After spending seven great days in Lahore, I am convinced that Lahore, being the cultural hub of the country, is one of the most beautiful cities of Pakistan. I applaud the chief minister of Punjab, who despite having a barrage of flaws in his governance, especially with regards to health, education and law and order sectors, has successfully been able to maintain the beauty of this city. Unlike any other provincial government, the government of Punjab makes a conscious effort to give beautification the priority that it deserves by strictly adhering to a no-graffiti policy; hence we are greeted with beautiful and clean walls as seen in other civilised nations. This, however, is not true for Karachi, a city where there is more graffiti than there are walls. The roads, despite being narrow, have managed to accommodate smooth traffic flow with strict traffic laws, all thanks to the Chaudhry brothers for setting a bench mark in the traffic management sector. The difference between the two cities can be seen from the time of arrival at the respective airports. In Karachi, when we get out of the airport premises, we are welcomed by huge billboards of Shahi Syed followed by the Sunni Tehreek, Pir Pagara and Sindhi nationalist leaders giving visitors a feel of the political environment in the city that overshadows beauty. Lahore, on the other hand, has a more aesthetic appeal. The route back from the airport is covered with lush green and yellow mustard fields, shamelessly boasting the beauty and splendour they behold. Although this is just one of the few good aspects of Lahore, one of the things that would be seen as most commendable by Karachiites, is the fact that a majority of homes in Lahore have low boundary walls around their houses, showing that they are very comfortable with their environment and do not feel threatened by any lack of security. Karachiites, on the other hand, apart from installing top notch security systems in their houses, not only build high walls but further burglar proof it by setting up broken glass pieces or pointed iron on the rims of the walls to protect their homes from potential thieves. Lahore is famous for its food street and the deliciousness it offers, evidencing the fondness with which the people of Lahore enjoy their food. In this case, Karachiites are enthusiastic about food too, but they are more concerned about eating the ‘right kind’ of healthy food than consuming everything for the sake of eating, which is a trait I found amusing about the Lahoris. Personally, I found Lahore to be too provincial, with a lot of focus on just the Punjabi language and a lot of Punjabi people; however, Karachi prides itself on giving a true cosmopolitan feel to the city. Karachiites speak in English, write in Urdu, think in Balochi and dream in Sindhi. Perhaps, it would be appropriate to attribute the unity amongst Lahoris, to the fact that Punjabi is the only language, apart from English and Urdu, spoken in Lahore. Karachi, with its complex demographics allows everyone to do whatever they feel is right in the garb of “Karachi is for everyone”. The people of Lahore love Mustafa Kamal, but hate the MQM although Karachi’s mainstream political party has managed to open offices in various cities of Punjab. They love MQM’s well-spoken work force, organisation and management. While some urban Punjabis do hold a soft corner for the MQM, the majority does not. But the one trait in Lahoris that impressed me the most was their civic sense. You won’t see them spitting pan or gutka on the roads or elsewhere; you won’t see people littering; they are more conscious of their environment and make an effort to keep it clean and beautiful. Another interesting thing I observed is that there were hardly any cab services running in Lahore. Initially, I thought that the fortunate city with the help of the chief minister of Punjab would be rich with yellow cabs but surprisingly enough, this was not the case. The chief minister, however, is passionate to resolve the transportation issues for Lahories by initiating various CNG bus programs etc, ignoring the fact that the city bears at least three days off for CNG. Funnily enough, the curiosity between the lifestyle of Karachiites and Lahoris is very evident, especially  when Karachiites are shown around the city, the Lahoris boast their sky scrapers and shopping malls, all the while, subtly asking whether such things exist in Karachi or not. The cross province communication gap should be something that both cities work toward overcoming in the future. In short, Karachi is a huge city trying to accommodate multiple cultures; it is fast-paced, pulsating and dynamic. But Lahore, including recent developments in the city’s infrastructure, prides itself on having safeguarded Pakistan’s rich culture and traditions, which may be lost to Karachiites but are reason enough for Lahore to be spoken about and visited. Read more from Tanzeel here. Follow him on twitter @tanzeelahmad

