General Pervez Musharraf's "Support" for Imran Khan:)

LAHORE: About 100 retired army officers are getting ready to join former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf`s All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) on his homecoming next month, Dawn has learnt. The former president is set to return but will announce the date of his arrival during his address to a public meeting to be held on January 8 in Karachi. `Yes, a good number of ex servicemen have shown their willingness to join my party on my return,` Gen Musharraf said in response to a question during a telephonic conversation with Dawn on Friday. Answering a question about the criticism levelled at him in the past by some members of the Ex-Servicemen Society, he said: `There were a few people who criticised me, but they have regretted their actions and now want to come along with me,` he said. He said he would address the public meeting in Karachi through teleconferencing equipment. `As I said earlier Iam determined to return to Pakistan. On the 8th I will announce the date of my return. The former president said he expected the government to make adequate security arrangements for him. `Security always remains an issue. I am making arrangements for my security… but the government should also ensure it,` he said. Mr Musharraf said he took all the cases against him seriously but was determined to return. `My legal team is working on the cases I am facing in Pakistan and let`s see what the courts decide. I am taking the cases seriously and the impression that I do not care about them is not correct. `However, the cases against me are baseless, as cases are filed in Pakistan without any concrete reason,` he said. About Imran Khan`s reported statement in which he ruled out any alliance with the APML, Mr Musharraf said: `I say thank you very much to Mr Khan… I want to break the political status quoand Imran is also struggling for this. In Pakistan, the political status quo is the PPP and the PML-N and we all should unite to break this. `And let me make it clear that if no one will come forward in this respect I will do it myself with the support of the people of Pakistan,` Gen Musharraf remarked. Sources told Dawn that Gen (retd) Musharraf had asked his legal team, including Mohammad Ali Saif and Fawad Chaudhry, to particularly pursue the case against him in an Anti-Terrorism Court that had issued arrest warrants for him in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case. The team was also likely to challenge the FIR registered against the general in the Akbar Bugti assassination case because the FC had carried out the operation against the late Baloch leader on the request of the Balochistan government. The sources said the former president would return by the end of next month. REFERENCE: 100 ex-army officers may join Musharraf`s party http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/31/100-ex-army-officers-may-join-musharrafs-party.html

Musharraf says Imran Khan Is better than all  (Jirga - GEO TV 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyLzcugiyz8

The Salim Saifullah-led provincial chapter of the PML-Q followed the party guideline regarding support to the government. In addition, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI), Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT), Omar Asghar’s newly-launched Qaumi Jamhoori Party (QJP) and Fanoos Gujar’s little known Pakistan Awami Party (PAP) have also served as the king’s party. “On April 30, you have to support a bleak or bright future for Pakistan. If you are keen on a bright future for your next generation, you must stamp yes for Musharraf in the referendum,” Imran Khan reportedly said at a function in Peshawar. During their visit to various parts of the province, the ex-cricket star together with Tehrik-i- Insaaf’s provincial president, Nawabzada Mohsin Ali Khan, focused on the corruption of the former premiers in order to seek public support for the government. REFERENCE: Saviour of Pakistan, Musharraf Khan? By Amir Mohammed Khan 15 MAY 2002 http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2002/05/saviour-of-pakistan/

Pervez Musharraf Message for Imran Khan PTI Insaf (PTV - 2007)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NfbdiBTXKw

General Pervez Musharraf hopes the referendum will give his presidency legitimacy. A referendum win would allow him to remain in office until 2007 and he could well stay on even longer.After his coup in 1999, General Musharraf declared in a press conference that he would remain in office for just three years. But like many military rulers before him he is reluctant to give up power.He argues that his staying in office is the only way to ensure economic recovery, social stability and the eventual establishment of "true" democracy in Pakistan. But he is also motivated by a fear that, if he were to stand down in favour of democratically elected politicians, he could face a treason charge. The army has never been able to deny that the 1999 coup was unconstitutional.

Military precedent

A referendum win, however, might not give President Musharraf the legitimacy he is seeking. A former military ruler in Pakistan, General Zia, also called a referendum but the tactic brought him few benefits. In 1984, Zia put this question to the Pakistani people: "Do you endorse the process initiated by General Mohammed Zia ul Haq, the President of Pakistan, to bring in laws in conformity with the injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Koran and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and for the preservation of the ideology of Pakistan".

Even though Zia won, the question was so loaded, and the turnout so low, he still faced sustained challenges from the politicians right up until the moment he died in suspicious circumstances in a 1988 air crash. President Musharraf has indicated that this time the referendum will be in the form of a simple "yes" or "no" question.But the military fears a low turn out. All the main political parties and religious groups have called for a boycott of the vote.

