Nawaz Sharif & Politics of Floor Crossing, Horse Trading & 14th Amendment.

More than a decade ago, during the second government (1997 to 1999) of Mr. Nawaz Sharif, an amendment was introduced in Pakistan's 1973 Constitution to block Floor Crossing and Horse Trading in Pakistani Politics.

The 14th Constitutional Amendment

Less than three months after this transgression, on June 30, in the Senate, the rules of procedure were again suspended, the 14th Amendment Bill went through like a shot, passed in less than a day, without one single protest or dissent being recorded. On July 1, the bill was presented to the National Assembly, again rules of procedure were suspended, and the bill was passed immediately, again without a single protest or dissent. It went up to the president, on July 3 he put his signature to the bill, and on July 4 the 14th Amendment Act of 1997 came into force.

This amendment admittedly has the aim of putting an end to lucrative defections. But 'lotaism' only existed because all our political parties were in the business of buying and selling bodies. However, that was not deemed to be sufficient. The Prime Minister had to be further empowered, and so he was. A member of a parliamentary party will also be deemed to have defected if he breaches any declared or undeclared party discipline, code of conduct or policies, or if he votes contrary to any direction issued by his parliamentary party, or if he abstains from voting as instructed by his party on any bill. The prosecutor, defense counsel, judge and jury who will decide the member's fate is the head of the party, whose decision is not justifiable in any court of law. REFERENCE: ISLAMIC PAKISTAN: ILLUSIONS & REALITY By Abdus Sattar Ghazali http://ghazali.net/book1/chapter_10.htm http://ghazali.net/book1/chapter_10.htm

LAHORE, Feb 18: Ministers belonging to the Pakistan People`s Party (PPP) say that it will be a disaster for the PML-N if it joins hands with new “commercial partners” of the PML-Q`s Unification Bloc. The PPP is a junior coalition partner in the Punjab government spearheaded by chief minister Shahbaz Sharif of the PML-N after the 2008 general elections and there have been peaks and troughs in the three-year life of the alliance. The allocation of separate seats to the 47-strong Unification Bloc is being seen as yet another blow to the fragile political union by the senior partner. “The PML-N leadership must learn from past experiences and should not start the politics of horse-trading,” Punjab PPP parliamentary leader Raja Riaz, who is also senior minister in the Punjab cabinet, said while talking to reporters here on Friday.

Javed: Horse-trading in Pak Politics

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubVE3FQFvBQ

Dr Tahir Ali Javed is allegedly involved in Sex Scandal says Shaheen Sehbai

Pakistan minister faces US court Last Updated: Tuesday, 16 September, 2003, 05:13 GMT 06:13 UK http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3111978.stm A provincial health minister in northern Pakistan is facing 30 law suits in the United States in connection with the largest known outbreak there of Hepatitis C infection. The health minister of Punjab, Dr Tahir Ali Javed, who practiced in America from 1989 to 2002, has been formally accused by the state of Nebraska in connection with the Hepatitis outbreak which has been linked to his former clinic. Vowing to defend himself in the US court, he told the BBC that he did not receive any legal notice while he was in the United States and that the cases date back some four years. Dr Javed said the matter has received undue attention in Pakistan for political reasons relating to his determination to regulate private medical practice in Punjab. From the newsroom of the BBC World Service.

Responding to the statement of law minister Rana Sanaullah that if the PML-N`s 10-point agenda was not implemented by Feb 23, it would part ways with the PPP in Punjab, Riaz said the PPP leadership had directed them to wait until the PML-N took the final decision on the pretext of its 10-point agenda in Punjab. “We will welcome the PML-N`s decision of parting ways with us. Rather, we will offer thanksgiving prayers at Data Darbar mosque,” he said. The senior minister said PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif should respect the provisions of the Charter of Democracy (CoD) and 18th Constitutional Amendment and not promote the politics of horse-trading. “People have not yet forgotten about Changa Manga style of politics introduced by the Sharif brothers,” Riaz added. Since the Unification Bloc, a 47-member group of PML-Q dissidents, has been accepted as an entity by Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal by allocating them separate seats, both the PML-N and the bloc leaders started announcing that the new alliance in Punjab was now a matter of days. The PML-Q has already announced challenging the speaker`s decision in the court. Another PPP minister Ashraf Sohna asked the Sharif brothers whether they had forgotten that the turncoats were “protégés of Gen Musharraf”. REFERENCE: PPP ministers warn PML-N against hugging turncoats By Our Staff Reporter | From the Newspaper February 19, 2011 (5 days ago) http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/19/ppp-ministers-warn-pml-n-against-hugging-turncoats.html Unification Bloc gets stamp of approval By Amjad Mahmood | From the Newspaper February 16, 2011 (2 weeks ago)http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/16/unification-bloc-gets-stamp-of-approval.html

"QUOTE"

CONSTITUTION (FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT) ACT, 1997 ACT XXIV of 1997, No.F.22(104)/97-Legis

The following Act of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) received the assent of the President on the 3rd July, 1997 and is hereby published for general information: --

Whereas it is expedient further to amend the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in order to prevent instability in relation to the formation of functioning of Government;

It is hereby enacted as follows:--

1.

Short title and commencement.

(1)

This Act may be Constitution (Fourteenth Amendment) Act. 1997.

(2)

It shall come into force at once.

2.

Addition of new Article 63A in the Constitution.

In the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan after Article 63 the following new Article shall be inserted, namely:-

"63A

Disqualification on ground of defection, etc.---

(1)

If a member of a Parliamentary Party defects, he may be means of a notice in writing addressed to him by the Head of the Political Party or such other person as may be authorized in this behalf by the Head of the Political Party, be called upon the show cause, within not more than seven days of such a notice, as to why a Declaration under clause (2) should not be made against him. If a notice is issued under this clause, the Presiding Officer of the concerned House shall be informed accordingly.