Be it Veena Malik, Shoaib Malik, or Rehman Malik, there is one thing I have realized; it’s not easy being a Malik in Pakistan. The Maliks of Pakistan are forever surrounded by controversies. Despite stiff competition amongst politicians and artists who struggled to top the “hall of shame, 2011,” guess who has managed to secure the first position once again? Our very own, very dear, very entertaining, Dr Abdul Rehman Malik. To acknowledge his outstanding performance, he has even been awarded a PhD degree by the Syndicate of Karachi University in recognition of his “matchless services to the country.” Some of his golden words uttered during the year 2011, that range from outlandish to hilarious, are listed as follows: 1) Statement: “If someone insulted Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), I, too, would shoot him”. Event: On the assassination of Salmaan Taseer. The government responds in a way the authorities are supposed to: by promising the laws would stand, but Rehman  Malik comes up with this bizarre statement instead. 2) Statement: "I am thankful to the Taliban who did not carry out any attack on Shia Muslims and showed respect to their rituals.” Event: During the event of Ashura, Rehman Malik passed another shocking statement to the media. He actually thanked the Taliban for not attacking Shia processions! And no, he did not stop there. Rehman went on to say that he had appealed to the Taliban, asking them to spare the processions of Shia Muslims, and that he was grateful that they  responded positively to his appeal. 3) Statement: "The Tablighi missionary centre in Raiwaind is the breeding ground for extremism and terrorism in Pakistan as the centre has a major role in brainwashing the extremists." Event: Rehman Malik made this statement to the audience at the security think-tank International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) while speaking on the topic of ''Countering Extremism in South Asia'.  4) Statement: "If Google and Youtube do not help the Pakistan government, then Pakistan reserves the right to block these services to prevent terrorists from using it". Event: The Interior Minister when talking to the media at the FIA headquarters, urged the internet service providers to extend their help to the government for exterminating the menace of terrorism from the country. 5) Statement: "I had given a warning yesterday that there should be no match-fixing. This time I am watching it very closely. If any such thing happens we will take action". Event: Before the World Cup semi-final against India, Pakistani cricketers were warned beforehand not to indulge in any match-fixing by the Interior Minister Rehman Malik who said he was keeping a “close watch” on their activities. 6) Statement: "PML-N had embraced Osama bin Laden and was responsible for bringing Osama bin Laden from Egypt to Pakistan for his treatment". Event: Speaking at the National Assembly, Malik denied opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar’s claim that the government was sleeping while the US operation was carried out. He lashed out at PML-N for bringing Bin Laden to Pakistan. 7) Statement: "Extortionists should quit extorting and leave the city". Event: Talking to the media after addressing a ceremony held at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce, Interior Minister Rehman Malik warned the extortionists and target killers to quit and leave Karachi else stern action will be taken against them. I bet they were scared. 8) Statement: "When it is reported that 100 people were killed due to target killing, investigations reveal that only 30 were its victims while 70 others died at the hands of their wives or girlfriends." Event: During the press conference in Quetta, when target killings were on an all time high in Karachi, the Interior Minister said that the reported figure of deaths due to target killing were not accurate because half the men were killed by the women in their lives. Now that's some imagination Mr Malik has there. Too many action-thriller films I would say. 9) Statement: "They were wearing black clothes like in Star Wars movies, (one) with (a) suicide vest. They had small beards and two of them were between 20-22 years old while the third who blew himself up was about 25.” Event: This classic comment erupted from Malik's mouth when he was talking to the media after the PNS Mehran attack. Our dear Interior Minister came up with another bizarre analogy and compared terrorists’ outfits to Star Wars characters. Told you he was into action flicks and stuff. 10) Statement: "All ground intelligence shows that Ilyas Kashmiri is dead. What I can say is that there is a 98 % chance he is dead". Event:  Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the media that although he had no physical proof, he was '98 % sure' that senior al Qaeda operative Ilyas Kashmiri was killed in a US drone strike in South Waziristan. Let's add clairvoyance to his list of countless other outstanding traits, shall we?