Politicians fight back

The politicians now believe the army will deny them power for the foreseeable future. When the referendum result is announced next month, the turn out figures will almost certainly be disputed. Ever since the 1999 coup, the major political parties have played a muted role, for the most part accommodating themselves to the military government. Now, President Musharraf is clearly determined to remain in power they are likely to oppose him with greater vigour. Under Pakistan's constitution, the president should be elected by the membership of the National Assembly and the Senate. The politicians had hoped that, after the parliamentary elections due this October, they could use that power to deny President Musharraf another term. But by opting for a referendum, President Musharraf is calculating that he will be able to by-pass the constitutional procedure and remain in office even if the politicians oppose him. REFERENCE: Analysis: Musharraf's referendum gamble Friday, 5 April, 2002, 20:34 GMT 21:34 UK http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1913990.stm 

Imran Khan & NATO - 1 (Bolta Pakistan - 26th Dec 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al-TNWkjg5c

Pakistani cricket legend-turned politician Imran Khan on Tuesday backed the referendum to be held next month to decide the future of President Pervez Musharraf but his fledgling Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf headed for trouble as some of its leaders have opposed it openly. After considerable dithering, Imran Khan declared that his party has decided to support Musharraf's referendum. In a statement issued from Karachi, Imran said he has decided to support the referendum as he believed that Musharraf wanted "to make Pakistan a modern Islamic, welfare state". Imran said his party wants to play its real role as "we desire that democracy is promoted in the country and a clean leadership come to the fore". Imran launched his party with a lot of fanfare in the last general elections but ended up in a great disappointment after he failed to win a single seat even though he himself contested 22 seats from different regions.

A bitter critic of former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, Imran alleged that politicians in the country minted money through corruption during the last 12 years. The referendum has been opposed by all the major political parties including Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party, (PPP) and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim league (PML). While Imran announced the support to the referendum, a section of his party headed by General Secretary Miraj Muhammad Khan openly opposed the party decision to back it. Pakistan Daily quoted a party sources as saying that Miraj was bitterly critical of the party accepting the "undemocratic" move of Musharraf trying to get elected for a five year term through a referendum. REFERENCE: Imran backs Musharraf's referendum, party members oppose Press Trust of India Posted: Apr 09, 2002 at 1518 hrs IST http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=9092 

Musharraf risks credibility in drive for election win Rivals call for boycott of Pakistani referendum Rory McCarthy in Islamabad The Guardian, Monday 29 April 2002 02.23 BST http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/apr/29/pakistan.rorymccarthy

Imran Khan & NATO - 2 (Bolta Pakistan - 26th Dec 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8LtiDaUtk4

Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan has hailed the SC verdict on the Oct 12 change and said that it will provide the present government with an element of legitimacy. Mr Khan said the government should start the implementation of the seven-point agenda. He said it should give priority to the accountability process. It should declare casting of vote mandatory for every voter and undertake other needed electoral reforms to discourage the election of corrupt elements for parliamentary slots. He said the government should also set a limit for election expenditure. In a Press statement issued on Friday, he said after the announcement of the SC verdict the government would no longer be able to give lame excuses to the people who were waiting for positive results. He said the government should have got a vote of public confidence directly through a referendum soon after the takeover. But now the regime should fulfil its promises without any delay and work in accordance with public expectations as it has been provided a period of three years for this purpose by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Reference: PML accepts SC verdict: Shujaat Reporter 13 May 2000 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2000/may13.html#pmla 

1 – Five judges elevated to SC Bureau Report [Daily Dawn Feb 2000] - ISLAMABAD, Feb 2: The government elevated five judges to the Supreme Court on Wednesday. According to a notification, the president has appointed Justice Rashid Aziz, Chief Justice, Lahore High Court; Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Chief Justice Sindh High Court; Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice, Balochistan High Court; Qazi Farooq, former chief justice of Peshawar High Court; and Justice Rana Bhagwan Das, judge, Sindh High Court, judges of the Supreme Court. After the elevation of Justice Rashid Aziz Khan to the SC, Justice Mohammad Allah Nawaz has been appointed Chief Justice of Lahore High Court. Justice Deedar Hussain Shah has been appointed Chief Justice of Sindh High Court and Justice Javed Iqbal Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court. After these appointments, the number of SC judges has risen to 12, leaving five posts vacant. Reference: Five judges elevated to SC Bureau Report http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2000/05feb00.html#five

Imran Khan Lies on Properties and Assets (Capital Talk Nov 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l_9O0Yit68