Explanation: A member of a House shall be deemed to defect from a political party if he, having been elected as such, as a candidate or nominee of a political party: or under a symbol of political party or having been elected otherwise than as a candidate or nominee of a political party, and having become a member of a political party after such election by means of a declaration in writing –

(a)

commits a breach of party discipline which means a violation of the party constitution, code of conduct and declared policies, or

(b)

votes contrary to any direction issued by the Parliamentary Party to which he belongs, or

(c)

abstain from voting in the House against party policy in relation to any bill.

(2)

Where action is proposed to be taken under the Explanation to clause (1), sub-clause (a) the disciplinary committee of the party on a reference by the Head of the Party, shall decide the matter, after giving an opportunity of a personal hearing to the member concerned within seven days. In the event the decision is against the member, he can file an appeal, within seven days, before the Head of the Party, whose decision thereon shall be final, in cases covered by the Explanation to clause (1), sub-clauses (b) and (c), the declaration may be made by the Head of the Party concerned after examining the explanation of the member and determining whether or not that member has defected.

(3)

The Presiding Officer of the House shall be intimated the decision by Head of the Political Party in addition to intimation which shall also be concerned member. The Presiding Officer shall within two days transmit the decision to the Chief Election Commissioner. The Chief Election Commissioner, shall give effect to such decision, within seven days from the date of the receipt of such intimation by declaring the seat vacant and amend it under the schedule of the bye-election.

(4)

Nothing contained in this Article shall apply to the Chairman or Speaker of a House.

(5)

For the purpose of this Article—

(a)

“House” means the National Assembly or the Senate, in relation to and the Federation; and a Provincial Assembly in relation to the Province, as the case may be.

(b)

“Presiding Officer” means the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Chairman of the Senate or the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly, as case may be.

(6)

Notwithstanding anything contained in the Constitution, no court including the Supreme Court and a High Court shall entertain any legal proceedings, exercise any jurisdiction, or make any order in relation to the action under this Article.”

CONSTITUTION (FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT) ACT, 1997 ACT XXIV of 1997, No.F.22(104)/97-Legis http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/amendments/14amendment.html The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/

"UNQUOTE"

ISLAMABAD, March 18: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed has revealed that Osama bin Laden had offered to buy loyalties of legislators to see Mian Nawaz Sharif as prime minister. In an interview appearing in the magazine of an Urdu newspaper on Sunday, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that Osama had visited the JI headquarters Mansoora and wanted to strike an agreement with the Jamaat but the suggestion was declined by him. Excerpts of the interview were published by the newspaper on Saturday. Qazi said he had met Osama several times in the past.However, the JI on Saturday clarified that meetings between the JI amir and Osama in Peshawar and Lahore were held in days when the Al Qaeda leader was staying in Peshawar. Recalling political events that took place when Mr Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League and JI were components of the then Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, Qazi said Osama was a big supporter of IJI and Nawaz Sharif and wanted to see him Pakistan’s prime minister.

Nawaz Sharif Osama Bin Laden Khalid Khwaja Connections - Part - 1

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwjEI87EJt0
Nawaz Sharif Osama Bin Laden Khalid Khwaja Connections - Part - 2

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xhS3TLDD7Q
Nawaz Sharif Osama Bin Laden Khalid Khwaja Connections - Part - 3

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaM0UUtfxho

Nawaz Sharif's very own words against Horse Trading and Floor Crossings from the pages of History.

LAHORE, Sept. 10: PML President Mian Nawaz Sharif, shunning past rigidity, expressed his readiness for a merger of all factions of the Pakistan Muslim League and said for this purpose he had written letters to Hamid Nasir Chattha and Pir Pagara, president of the PML(J) and the Functional Muslim League, respectively, inviting them to work out the modalities of a merger. He also gave a call to all political leaders, public opinion leaders, intelligentsia and all sections of society to work together to resist the government efforts to "impose a fascist one-party system" and attempts aimed at demolition of the democratic process. Sharif said the president owed an explanation to the nation why, at the behest of the Prime Minister, he had allowed the floodgates of horse-trading and black-mailing to open. "If the president does not act to prevent these violations of the Constitution, then the people of Pakistan will have reason to believe that he is not faithfully discharging his duties as the constitutional head of state." REFERENCE: Nawaz ready for PML reunification Bureau Report DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending: 14 September, 1995 Issue : 01/36 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1995/14Sp95.html#nawa

LAHORE, Sept. 5: Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has condemned suspension of the Punjab Assembly as an undemocratic act and an unacceptable attack on democracy that has "again exposed President Farooq Leghari as a PPP jiyala, hand-in-glove with Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to destroy the system." In a statement issued late on Tuesday night, he said the suspension of the Punjab Assembly was the "action replay" of the NWFP Assembly suspension in February 1994. He said the entire democratic system had been put in jeopardy with the president a party to the fascist ambitions and palace intrigues of the PPP. He said the situation was bound to lead to horse-trading, blackmailing and corruption. The decree, he said, was aimed at depriving the PML of its right to form a government in Punjab. It was only meant to facilitate the PPP to create an artificial majority in the Punjab Assembly through a "grand horse-trading operation." Sharif said there was no legal or moral basis for "this blatant subversion of the Constitution." He said the PML was firmly of the conviction that the democratic process must proceed unhindered so that national institutions could flourish. REFERENCE: Nawaz condemns attack on democracy' Bureau Report DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 07 September, 1995 Issue : 01/35 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1995/07Sp95.html#nawa

LAHORE, June 12: Former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif has been charged with high treason in a complaint lodged with police by the Punjab Home Secretary, Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa. Also cited as the opposition leader's co-accused are the former federal interior secretary, Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and formerprovincial governor Mian Muhammad Azhar. The complaint has been filed in the Qila Gujjar Singh police station, Lahore, under Section 2 of the High Treason (Punishment) Act 1973, enacted pursuant to Article 6 of the Constitution which prescribes death as the only punishment for the offence.