Habib Jalib must be turning in his grave at the recent brouhaha of Shahbaz Sharif’s rhetoric and his poetic embarrassment in an uncalled for rally against President Zardari. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7uVRyRw-WA]] This same address conveniently ignored corruption charges, bad governance and lawlessness in the very Punjab government headed by the Khadim-e-Aala in disguise. It is no secret that the current People’s Party regime has not lived up to expectations. However, claiming to hang the President of a democratically elected government in the presence of free judiciary just goes to show the restlessness of the PML-N for their promised turn following after the current regime. What the Chief Minister of Punjab uttered in the rally against President Zardari is hypocritical to say in the least as the same corruption and bad governance model can be witnessed in Punjab too, where dengue is still at large. Moreover, lady health workers protesting against non-payment of their salaries, mismanagement in railway employees pension, and the violent agitation by the students in the online result fiasco are some of the clear cut indicators of what the Sharifs are up to. On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf's rally showcased around approximately 100,000 people, including youngsters who were hoping for a changing Pakistan.  The growing rift between the PTI and PML-N in Punjab is setting new trends of political boasting in the province. The power hungry politicians, instead of conducting a decent round table conference to provide a solution to the people of Pakistan are impatiently looking for the power base of Islamabad. So far President Zardari’s politics are considered to be smart. His strategy of reconciliation with the MQM, ANP and PML-Q has successfully helped him secure the President house and quite likely another tenure as well. The sudden jump of the MQM into the PML-N vs PTI tournament has given a new attraction to TV channels and political enthusiasts of this unfortunate nation. Last weekend, the nation was all set to witness the beginning of a series of rallies and protests on non-issues that actually proved the seriousness of our leaders towards the prosperity of Pakistan. However the consequences of the political circus in Pakistan and the fight for proving 'our political show has a larger crowd than yours' caused systematic frustration in the sensible lot of Pakistanis. In such circumstances a Pakistani with even with a bit of eminence has lost the charm he/she once had in the Pakistani nation. It goes thus, that they would feel no urgency in voting for any politician with the hope of change, since they all seem to be equally petty and childish. Surely we can all agree that current politics is no basis for real enthusiasm. Unless the people of Pakistan stand up by themselves under the non-political entities and march for their rights towards a just cause, we won't witness any change at all, since the most shrewd man of this country has  brought our politicians at each other’s throats while he’s munching pop corn in the safety of the President house.

Sindh’s former home minister Zulfiqar Mirza has announced his resignation from the government in yet another media circus. During TV interviews he made personal attacks against journalists and politicians, making references to their facial features and appearance. However, his emotional outburst left lots of questions on the policy of the government unanswered. A few questions I would like to ask Mr Mirza are: 1) If you claim to be so truthful, why have you never made these revelations before? 2) According to you, Rehman Malik does everything on the discretion of President Asif Ali Zardari. Why then is Rehman Malik accused of conspiring against the People’s Party and not President Zardari? 3) Is the president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari a fool to not understand the shrewdness of Rehman Malik? 4) Mirza Sahab, why did you never raise your voice in 2001 (or afterwards) when you got to know that MQM chief Altaf Hussain wrote a letter against the ISI? 5) What exactly made you speak up after the discovery of the torture cells and ammunition from Lyari? 6) You acknowledge that Rehman Malik is a “good politician and a good human being” but maintain that he is also a compulsive liar. What does this mean? 7) You placed the Holy Quran on your head and said that MQM has a false mandate in Karachi and Hyderabad. How many petitions have you filed in court about this? 8) Why are superior courts, Pakistani forces and Pakistani law enforcement agencies not taking any action on the MQM's alleged crimes? Is the MQM really that powerful? 9) CPLC recovered most of the kidnapped people from Lyari. Is this the reason why the CPLC chief, Ahmed Chinoy, has suddenly turned into a villain? 10) You seem to be very worried about the people of Sindh. Why are you obsessed with Karachi only? Has karo-kari, dacoity and corruption ended in interior Sindh? 11) How many hospitals and schools have you built in your own constituency? 12) You say that you will fight against the criminal elements of Karachi in your private capacity. Is this legal? 13) Keeping in mind that a civilian cannot take the law into his own hands, how would you decide who is a criminal and who is not? 14) You claim that you haven’t recruited any MQM worker in the Sindh Police, and that recruitment in the police department was done on merit only. If this is so, then why does corruption and incompetency still prevail in the Sindh Police? 15) Why are the ISI chief and Army Generals not taking action on your “substantiated evidence”? 16) When are you going to the Supreme Court to submit this evidence? 17)  How exactly have President Asif Zardari and the late Benazir Bhutto helped you in acquiring such a huge amount of money, villas, cars, sugar mills and thousands of acres of lands? 18) You alleged that during a meeting in London, the MQM chief Altaf Hussain had told you that America and other world powers had decided to 'break' Pakistan, and that Altaf Hussain had supported their idea. Since when has Altaf Hussain started sharing such secrets with you? 19) If America wants to break Pakistan up, according to you, then why did you go to the enemy country for a 40-day vacation? 20)  Sir, do you still stand by your slogan "Pakistan na Khappay" (We don't want Pakistan)? [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlVsM_OJM14]]

