archives/aug10_16_03/P1_chargesheet.htm+Lahore+High+court+presented+a+massive+charge+sheet&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=pk

    the second is again my article discussing the same facts again in south asia tribune:–

    http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:gxHqYp1BJaoJ:www.satribune.com/archives/jul06_12_03/opinion_amin.htm+pakistans+looters+and+plunderers&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=pk

    30 November 2009 at 9:33 pm
  • ConcernedAmericanPak said:

    @sabazbagh

    Thank you for a great link of poems …..

    If the corruption is a viable gage of a bankrupt society, please work on improving that and then we can talk about anything else…..

    November 17, 2009
    Transparency International 2009: Muslim-majority Countries Among the Most Corrupt on Earth

    The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) table shows a country’s ranking and score, the number of surveys used to determine the score, and the confidence range of the scoring.

    The rank shows how one country compares to others included in the index. The CPI score indicates the perceived level of public-sector corruption in a country/territory.
    The CPI is based on 13 independent surveys. However, not all surveys include all countries. The surveys used column indicates how many surveys were relied upon to determine the score for that country.
    The confidence range indicates the reliability of the CPI scores and tells us that allowing for a margin of error, we can be 90% confident that the true score for this country lies within this range.

    Note from Rafik Beekun: In spite of Islam’s continuous emphasis on ethical behavior in business and other walks of life (see my book on Islamic Business Ethics for example) Muslims are not living up to what Islam asks of them. For the sake of comparison, I have included those countries whch are NOT muslim-majority countries, but are among the least corrupt on earth (e.g. New Zealand, Denmark, etc.) as well a couple of countries with sizeable Muslim minorities (e.g. India) . I have also included Israel as a reference point.

    Rank Country/Territory CPI 2009 Score Surveys Used Confidence Range
    1 New Zealand 9.4 6 9.1 – 9.5
    2 Denmark 9.3 6 9.1 – 9.5
    3 Singapore 9.2 9 9.0 – 9.4
    3 Sweden 9.2 6 9.0 – 9.3
    5 Switzerland 9 6 8.9 – 9.1
    6 Finland 8.9 6 8.4 – 9.4
    6 Netherlands 8.9 6 8.7 – 9.0
    8 Australia 8.7 8 8.3 – 9.0
    8 Canada 8.7 6 8.5 – 9.0
    8 Iceland 8.7 4 7.5 – 9.4
    11 Norway 8.6 6 8.2 – 9.1
    22 Qatar 7 6 5.8 – 8.1
    30 United Arab Emirates 6.5 5 5.5 – 7.5
    32 Israel 6.1 6 5.4 – 6.7
    39 Brunei Darussalam 5.5 4 4.7 – 6.4
    39 Oman 5.5 5 4.4 – 6.5
    46 Bahrain 5.1 5 4.2 – 5.8
    49 Jordan 5 7 3.9 – 6.1
    56 Malaysia 4.5 9 4.0 – 5.1
    61 Turkey 4.4 7 3.9 – 4.9
    63 Saudi Arabia 4.3 5 3.1 – 5.3
    65 Tunisia 4.2 6 3.0 – 5.5
    66 Kuwait 4.1 5 3.2 – 5.1
    84 India 3.4 10 3.2 – 3.6
    89 Morocco 3.3 6 2.8 – 3.9
    99 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 7 2.6 – 3.4
    99 Senegal 3 7 2.5 – 3.6
    111 Algeria 2.8 6 2.5 – 3.1
    111 Djibouti 2.8 4 2.3 – 3.2
    111 Egypt 2.8 6 2.6 – 3.1
    111 Indonesia 2.8 9 2.4 – 3.2
    120 Bolivia 2.7 6 2.4 – 3.1
    120 Ethiopia 2.7 7 2.4 – 2.9
    120 Kazakhstan 2.7 7 2.1 – 3.3
    120 Mongolia 2.7 7 2.4 – 3.0
    126 Syria 2.6 5 2.2 – 2.9
    126 Tanzania 2.6 7 2.4 – 2.9
    130 Lebanon 2.5 3 1.9 – 3.1
    130 Libya 2.5 6 2.2 – 2.8
    130 Maldives 2.5 4 1.8 – 3.2
    130 Mauritania 2.5 7 2.0 – 3.3
    130 Nigeria 2.5 7 2.2 – 2.7
    130 Uganda 2.5 7 2.1 – 2.8
    139 Bangladesh 2.4 7 2.0 – 2.8
    139 Pakistan 2.4 7 2.1 – 2.7
    143 Azerbaijan 2.3 7 2.0 – 2.6
    143 Comoros 2.3 3 1.6 – 3.3
    154 Côte d´Ivoire 2.1 7 1.8 – 2.4
    154 Yemen 2.1 4 1.6 – 2.5
    158 Tajikistan 2 8 1.6 – 2.5
    162 Kyrgyzstan 1.9 7 1.8 – 2.1
    168 Iran 1.8 3 1.7 – 1.9
    168 Turkmenistan 1.8 4 1.7 – 1.9
    174 Uzbekistan 1.7 6 1.5 – 1.8
    176 Iraq 1.5 3 1.2 – 1.8
    176 Sudan 1.5 5 1.4 – 1.7
    179 Afghanistan 1.3 4 1.0 – 1.5
    180 Somalia 1.1 3 0.9 – 1.4