The complaint was produced on Monday before a five-member full bench of the Lahore High Court as it took up the bail petitions of the treason case accused. Other co-accused are: MNA Yasin Khan Wattoo; former federal law minister Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor; Punjab PML, Vice President Azam Cheema and Information Secretary Binyamin Rizvi, MPAs Chaudhry Muhammad Riaz, Raja Javed Ikhlas, Sheikh Ijaz Ahmed, Mian Imran Masood, Chaudhry Akhtar Rasool and Raja Basharat; former MPAs Sohail Zia Butt, Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and Chaudhry Shaukat Ali; and former PA Secretary Chaudhry Habibullah.

The facts of the treason case as ascertained and brought out in investigation are stated in the complaint as follows:

"After a "No-confidence motion" was overwhelmingly carried against Mr Ghulam Haider Wyne, the Provincial Assembly, with a large mandate, elected Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo as Chief Minister, Punjab, on 25.4.1993.

"Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his cabinet resumed the Federal Government pursuant to decision of the Supreme Court on 26.5.93. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif soon thereafter, in conspiracy with others, sought to pull down the lawfully elected Punjab government which assumed office pursuant to the ouster of his nominee, Mr Ghulam Haider Wyne. All unconstitutional, illegal and underhand methods, including horse-trading, were employed for the purpose.

"In order to deprive people of their right of electing a fresh Assembly to have their elected representative to regulate the affairs of the province, Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif and the other accused conspired to forestall the likely dissolution of the Provincial Assembly.

"As a sequel to such designs, Chaudhry Habibullah, the then Secretary, Punjab Assembly was taken away from Services International Hotel by Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and some other members of the Punjab Assembly at 8.45 pm on 29.5.93. The surreptitious manner of his being taken away was reported by Tariq Masood, Staff Officer of the provincial assembly, at police station, Race Court Road, Lahore. On this report case, FIR No 118 dated 9.5.93 under section 365-A, 109, 14. 148 and 149 PPC was registered at Police Station, Race Course Road, Lahore.

"The investigating police in the said case tried to locate Chaudhry Habibullah, but to no avail. Proclamation in the national Press were issued and the Provincial government offered a large reward for the recovery of Chaudhry Habibullah.

"Even the honourable High Court during the hearing of a constitutional petition required his presence and the media carried orders of the court requiring him to contact the nearest Sessions Judge or Registrar of the High Court, who were directed to ensure his safe appearance. However, Chaudhry Habibullah deliberately defied appearance and did not surface.

"As things later crystalised, Chaudhry Habibullah in conspiracy with others had forged and fabricated a No-confidence motion purportedly moved against the then Punjab Chief Minister. The said document was fraudulently shown to have been received by Chaudhry Habibullah, who was then secretary of the provincial assembly, at 12 noon on 29.5.93. Photostat copy of the bogus document containing such an endorsement of Chaudhry Habibullah was utilised to attempt defeating the dissolution of the provincial assembly and thereby deprive the people of their right to elect the Members of the provincial assembly. A national crisis was thus

occasioned in consequence and the constitutional functioning of the Government was completely paralysed.

"Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif having failed to usurp power in the Province of Punjab through such unconstitutional methods, went berserk. Employing the so-called proclamation in terms of Article 234 of the Constitution, he appointed Mian Muhammad Azhar as the administrator of Punjab on 29.6.93. The federal government also unlawfully appointed some key officers in the province to replace those lawfully holding these offices to facilitate the usurpation. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who was the interior minister, directed the rangers to move in and facilitate the takeover of the provincial administration. Neither the proclamation was sent to the President of Pakistan nor was the appointment of administrator suggested to him much less have his approval. In fact, the concept of an administrator of a province is wholly alien to the Constitution which only postulates the appointment of governor and that too by the President of Pakistan.

"The then provincial government having verified that such a proclamation had not been made by the President of Pakistan fulfilled its Constitutional obligations and the provincial set up was preserved through the conscientious commitment to the country of responsible and patriotic officers/agencies.

"The illegal, unconstitutional and subversive activities of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his associates caused a national furore resulting in dissolution of the National as well as all the four provincial assemblies of the country. A caretaker government was installed and the result of the ensuing elections held on 6/9 October 1993, the transparency of which was internationally acclaimed, proved that Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his associates had lost the confidence of the people and their desperate attempts to perpetuate themselves in power through unconstitutional means had become conspicuously and evidently understandable.

"The heinous crimes, inter alia, of subversion of the Constitution were condemned by all and sunday and the Special Assistant to the chief minister upon consideration of all the factors recommended legal action pursuant whereto FIR No. 496/94 under section 124-A, 120-B, 161, 166, 172, 173, 174, 465, 468, 469 and 471 PPC, and article 6 of the Constitution read with Section 2 of the High-Treason (Punishment) Act 1973 was got registered by Nasir Masood, Assistant Security Officer, Punjab assembly against Chaudhry Habibullah and others on 11.8.94 at police station, Qilla Gujar Singh, Lahore.

"Chaudhry Habibullah was arrested in the case on 11.8.94. During the course of investigation on 13.8.94, he recovered the original document purporting to be the no-confidence motion.

"The first and last pages of the document clearly differ from intervening nine pages in size, quality, colour and shape.