While thousands languish in prisons waiting for justice, the Pakistani legal system is otherwise occupied. In between trials of murder, rape and kidnapping are some rather unusual petitions filed in our courts by passionate individuals. Petitioners have attacked everything from lusty pop songs, to forgetful politicians and just plain stupidity: 1. Ban the Bible Addressing a press conference at a mosque, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Samiul Haq (JUI-S) leader Maulana Abdul Rauf Farooqi appealed to the Supreme Court (SC) to take suo motu notice of  “blasphemous” material - in the Bible. They even suggested banning the book. 2. Is Meera a virgin? Atiqur Rehman, who claimed to be Meera’s husband, in an application sought to conduct a test to determine whether the star was a virgin or not. Instead of convincing the judiciary about his marriage, Rehman came up with the brilliant idea of testing Meera’s virginity. However, the judge declined the plea, keeping in mind that such a test might open another Pandora’s box for the already infamous actress. (Also check out a petition filed against Meera for performing in ‘immoral' scenes. A petition was filed against the star in the Sindh High Court (SHC) in Karachi, stating that she had performed in “immoral scenes” in Bollywood movies which did not match with Pakistan’s religious and social values.) 3. Does Waseem Akram drink whisky? A petition was filed by Mohammad Fayyaz, in the civil court of Lahore claiming that former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram had damaged the sentiments of Muslims by posing in a liquor advertisement. Muslims have no problems in endorsing terrorists who kill people everyday but their fragile sentiments would get hurt when they see their Muslim brother have a glass of whiskey in a mere advertisement. 4. Parveen brings a dash of salt The Supreme Court summoned singer Abrarul Haq because one his songs contained the following verse.

Ne Parveen tu bari namkeen Uper sey tu miskeen Andar sey tu bari shauqeen

Everyone is talking about arch-rivals Pakistan and India facing each other in a World Cup semi-final on Wednesday. Here are a few golden statements that Pakistan cricket fans are making:

1. Pakistan was given a place in the semi-final as a reward for releasing Raymond Davis.
2. Reaching Mohali a week before the match is no good; the Pakistani players may get paid off.
3. Indians are good at black magic - check out how their pundits throw amulets on the Mohali pitch.
4. The Mohali pitch has been developed to assist the Indian players.
5. Pakistanis will lose the match because they know the Indian crowd will beat the hell out of them if they win.
6. The Indian spectators will disrupt the match if they see Pakistan winning the game.
7. Pakistan will not lose the semi final; 180 million Pakistani Muslims, Bengalis and lots of Indian Muslims will be praying for Pakistan.
8. RAW agents are conspiring to use Indian bookies to bring down the Pakistan team.
9. Bal Thakeray won't do anything to the Pakistan team. He is afraid of Karachi’s ghundas.
10. Pakistan will win the match because they don’t have sattay baaz (gamblers) on the squad.
11. How can Pakistan win when there is no implementation of Islam in this country?
12. Shoaib Akhtar will rip Kamran Akmal apart on the field if he drops any more catches when he is bowling.
13. Bal Thakeray is actually an ISI double-agent. His job is to malign India’s reputation by threatening the Pakistan cricket team.

