The problem with the expat vote
The Election Commission of Pakistan recently announced that in principal, it had agreed to franchise overseas Pakistanis by allowing them to participate in the electoral process. However, going through the minutes of the meeting conducted by Secretary ECP Mr Ishtiak Ahmad Khan, it’s quite clear that things are not as done and dusted as news reports have made out to seem. Quite rightly, the ECP is still considering the most efficient and transparent way in which to conduct elections for overseas Pakistanis. Setting up voting booths in high commissions, embassies and consulates across the globe is quite an expensive option as many Pakistanis may not live ...
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Another Imran Khan article that’s not about Musharraf’s rally. Sorry.
If Pakistan were a school and voters were the graduating class, then we’d know exactly where Musharraf would fit in. Musharraf would be the angry guy who sits at the front of each class and has a problem with things no one cares about, like the colour of the chalk the teacher uses. He would be a suck-up to everyone but his peers, and be like the head boy or prefect who gets the job done, but really, does anyone like him? His dog (his profile picture on Facebook) would probably be a lot more popular than he is. This was ...
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Why I don’t support Imran Khan
This is not the way a revolution happens – with unquestioning obedience and a blind following; this is how cults are made. That is exactly what we have happening here, much like the cult following of the Bhuttos, Imran Khan is cultivating the image of a one man show (much like his cricketing years I might add). How can he stand out from the rest when he follows the same policies? For those that don’t know, the PTI does not hold internal elections, Imran Khan is the president for life and office bearers are appointed. If we tolerate his pandering now how can we expect ...
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In desperate times, PML-N calls for desperate measures
Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N are going to use the issue of electricity to get back into power. In public, every member of the party has stayed on message: that the power shortage is a reflection and final indictment of the PPP’s terrible governance and has convinced the PML-N that the government must go immediately. In private, though, some members of the PML-N, while sticking to their talking points about the corruption and mismanagement of the PPP, admit that they hope to topple the PPP government before the Senate elections in March, to prevent the PPP from getting a majority ...
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Why protesting against this government will fail
Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve. George Bernard Shaw Last month, Pakistan celebrated the 64th year of its broken democracy (30 if you discount the field marshal and generals). Whether you prefer 64 or 30, the fact remains, our democracy is broken. While many accuse politicians of breaking it, this is just proof of our national past time, blame it on the other guy. As much as I want to agree with the sentiment of people on the street, that Parliament is full of thieves and liars, I am reminded of one fact ...
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What Musharraf and Lady Gaga have in common
Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and General Pervez Musharraf have something unusual in common: They all have an enormous fan following on Facebook. Now for Gaga, who has 22 million fans, and Bieber, 15 million, that maybe an appropriate yardstick of popularity given that they are entertainers and the more they are watched, the higher are the record label sales. In a recent interview with the BBC, former President Musharraf spoke about his political career’s resurrection, asserting vehemently that he is very popular in Pakistan. The assertion may be debatable but I wouldn’t write Musharraf off completely yet. When asked how he ...
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Go, Musharraf go… once more
October 1 is set to be a momentous day when the erstwhile General Musharraf will return to the Pakistani political stage in a long-awaited and much speculated campaign. Musharraf’s entry into the political arena is exciting news for his new army. This new army is neither armed nor khaaki clad; this army of ‘Musharrafites‘ or ‘Mushies’ for short, emanate from the educated middle and upper class who view him as a saviour from all the ills that plague us today. This new army, primarily Facebook based, is eager to welcome him back into the country citing his previous stint in office ...
Read Full PostWelcoming home Mr Musharraf
Former President Musharraf announced his intention to run for parliament or become President once again come election time, 2013. Rumours and reports suggest that his new party will be launched on the October 1,2010, after which his party will actively promote Musharraf as the nation’s saviour. Alliances are being formed, deals brokered and supporters invigorated. Democracy in action? Given the prospect of a new political force entering the country; it’s quite disheartening to read the near, unanimous denouncement of Musharraf’s return to Pakistan, or to politics, or both. Critics have argued that there is no room in politics for Musharraf anymore. I ...
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