"Mr Azam Cheema, Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, Mian Yasin Khan Watto, Akhtar Abbas Bharwana, Chaudhry Muhammad Riaz, Syed Binyamm Rizvi, Raja Javed Ikhlas, Mian Imran Masood, Chaudhry Akhtar Rasool, Shaikh Ejaz Ahmad and Suhail Zia Butt, accused, were also arrested, Chaudhry Shaukat Ali and Chaudhary Wajahat Hussain could not be arrested and were declared proclaimed offenders. The arrest of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is still to be made, Chaudhary Habibullah, Syed Binyamin and Suhail Zia Butt are in judicial lock up while the other accused mentioned above are on interim bail.

"Evidence forthcoming reveals that pursuant to conspiracy, Chaudhary Wajahat and Chaudhary Riaz brought Chaudhary Habibullah around 8.45 pm on 29.5.93 from Hotel Services International to his house where the late Ghulam Haider Wyne, Chaudhry Ghafoor, Raja Javed, Mian Imran, Akhtar Rasool, Ejaz Ahmad, Raja Basharat, Sohail Zia Butt, Binyamin and Shaukat Ali, the MPAs procured his signatures in affirmation of the receipt of a no confidence motion, whereon the time of its receipt was given as 8 pm. Chaudhary Habibullah was thereafter taken to the house of Mian Nawaz Sharif where the former called Mian Yasin Wattoo and procured the replacement of the first and last pages of the so-called no-confidence motion so as to reflect its receipt by Chaudhary Habibullah at 12 noon.

On the direction of Mian Nawaz Sharif, Chaudhary Habibullah was initially taken to the house of Chaudhary Shujaat in Gulberg, Lahore, and later to Islamabad.

"Since the then Federal Government was headed by Mian Nawaz Sharif, Chaudhary Habibullah remained in their luxurious hospitality and was even produced before the Assistant Commissioner, Islamabad, on 13.6.93 where he attempted to defuse the criminal case registered at the instance of Tariq Masood, PA Staff Officer, against Chaudhary Wajahat Hussain etc. However, this statement was never produced before the full bench hearing the Writ Petition of Chaudhary Pervaiz Ilahi. Although Chaudhary Habibullah did not appear when he was summoned through the Press and electronic media before the Hon'ble High Court when required, however, without being summoned in the quashment petition of Chaudhary Wajahat, he appeared on 26.7.93 telling a tell-tale story of having freely moved out of Lahore on the night of 29.5.93 and having remained in Islamabad thereafter. He also deserted his job as Secretary of the Punjab Assembly and when arrested, was serving in the office of Muslim League at Lahore. "All the accused conspired to subvert the Constitution by use of unconstitutional means and they are guilty of high treason punishable under Section 2 of the High-treason (Punishment) Act of 1973 besides having committed offences under section 120-B, 465, 466, 468, 469, 471, 161, 166, 172, 173 and 174 PPC and they be punished accordingly." REFERENCE: High treason case against Nawaz DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 15 June, 1995 Issue : 01/23 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1995/15Je95.html#high

HANGU, Nov. 21 Leader of the opposition Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif has accused Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of taking revenge from the nation for the execution of her father, by promoting corruption, price hike, denial of justice and political victimisation in the country. Addressing a public meeting at Hangu on Tuesday, he accused the prime minister s spouse of large-scale plunder, alleging that Ms Bhutto had given him a free hand in financial matters. He claimed that Muslim League would soon return to power and would weed out corruption, horse trading, price hike and rid the country of heavy borrowings. He vowed to continue the struggle to liberate this country from the Bhutto clique and restore law and order in the society. He said that Benazir Bhutto s wrong policies have caused a great harm to the country s foreign relations and today friendly nations of Pakistan were opting for India in many matters. Criticising the policies of the government, he added the people have become frustrated and were ready to launch anti- government campaign. REFERENCE: Benazir taking revenge on nation Nawaz Staff Correspondent DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending 23 November, 1995 Issue 01/46 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1995/23Nv95.html

KARACHI, Nov 8 PML chief Mohammad Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday linked the survival of democracy and of the country to mid-term elections and said he was all for consensus on key issues including reforms in the Constitution. Dilating on the key issues on which he wanted to have a consensus prior to mid-term polls he said a national commission should be set up having judges who will be permanently on it. The commission should investigate all cases of corruption and those found guilty be punished. Horse trading in any form should be banned and if any legislatorchanges party loyalty, he ceases to be a member of the House , he said. The prestige of judiciary be restored by removing all Jiala judges and all appointments be made strictly on merit basis only, he demanded. There should also be a consensus on all sensitive foreign policy matters like the Kashmir, Afghanistan and nuclear issues. Another important problem which he said also called for a consensus was the need for restoring peace in Karachi as all economic progress is depended on peace in the metropolis. The former prime minister said all such key issues along with the constitutional reforms should be taken care of through a package linked to mid-term polls. REFERENCE: Nawaz links democracy to mid-term elections Staff Reporter DAWN Week Ending 16 November, 1995 Issue 01/45 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1995/16Nv95.html#nawa

PESHAWAR, Nov 24: A freelance journalist approached the Peshawar High Court, praying that former senator Saifur Rehman be taken into custody and instructions be issued to the crimes branch to interrogate him for the murder of his brother. The request came in an application submitted by Shahid Orakzai with a writ petition in the PHC against Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Saifur Rehman and the former MNA, Jawed Ibraheem Piracha. The petition has been pending before the court which had twice issued notices to the federal government. The government has not filed any comments so far. Apprehending the release of Saifur Rehman, the petitioner had earlier filed an application, requesting the court to issue directives to the government not to release Mr Rehman and to place him on the exit control list.