The weakening economy is impacting every sector and one of the worst hit seems to be the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC). The company was already a victim of corruption and a house to ‘ghost employees’ when General Musharraf privatised the utility company in an attempt to provide an uninterrupted supply of electricity to the city. The new, improved KESC fulfilled its promise.  The new organization was restructured on revolutionary lines. Initiatives against electricity theft were introduced and load shedding hours were reduced to as little as 3 hours (compared with more than 10 hours). KESC took all necessary measures to turn a white elephant of acompany into productive organization. In this attempt to make the company financially viable the KESC recently decided to get rid of those employees who were considered a burden on organization. This means the KESC was forced to lay off 4,000 unproductive workers, while 500 employees opted for Voluntarily Separation Scheme (VSS) under a cost-cutting drive. Who got fired? Most of the laid-off workers were from five different categories: 1. security guards, 2. bill distributors, 3. sanitary workers, 4. drivers and 5. clerical workers They were offered one month’s advance salary and gratuity benefits. Collective bargaining agents and union leaders have rejected the policy and opted to confront the management. Was the KESC wrong? For days the KESC head office has been surrounded by a huge mob of sacked employees and their sympathisers (as well as a few banners of several political parties.) Live media coverage  of this protest has resulted in garnering public sympathy for those who were removed from their positions. But KESC is a business not an employment agency. Perhaps they could have taken a more conscientious route to avoid this post-decision chaos. The politics of right-sizing At this point in time mass downsizing was an unwise step by the company. The country’s economic situation is alarming and government and all other political parties are trying to capitalise on issues to gain public sympathy. This makes KESC's rather necessary step look impudent. It would have been ideal for the company to work in tandem with labour unions to devise a "safe strategy" for right-sizing. The company should also revise it's appraisals policy which could determine profit and productivity measures. What to do now? Now that KESC has held off on it's decision, all employees should systematically be included in a wage reduction program. It would not be fair to slash the wages of entry-level or non-management recruits only, such decisions will further spur discontentment among employees who were initially being targeted.  However as soon as the wages are reduced with no security of appraisals, the non performing staff already working on less wages will probably look for the soon-to-expire- lucrative Voluntarily Separation Scheme (VSS) deal. In short, the company should devise a smart strategy to divide workers unions with cost reduction plans which will definitely help KESC achieve productivity and its objectives in the long term.

In Pakistan, it seems as though religious clerics have acquired a copyright over Islam, and are exercising this right in its full capacity, including its publication, adaptation, distribution and interpretation. I can safely say that most of us believe that Islam is a religion for all humanity and everyone has a right to learn and practice it. However, the custodians of Islam in this country like to follow and impose their self proclaimed rule. If "Islam Incorporated" was a company than religious fanatics would be the management. The creditors (Islamic sects) loan its goods and services; shareholders (madrassah owners) invest their capital (madarsah education) and the employees (jihadi brigade) who contribute their labour to achieve and safeguard vested interests Why legislate faith? My concern is why does the government not allow all people to practice and preach their religion? Why do some laws declare some faiths null and void?  We all know that Islam is the fastest growing religion and can never be erased from the face of earth but we are not ready to believe in Allah who has taken sole responsibility to save the book and religion till the end. Bhutto’s motto and political gain Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto appeared on the political scene with his political slogan of:

“Islam is our religion, democracy is our politics, socialism is our economics.”

“You are free to go to your temples; you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”

We often hear rhetoric condemning western culture for being lewd and too open towards sexuality. We accuse it of objectifying women and accrue this as to why they have high cases of rape and child molestation. But take a look at the source of these accusations - the ones pointing the finger,  our religious clerics have made headlines of their own for all the wrong reasons. Clerics and prayer leaders in Pakistan made news when they were found guilty of child molestation, victimising young boys and girls who were their students in madressahs. Although Islam strictly mandates harsh punishment to perpetrators, the trend of child molestation or paedophilia by religious clerics is increasing at an alarming rate, giving Islam a bad name. Where does the fault lie? Is our culture responsible? Some say the imposition of conservative rules in certain parts of the country (where there are extreme restriction on male and female interaction) lead to a prevalence of sexual crimes like paedophilia. Child sex abuse allegations against Roman Catholic priests resulted in an uproar across the globe. Members of the inside Catholic church, have begun to ask whether the tradition of celibacy in the priesthood has contributed to child abuse. Islam does not have the concept of celibacy but these incidences occur in our society. Do we need to rethink the rigid culture of segregation? Not all religious clerics are paedophiles but the issue is serious and should be pondered over from a larger perspective. Another common perception is that homosexuality is unusually prevalent in the tribal areas of Pakistan. If it is to be accepted that segregation can lead to sexual frustration than this too could be an outcome of a limiting, ultra conservative culture. In a country like Pakistan, where religious intolerance is growing, society and needs to be moderate. Perhaps, healthy interaction between men and women may help to avoid incidents of child molestation.  The country needs to practice Islam in moderation, now more than ever.