    30 November 2009 at 10:12 pm
  • Aftab Ahmad said:

    Petroleum Prices HIKE

    I think we have talked much about corruption now is the time to condemn a truly unfair and cruel act by government.

    For what reason have they increased the prices. Without any justification they have increased prices by a big amount.
    This is an open terrorism.
    Our public is also keeping silent. No media will come to pressurize government on this. and government will rise the prices of electricity, gas, petrol etc again and again.

    Please please we have to do something.

    1 December 2009 at 4:40 am
  • sabazbagh said:

    @ Saloo927.
    Wouldn’t it be better if a genuine lawyer answers your question on this website regarding 10 years or more, jail to any convict with out any evidence against that person? Then Who/what is at fault? Any one, or more individuals or the whole system?
    Every Pakistani knows the financial condition of Ijaz-ul- Haq/Hamayun Akhtar/ others before & after the death of their fathers, (one the self-appointed ‘boss’ of Pakistan, while other the head if the I S I.) But has any legal/auditing agency investigated/ given it’s conclusion, all these ‘donkey’ years?
    Ask any Legal/Bar Association & they will provide details of a great many cases, where militarily officers & men, belonging to the three Services (i.e; Army,Navy & Air Force, who, since 1947,) have been convicted/punished/jailed for committing various, minor & major offenses under the Pakistan Penal Code/Military Law.
    Finally, shouldn’t there be a Govt mouthpiece/ agency, which is answerable to the parliament, & who tells us where has ‘millions & billions’ of Pak Rs/U.S. $s/U.K Sterling Pounds have finally landed since 1947, , after their recovery from those involved in political scams? Did it go back into the pockets of the recovery-officers & men ?

    1 December 2009 at 8:10 am
  • Wahid Doyum said:

    Major (retd) AH Amin, I suggest you go back to drinking your scotch and looking at porn while stationed in Kabul serving your communist khalq masters.

    Your checkered past is well known to some of us.

    1 December 2009 at 8:51 am
  • Wahid Doyum said:

    There is corruption in the army just like in every other institution in the country, but many of these allegations are unproven and blown out of proportion. Military contracts can never be directly compared to civilian contracts, as it’s not always about the lowest bidder, but quality and features can play a very crucial role in warfare.

    For example, the “obsolete” air refuler that AH Amin mentions is the same one the Indians will use and is needed for the JF-17. AH Amin, you may know your tanks, but you’re not an expert on fighter jets.

    1 December 2009 at 8:57 am
  • mir munsif said:

    The latest eye opening event to share you..see how agencies are harassing and attacking Journalists and those who dare to highlight their heinous and illicit acts.

    kamran Shafi’s house attacked in Waha.

    http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/columnists/kamran-shafi-in-it-up-to-our-necks-129

    Big Shame for Shameless Military Economic Umpire!!!!

    Lets denounce all such heinous acts by Agencies.