While the high court is yet to decide the application, Mr Rehman has been released a couple of days back on the order of the Supreme Court with the result that Mr Orakzai has filed a fresh application. The petitioner stated that the alleged killer of his brother Major Khalid Saeed Orakzai had now been granted full freedom. He stated that the military government was unwilling to register asingle corruption case against Mr Rehman despite documentary evidence of a horse-trading deal which the petitioner had provided to the NAB. The petitioner recalled that an SC bench had ruled that the murder be investigated in the context of horse-trading allegations and that the murder had nothing to do with the religious beliefs of the victim. REFERENCE: Saif's arrest in murder case sought: Plea filed in PHC Bureau Report DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending: 1 December 2001 Issue : 07/48 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2001/dec0101.html#saif

IF you had thought the PMLs overwhelming majority in the National Assembly meant an end to horse-trading, you had better think again. The latest round of wheeling and dealing that accompanied cabinet formation in Sindh is just a foretaste of things to come. By bending over backwards to accommodate Pir Pagaras sons, Sibghatullah and Sadruddin, the chief minister has sent a clear signal that he is wide open to political pressure and coercion. Apart from the Pagara pair, MPAs Arbab Faiz and Maqbool Sharif also sent in their resignations, thus pushing Sindhs fragile coalition to the brink of dissolution. But in yet another triumph of power politics over principles, the sulking foursome were given what they wanted all along: lucrative portfolios of their choice as against the unimportant ones they had been offered earlier.

So much for sharafat ki siyasat and the PMLs oft-stated determination to introduce principled politics in Pakistan. Also, if anybody still harboured hopes for a transformation in our polity following the February elections, he only has to look north to the NWFPs murky politics: there, the ANP has successfully blackmailed Nawaz Sharif into accepting Begum Wali Khans  brother, Azam Hoti, into the federal cabinet. He too, will no doubt insist on an important (i.e. lucrative) portfolio so that he can serve us better. I have often been accused by friends engaged in politics as a profession that I am much too idealistic to appreciate the compulsions they have to work under. Rather them than me, I reply: there should be some limit to thecompromises slimy politicos are willing to make in order to retain their slippery grip on power. When it comes to greed and blind ambition, our politicians have few peers. What then is the shape of things to come? The euphoria of a landslide victory having worn off, what are the emerging contours of Pakistans p litical landscape? Frankly, stable governments in Islamabad and Lahore apart, the situation in the other provincial capitals looks very dodgy. In Sindh, a weak and barely tenable coalition of the PML and the MQM will be forever held hostage by a handful of so-called independent adventurers who will exploit the prevailing anti-PPP sentiments to gouge their pound of flesh. With Pir Sibghatullah as minister for revenue and land utilisation, we can safely expect him to maximise revenues through total exploitation of urban land. Similarly, his partners in resignation will undoubtedly proceed to make the most of their important ministries.

The same dismal scenario will be repeated in Peshawar and Quetta. And when ministers are making hay, it would be unrealistic to expect their bureaucratic underlings to remain as pure as the driven snow. So what price clean government? It appears that Nawaz Sharifs brave post-election promises are proving hollow barely before his administration has had time to get into first gear. Predictably, the seemingly invincible force of a two-thirds majority has been stopped cold by the sleaze factor that has dominated our political andsocial landscape for half a century. Although the government has been making all kinds of pronouncements and promises to cleanse the system, the fact is that almost all those politicians and bureaucrats responsible for the premature demise of the PPP government are still living off the fat of the land. The handful who were arrested have managed to suffer sudden but mysteriously convenient illnesses that have necessitated moving them to the VIP wings of hospitals.

Accountability is now yet another discredited slogan. Given this scenario, what chance does Nawaz Sharif have to actually make a difference? None, unless hes willing to break a few eggs to make an omelette. While the FIA and sundry other agencies are scouring the land for evidence of corruption, it stares them in the face in the form of huge houses and other signs of conspicuous consumption. As long as the onus of proof is on the government, it is unlikely that anybody will ever get convicted. However, turn the equation around and you can put away hundreds of crooked bureaucrats and politicos. Let them explain how they managed to foot the bill for the childrens lavish weddings, or how they built their huge and obscenely opulent homes, or how they paid for their snazzy limousines and jeeps. And if they cant justify their lavish lifestyle, they are automatically out. No appeal, no stay orders. Granted that there is bound to be some miscarriage of justice, but hey,life isnt perfect. Although we seem to be on the verge of forgetting, there was a real wave of revulsion against corruption, and three months of caretaker raj have proved that conventional means of accountability simply will not do. Let the onus of proof be on the accused.

Meanwhile, life in Sindh threatens to be an action replay of the Jam Sadiq days: already friends with industries have reported getting threatening phone calls demanding political contributions. If Islamabad tries to discipline a profligate provincial government by cutting off funds, I can imagine a wave of threatened resignations from ministers whose portfolios have suddenly become unimportant. After all, the name of the game is and always has been money. For all their tall talk about serving the people, if you scratch a politician, youll find a bank account with its mouth wide open. Why these people dont find a profession other than highway robbery is beyond me. Indeed, they could even try looking for a normal life. Instead, they devote all their inexhaustible time and energy to grabbing power, and once installed, do all they can to hang on at any cost. Giventhe amount of abuse and contempt hurled their way by an exasperated public, youd think that any self-respecting group would slink away and spend the rest of their lives in obscurity, atoning for their sins. But our politicians are beneath the standard notion of dignity and respect: they are thick-skinned enough to ignore all criticism and invective and cheerfully proceed along their path of pillage and loot without straining their conscience unduly.