They’re supposed to be good orators, but our orators just can’t avoid bloopers. It’s only after they have made statements in front of the media that politicians realize what blunders they have made. Often, they end up saying something vague which can be easily distorted. The “official statement” from their party, blaming the media for misquoting their noble thoughts, quickly comes to their rescue.  Sometimes, they wash their hands of the whole affair by refusing to acknowledge 'misquotations' as their own. More often than not, politicians intentionally issue statements to stir controversy, which ends with promises not to continue the war of words. This tactic is also used to divert public attention from more pressing issues. Below are few golden quotations from our elected leaders. These quotes are memorable not because they were powerful, but simply because they sounded hilarious coming out of politcians’ mouths. Living in an entertainment-starved country like Pakistan, the media gives maximum attention to crazy statements and leaves the nation amused until another quote pops up.

• The National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) is a medal and I regret over not to be listed in it. Governor Punjab, Salman Taseer

• Everyone, whether he is a Baloch, Sindhi, Seraiki, Pashtun or Punjabi should be given an equal right to do corruption. Minister of State for Defence Production, Abdul Qayyum Jatoi

• The other issues are all domestic and could be discussed later on... I can co-exist with a pig, but not with a Punjabi. Nawab Kher Bakhsh Marri, Baloch Nationalist Leader

• I am not among those who offer sacrifice but I am among those who take sacrifices. Chief of PML (F), Pir Pagara

• We in the PML-N opposed Musharraf’s policies and rejected dictation from abroad. If the Taliban are also fighting for the same cause, then they should not carry out acts of terror in Punjab. Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif

• Let's persuade people to consume less sugar and then we will see where these hoarders sell their sugar. Information Minister, Qamar Zaman Kaira

• The Governor Punjab’s status is no better than toilet paper. Punjab Law Minister, Rana Sanaullah

• I’m a badmash and know well how to deal with this lot. Sindh Home Minister, Zulfiqar Mirza

• You must understand the environment in Pakistan. This has become a moneymaking concern. A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped. Former President General Pervez Musharraf

• I don’t say that there is no corruption in my ministry, but the question is    where it is not. Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Federal Minister Railways

• (Burying women alive) is a centuries-old tradition and I will continue to defend it. Federal Minister for Postal Services, Israr Ullah Zehri

• We were ready to break Pakistan and were much more determined to chant slogan of ‘Pakistan Na Khapay’ : No need for Pakistan. Sindh Home Minister, Zulfiqar Mirza

• I apologise to the departed soul of the Sikh ruler (Ranjit Singh), for frequently quoting his name in meetings for the wrong reasons. I was wrong. Ranjit (Singh) was a great administrator of Punjab. Leader of Opposition, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan

• Iftekhar Chaudhry is the scum of the earth – a third-rate man – a corrupt man. Former President General Pervez Musharraf

• Even more gorgeous than I had expected, now I know why the whole of   America is crazy about you. If he (the cameraman) is insisting, I might hug you. President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari

• Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah is a ‘manjan seller’ Central Secretary for Information of Pakistan Peoples Party, Fauzia Wahab

• His (Altaf Hussain’s) arrest seems only weeks away and investigations being conducted by Scotland Yard and police are in their final stages. Chairman, Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf , Imran Khan

• Look, you will soon see Shaukat Aziz ditching General Musharraf and joining the political leadership of the opposition parties. Chief, PML N, Nawaz Sharif

• I am not afraid of jail's mosquitoes. President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari
• The MQM will openly support the patriotic generals if they take any martial law-type action against corrupt politicians and feudal lords. Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain

• Tehrik-e-Insaf will back military rule in the country for the sake of stability. Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, Imran Khan

• My own brother approached me and said lala (brother), ‘Can I also join your party?’  I told him to run away … he is a known gambler. Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi, Member of All Pakistan Muslim Leagues

• I have sent Gilani to the PPP and I will call him back to the PML when he becomes tired. Chief of PML F, Pir Pagara

• The PML-N has appointed Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah as a “loudspeaker” Governor Punjab, Salman Taseer

• How did a person, who used to sell tickets at the Bambino cinema in Karachi, reach the Surrey Palace and became richer than Queen Elizabeth before his ascendancy to the presidency? It is a million-dollar question that only the PPP top leader has to answer. Spokesman Pakistan Muslim League N, Siddiqul Farooq

• Yesterday, when I asked Khwaja Imran Nazir for a lift, he was listening to Munni Badnam, an Indian song, in his car. MPA Punjab Assembly, Hassan Murtaza