    1 December 2009 at 10:06 am
  • sabazbagh said:

    @ ahamin.
    I among others would not have known that your article was ‘picked up’ & reproduced verbatim, had you not later interjected ; nor anything about your service with an Armored Corp unit, (the 19 Lancers,) till after going through you profile. I was also pleased to know about your literary contributions which reflect your past army service.
    You will definitely agree with me that most of the names & events stated in the said articles, are common knowledge, especially to most of Army/Armored Corp guys & to their equal # of civilian colleagues/friends/relations. Most of present readers/others can vouch about the correctness of ‘facts’ & info, stated there-in. There is no denial on that account.
    Don’t you feel that somebody has (indirectly,) tried to do you a ‘favor’ by reproducing your said article on this website; which otherwise MAY NOT HAVE HAD acquired such a wide/mass circulation?

    1 December 2009 at 11:43 am
  • sabazbagh said:

    @ mir munsif.
    Everything that Zardari is doing is a follow-up of what his mentor Musharaf did. Attack-on/harassing-of Journalists/others is NOTHING NEW. Again no amount of denouncement will ever put an end-to or reduce such heinous & shameless acts of the agencies.
    Simple solution: Just hang those responsible by their necks to the nearest pole in the public square. That’s it. There are no short-cut solutions.

    1 December 2009 at 12:42 pm
  • ahamin said:

    sazbagh sahib.thanks for your kind remarks.

    i am fifth generation soldier.grand fathers grandfather was in 5th and 8th light cavalry disbanded in 1857.his son was in cavalry and later punjab police.his son was an assistant secretary in ministry of defence before partition and retired in 1954.my father was a brigadier.its a tragedy that 95 % officers were not involved in any racket but a small minority was.i played squash with musharraf in 1992-93.his father was a clerk with my khaloo in foreign service while my uncle was from last batch of ICS and first batch of foreign service.musharraf was a well meaning man and we had great expectations from him.i even warned him about the impending conspiracy against him in wrtiting on 7th october 1999.we had great expectations but he changed later on.once you write some facts there are characters who get very angry.i did not make one penny froas m writing these articles nor did any party reward me.all that i wrote was for my inner satisfaction.i wrote more than 100 articles for NATION but was not paid for a single one.nor did i demand payment.sadly most of the TV journalists are lifafa journalists.

    please do read my writings on scribd.

    i was commissioned in 11 cavalry (also known as PAVO).Later served in 58 cavalry,15 Lancers,29 Cavalry,14 Lancers and commanded 5 Independent Squadron at Okara.in addition i served in 3rd armoured brigade as an MTO and at tactical wing school of armour as instructor.

    i did not serve in 19 lancers but saw it closely as my brigade unit in 1985-86 and developed a great respect for this most outstanding unit.Brigadier Arshad Mian Iqbal and Major Sultan were my close friends in this regiment.

    1 December 2009 at 12:50 pm
  • ahamin said:

    we must support Kamran Shafi.He is a man of conviction and knowledge.What he writes is out of conviction.

    i am not surprised that he has definite views about who has done it.

    i was deeply anguished and hurt to learn that the military has black listed many retired officers from entering army messes including general hameed gul.

    i didnot agree with many of his views and we both were at logger heads but i found hameed gul a thorough professional miles above many senior officers that i saw.it was disgusting to find that the army has blacklisted such illustrious officers.

    1 December 2009 at 12:58 pm
  • Agha H Amin said:

    wahid doyum my sources for technical analysis are one ex air chief , one Russian airforce general and two top notch air commodores of airforce far more professional than you.

    if a man is ignorant like you he can get an experts opinion.

    1 December 2009 at 7:17 pm
  • Wahid Doyum said:

    Than explain to us Agha Amin, your “business” interests in Kabul, your pay masters and drinking buddies in your circle of fellow khalq communists. It is army people like you have driven the army and the country into the gutter, but refuse to acknowledge the immense damage people like you have caused by being part of the so called 95% “honest” officers. In fact 95% of your lot are corrupt to the core who have ruined Pakistani federation by first inventing Taliban now trying to fight one faction of this frankenstein creation of the Pakistan Army.

    Also, your air force sources are 100% wrong in this case, no matter their rank. In fact in the military, the higher the rank, the more wrong their opinion is on technical matters. Ask your air force buddies which cheaper option they would have for air to air refueling for the JF-17 that the PAF can acquire on short notice. Go ahead and ask them. While at it, take a look at which other countries are suing the same platform and what dual purpose advantage the PAF’s version will have.

    2 December 2009 at 2:10 am
  • publicmb said:

    It is so bad that corrupt ARMY officers reach at the top while honest are thrown out in mid-way.

    5 December 2009 at 2:01 pm

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