Unfortunately, there is no legal or social deterrent to make the corrupt think twice before ripping us off. We have all heard slogans for changeshouted by politicians on the eve of their oath-taking, and then seen themsacked on corruption charges. The crooks have prospered, and no action has ever been taken against them. This apparent immunity encourages others to dip into the national till, secure in the knowledge that they will not be touched. And even if a few crooked civil servants are sacked, this will do nothing to deter their political masters. Given the ease with which Sindhs four rebellious ministers managed to get the portfolios of their choice, it becomes clear that without a clear majority in the provincial assembly, good governance remains a distant dream. Not that this one factor is any guarantee: the PPP had a handy majority, and yet its rule is not recalled as a model of clean government. nevertheless, this remains a prerequisite for a reasonably honest administration. If things continue in the same vein in Sindh, Nawaz Sharif may have to think very seriously about imposing governors rule. REFERENCE: Bring on the horses Mazdak DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 22 March 1997 Issue : 03/12 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1997/22Mar97.html#brin

Since 1985 these parliamentarians, emerging under the non- party system, have played havoc with the democratic set up and debased it in the eyes of the common people. Massive horse- trading takes place any time a government faces a vote of confidence. Parliamentarians are taken to Changa Manga, Saidu Sharif, Peshawar, Islamabad, etc., to isolate them from rival bidders. It is necessary that before election are held electoral reforms are enacted to debar people with such records in public office. It is amazing to note that very little, if any, legislation has been discussed and enacted in the assemblies during the eight years since restoration of the parliamentary system. Universally criticised constitutional amendments and ordinances like the Eighth Amendment and the Hudood Ordinance enacted by a military dictator have not been removed because of lack of agreement among the main political parties. Most of the time governments have relied on the non-parliamentary practice of presidential ordinances that are hardly ever discussed in the assemblies and enacted again and again. The main function of the assemblies is to legislate and discuss government policies and actions to ensure that they are legitimate and in the national interest. The assemblies have not functioned as they ought to have. It is obvious that democracy in Pakistan has been reduced to election of parliamentarians. Once elected, a majority of them, especially those on the government side, tend to behave in the most dictatorial manner. They flout the laws of the land and demand, and usually get, privileges not due to them. They tend to use their position to enrich their kith and kin and

themselves.

Both parties are weak on organisation. They have been organised from top downwards. There is no internal democracy in either of them. The PPP is Benazir, the PML is Mian Nawaz Sharif, the PML(J) is Hamid Nasir Chatta, the JUI is Maulana Fazlur Rahman or Maulana Samiullah, the JUP is Maulana Noorani or Maulana Abdul Sattar Niazi. These leaders nominate functionaries at the lower levels. At no time does the ordinary worker get a chance to elect his/her leader. The leaders are chosen for them by the supreme political leader. This keeps the political parties organisationally weak. Only at the time of agitation or election is the party machinery activated. At other times it lies dormant and dysfunctional. This is as true of the PPP as of this PML. If democracy has to take roots in Pakistan, political parties with well-defined programmes have to be organised from the grassroot level upwards.

Every government, whether representative or otherwise, only works for the benefit of its chosen group, be they industrialists, businessmen, trade groups, transporters, landowners, property developers, contractors or large landowners. Every government has favourites of its own. It is only the pressure of organised groups that forces governments to provide services to that group. In developing countries the political parties are usually weak. The only organised groups are the armed forces, propertied classes, industrialists and traders (chamber of commerce and industry), feudals, professionals and labour in large-scale industry. Working people, peasants, labourers, petty shopkeepers and peddlers are not organised. Hence their interest hardly ever gets prominence in the policies of the governments.

Governments the world over are now committed to development. Every government, whether democratically elected or otherwise, and every politician of some consequence, talks of eradicating poverty, disease, unemployment and ushering in an era of justice, peace and prosperity. It was not always like this. It is the present century which has demonstrated that with judicious and planned use of science and technology in the production processes, every country can be rich and prosperous. In the present century, one country after the other has risen from the ranks of a poor, backward agrarian society to become a prosperous industrial nation. Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, Greece,Italy, Spain and Portugal are just a few of the examples. REFERENCE: New beginning or action replay? Dr Anis Alam DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 14 November 1996 Issue : 02/46 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1996/14Nv96.html#newb

I read this headline on, THE NEWS website, Tension between Zardari, Shahbaz mounts over jailed chief editor of The Frontier Post''. This makes no sense that Rehmat Shah Afridi is still in prison, I was expecting from ANP Govt in pukhtoonistan to react on this issue but I don't understand muteness of ANP leadership, although on ANP web site I did send a message to Chief Minister, I would like to ask all the writers on this forum to send messages to CM on the following website of ANP(http://www.awaminationalparty.org/news/)and express your solidarity with The Frontier Post Chief Mr. Afridi who is in prison because he was punished for expressing his views and he was educating Pakhtuns through his newspaper. His confinement is politically motivated. The drugs were planted on vehicle he was in. Similar to innumerable judicial murders and crimes to suffocate voice of Pathans. The literate class of people in Pakistan is the only hope, which can place a check & balance on these bureaucrats corrupt politicians. Its about time this class should pick their pens. Its really amazing that criminals and thugs involved in suicide attacks can be easily released in Pakistan but someone like Mr. Afridi stays in prison. Two face Nawaz Sharif and his brother who are responsible for declaring Pakistan a failed state ran out of country but did not have courage and principles to face jail, attacked Supreme Court and insulted judges but now wants to be champions of judiciary and free press.

Rehmat Shah Afridi Exposes Nawaz Sharif - Part - 1

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbsrqb7mj6E

I agree with Mr. Asif Ali Zardari who bitterly asked: "Where are the champions of the press freedom today? Rehmat Shah Afridi was arrested and booked in a fake drug smuggling case on political grounds. He spent nine years in jail just for writing the truth and now he is seriously ill but some people still want to take their revenge. "Champions of the press freedom should be ashamed of themselves that for nine years some one in their ranks is in prison but they are not saying a word. Rehmat Shah Afridi was punished because he disclosed that Nawaz Sharif received Rs. 150 crore from Osama bin Ladin in the Green Palace Hotel, Madina, with the pledge that the amount would be used for furthering the cause of Jihad in Afghanistan and helping the Mujahideen and exposing the deeds of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Instead he (Nawaz) put the whole amount in his pocket. Nawaz Sharif got annoyed with Afridi when he was chief minister of Punjab in 1986.Frontier Post Chief disclosed in his newspaper that Nawaze sold the commercial land between UCH and Kalma Chowk in Lahore to his relatives for meager Rs. 400 per marla.

Rehmat Shah Afridi Exposes Nawaz Sharif - Part - 2

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyPTBEzEv18
Rehmat Shah Afridi Exposes Nawaz Sharif - Part - 3

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkRwCA4DjSU
Rehmat Shah Afridi Exposes Nawaz Sharif - Part - 4

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L-K1DOJB4k

After that, he distributed plots in NWFP, Punjab and Balochistan among his colleagues and opponents to get their political support. He published all this in his newspaper along with proofs, which further infuriated Nawaz Sharif. Rehmat Shah Afridi used his personal links to thwart the "no-confidence motion" against Benazir Bhutto in 1990 and asked the members of National Assembly from Punjab, FATA and NWFP to use their vote in favour of Benazir Bhutto. Mr. Afridi did so as it was in the interest of the country at that time. Nawaz Sharif once threatened him that they would rule the country for 20 years and that he (Rehmat Shah) could not harm him through publishing news items against them. This proves all cases against The Frontier Post chief were false and baseless. Detention of Rehmat Shah Afridi is no more justified. Rehmat Shah Afridi had been arrested in a fake and bogus case because the then government was not happy with his bold editorial policy. The PPP government's pro-media and democratic credentials have already been enhanced by the proposed anti-PEMRA bill in parliament. It should now do the honourable and just thing by ordering the immediate release of Rehmat Shah Afridi and winning hearts and minds all round. REFERENCE: Prisoner of conscience M Waqar New York Thursday, May 22, 2008, Jamad-i-Awal 14, 1429 A.H. http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=le&nid=360&ad=22-05-2008 ASLO READ: REFERENCE: Rehmat Shah Afridi’s case unique in country’s legal history By Abid Butt Friday, June 04, 2004 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_4-6-2004_pg7_48

Frankly, other than the craving to grab the Prime Minister s chair or hold on to it as long as possible there are no major policy differences between them. The PPP and PML(N) manifestos read amazingly alike; and the ease with which legislators elected on one party s ticket face no ideological problem in switching to the ranks of the other party proves that the gulf is not unbridgeable. Before pushing for fresh elections, Mian Nawaz Sharif would be well advised to ensure that they are free and fair; and to that end, his first priority should be to negotiate an accord with Benazir Bhutto on the nomination of a completely impartial Election Commission. The PPP manifesto commits the party to the appointment of a Chief Election Commissioner with the concurrence of the Leader of the House and the leader of the Opposition. If the PML(N) chief is a wise man, he would hold Benazir to her manifesto and first have a mutually acceptable Chief Election Commissioner appointed. Likewise, holding her to her own party manifesto, he should settle with her the method of nomination of the Chief Justice and other judges of the Supreme Courts and High Courts. Yet another point on which agreement can be easily reached is reducing the tenure of the legislatures from five to four years or even three and a half.

Further, it would serve the interest of both parties if the number of seats in the federal and provincial Assemblies is substantially increased, say doubled thereby reducing the size of constituencies, and making electioneering less expensive and rendering horse-trading more difficult. And while increasing the number of women s seats in the legislatures, the two leaders should hammer out a new mode of election for the female members having them elected not by male MNAs/MPAs but by women voters say graduates for MNAs and girls school faculties for MPAs. And finally, to guard themselves against the scourge of floor- crossing, they ought to agree on stricter enforcement of the existing anti-defection law clause 8-B of the Political Parties Act of 1968. If instead of trying all the time to seduce the opponent legislators, they focused on ensuring the steadfastness of their own MNAs and MPAs, they will find themselves less vulnerable to blackmail from their partymen and more successful in drastically cutting back on corruption. If Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto are sincere in their professed aim of making a success of the system(parliamentary democracy) they will initiate talks forthwith to settle fora compromise formula. REFERENCE: Brutalisation of our society Ghani Eirabie DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending: 26 September 1996 Issue: 02/39 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1996/26Sp96.html#brut

In the meantime, deputy opposition leader Gohar Ayub asserted that his party had not with drawn from its position that women's seats restoration-was part of its constitutional package. However, two of his party leaders, Mushahid Husain and Mehnaz Rafi, did affix their signatures on a declaration adopted at a workshop sponsored by the Aurat Foundation in Islamabad earlier this month. Senator Shafqat Mahmood was the signatory from the PPP side. But the biggest shock came from Nawaz Sharif who told a group of reporters in Islamabad on August 13 that his party would not co- operate with the government on this issue as it would provide the government with an opportunity for "blackmailing and horsetrading". That seemed to put paid to all recent efforts to get women their legislative rights. However, the PML might just have realised the repercussions of Mr Sharif's assertion and it has now proposed a National Assembly committee to draft a consensus bill so that the question is resolved for the present and the future. So, there is a ray of hope again, although sources close to the Muslim League still find it difficult to believe that Mr Sharif, in the present state of confrontation with the government, will agree to consider the issue separately. REFERENCE: Breaking the deadlock on women's seats Mahmood Zaman DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 24 August, 1995 Issue : 01/33 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1995/24Ag95.html#brea

How the Unification League or Q League came into being:)

Intense U.S. pressure has forced Musharraf to resign from the army to keep his presidency, and he is soon to lift martial law. Still at issue is how free the election will be and whether Bhutto will take office with a large governing majority. When Musharraf still resisted Washington's demands last week that he end his state of emergency, I asked Bhutto how an election could be conducted under those conditions. Her message: "Elections under martial law cannot be free or fair." It remains an open question whether an election could still be rigged by Musharraf without martial law. He has appointed local electoral officials who will take orders. Twenty million names have disappeared from the national voters list, whose preparation was financed with U.S. aid. When this was discovered, the government said that anybody on the old list would be permitted to vote. But the new list is flawed, with millions of names repeated to permit multiple votes by individuals. All this attempts at least to minimize Bhutto's majority and force her into taking a coalition partner. Musharraf's efforts to keep Bhutto out have been orchestrated for two years by retired brigadier Ijaz Shah, who left Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) to become the president's chief of civilian intelligence. The ISI, a state within a state, is aligned against Bhutto and would be at the heart of any vote-rigging. REFERENCE: Rigging Pakistan's Election? By Robert D. Novak Monday, December 3, 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/02/AR2007120201637.html

Rigging Pakistan's Election: Justice Delayed is Justice Denied - Part 1

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vzSaQLg4Lg

ISLAMABAD: The main wheeler and dealer of the ISI during the 2002 elections, the then Maj-Gen Ehtesham Zamir, now retired, has come out of the closet and admitted his guilt of manipulating the 2002 elections, and has directly blamed Gen Musharraf for ordering so. Talking to The News, the head of the ISI’s political cell in 2002, admitted manipulating the last elections at the behest of President Musharraf and termed the defeat of the King’s party, the PML-Q, this time “a reaction of the unnatural dispensation (installed in 2002).” Zamir said the ISI together with the NAB was instrumental in pressing the lawmakers to join the pro-Musharraf camp to form the government to support his stay in power. Looking down back into the memory lane and recalling his blunders which, he admitted, had pushed the country back instead of taking it forward, Zamir feels ashamed of his role and conduct. Massively embarrassed because he was the one who negotiated, coerced and did all the dirty work, the retired Maj-Gen said he was not in a position to become a preacher now when his own past was tainted. He said the country would not have faced such regression had the political management was not carried out by the ISI in 2002. But he also put some responsibility of the political disaster on the PML-Q as well. The former No: 2 of the ISI called for the closure of political cell in the agency, confessing that it was part of the problem due to its involvement in forging unnatural alliances, contrary to public wishes. Zamir’s blaming Musharraf for creating this unnatural alliance rings true as another former top associate of Musharraf, Lt-Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani has already disclosed that majority of the corps commanders, in several meetings, had opposed Musharraf’s decision of patronising the leadership of the King’s party. “We had urged Musharraf many times during the corps commanders meeting that the PML-Q leadership was the most condemned and castigated personalities. They are the worst politicians who remained involved in co-operative scandals and writing off loans. But Musharraf never heard our advice,” Kiyani said while recalling discussions in their high profile meetings. REFERENCE: The man, who rigged 2002 polls, spills the beans By Umar Cheema Sunday, February 24, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=13159

Rigging Pakistan's Election: Justice Delayed is Justice Denied - Part 2

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD0hNJNGKvE&feature=related
Rigging Pakistan's Election: Justice Delayed is Justice Denied - Part 3

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR8eSf2ZvHU&feature=related
Rigging Pakistan's Election: Justice Delayed is Justice Denied - Part 4

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu8LCqPZZio&feature=related
Rigging Pakistan's Election: Justice Delayed is Justice Denied - Part 5

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvU7UDAlAc8&feature=related

He said one of their colleagues, who was an accountability chief at that time, had sought permission many times for proceeding against the King’s party top leaders but was always denied. Kiyani asked Musharraf to quit, the sooner the better, as otherwise the country would be in a serious trouble. Ma-Gen (retd) EhteshamZamir termed the 2008 elections ‘fairer than 2002’. He said the reason behind their fairness is that there was relatively less interference of intelligence agencies this time as compared to the last time. But he stopped short of saying that there was zero interference in the 2008 polls. “You are quite right,” he said when asked to confirm about heavy penetration of ISI into political affairs during the 2002 elections. But he said he did not do it on his own but on the directives issued by the government. Asked who directed him from the government side and if there was somebody else, not President Musharraf, he said: “Obviously on the directives of President Musharraf.” Asked if he then never felt that he was committing a crime by manipulating political business at the cost of public wishes, he said: “Who should I have told except myself. Could I have asked Musharraf about this? I was a serving officer and I did what I was told to do. I never felt this need during the service to question anyone senior to me,” he said and added that he could not defend his acts now. REFERENCE: The man, who rigged 2002 polls, spills the beans By Umar Cheema Sunday, February 24, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=13159

“It was for this reason that I have never tried to preach others what I did not practice. But I am of the view that the ISI’s political cell should be closed for good by revoking executive orders issued in 1975,” he said. Responding to a question regarding corruption cases that were used as pressure tactics on lawmakers, he said: “Yes! This tool was used, not only by the ISI. The NAB was also involved in this exercise.” Former corps commander of Rawalpindi, Lt-Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani said majority of corps commanders had continued opposing Musharraf’s alliance with top leadership of the PML-Q. “Not just in one meeting, we opposed his alignment with these corrupt politicians in many meetings but who cared. Now Musharraf has been disgraced everywhere, thanks to his political cronies.” REFERENCE: The man, who rigged 2002 polls, spills the beans By Umar Cheema Sunday, February 24, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=13159