After 15 long years, Imran Khan has finally come out of the commentary box, so to speak. He says he is finally ready for a real political innings. And now, what was otherwise an aging non-entity of a party called PTI has received a few botox shots via the dissidents of other parties. Imran Khan, the cricket hero and philanthropist, has become the darling of many TV talk shows as a politician with serious heft. Using this platform, he has been criticising the so-called status quo. In his line of fire have been the usual culprits, the PPP and PML-N. Both, according to him and his followers, have plundered the national wealth. To his followers, he is no less than a messiah in disguise who is ready to relieve Pakistan of its biggest menace: corruption. Khan’s PTI is the cleanest, and he can perform magic where all others have failed. In reality, though, his party seems to be the newly laundered version of the old PML-Q. His sudden rise can be attributed to the successful dharnas (sit-ins) in Peshawar and Karachi. The anti-American Khan is of the view that all the ills of Pakistan are due to the US invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan. His rallies displayed “Say No to Drones” banners, and his fiery speeches criticised the current regime and its allegiance to US policy. It is amazing given that these drones were flying in General Musharraf’s era as well, yet Mr Khan did not resort to any sit-ins or street action at that time. Even after his sit-ins, there were other drone attacks, but apparently sit-ins were more of a passing fad. Typically long-term strategic foreign policy is carried over from government to government, regardless of who is in the saddle. Imran Khan is fairly familiar with the region and knows that the incumbents are continuing the policy of their predecessor. Besides, being an astute political commentator, he is completely aware that, when it comes to foreign policy, the civilian government has to tread a fine line. And I’m sure it is rather obvious to him and the rest of the country who draws that line. By inheriting Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Khan has done an about-face on his anti-American rants. Needless to say, both these men were the once recent foreign ministers and share some blame for the policies that Khan has highlighted and tried to capitalise on. But like any other member of the opposition, Mr Khan loves to gain political mileage at the expense of the current regime. His mantra of “hope” and “change,” primarily borrowed from Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, seems to be a big ploy of hot air. His Minar-e-Pakistan rally in Lahore, which was touted as a political tsunami and “game changer,” may be nothing more than a hoax. What baffles many observers is the political jugglery of immense proportions. It seems as if Khan’s followers believe he is a Superman and will propel Pakistan forward, full throttle, with some application of his supernatural strength and speed. What they badly fail to realise is, that even if Mr Khan becomes the prime minister, it’s not him but the legislators who can ensure that real change occurs. The fact is, no matter what, in order to reach Islamabad, Imran Khan will have to wheel and deal with other political parties. More recently, he has taken any and everybody into the PTI’s “hall of fame.” He has finally come to terms with the fact that a campaign runs on “electable candidates,” whether those candidates may be feudal landlords or age-old bureaucrats, because in the end, his one-man show cannot garner enough seats to carry him to the finish line. Khan’s leanings towards the religious right are no hidden secret. Typically that segment does not carry much strength when it comes to real change or action of any worth. It turns out to be a hotchpotch of parties who come under the banner of religion and disintegrate rather quickly. In case he has any doubts about this, all he needs to do is revisit the history of the PNA, IJI and MMA. To bank on their support will be quite a futile exercise, even though his supporters are a cross of the ideologically confused pseudo-liberals and fundamentalists of the right. As they say, the devil is in the details. At this point in time, those details are still murky. How does he intend to throw away the so-called begging bowl? What magical macro- and micro-economic policies does he intend to introduce that will boost GDP, reduce unemployment, minimise inflation and increase foreign investment? Above all, how will he be able to eradicate the distasteful icing of corruption from this economic cake? And here is a grim reminder for Khan and his followers: they should be holding their criticism and disdain for some of the other political parties in the current arena. When and if his time comes, he will have to form a coalition with the same old time-tested faces. That’s a ground reality, and ignoring that would be nothing less than stupid. Remember, presumably he is running to be prime minister and not king. It’s going to be more of the same under a different name. Being “Kuptaan” in cricket is easier than playing the real game on the political pitch. REFERENCE: Imran Khan: Stumbling on the Political Pitch By D Asghar 26 DECEMBER 2011 http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2011/12/imran-khan-stumbling-on-the-political-pitch/

Imran Khan Lies on Properties and Assets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuZ0FdPUYH4

Imran Khan's choice of candidate for prime minister has left many of his ardent fans, especially women, dumbfounded. The cricketer-turned-politician voted for Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal's nominee for premier, against the advise of many liberal and progressive members within his Tehrik-e-Insaaf (TI). Imran used his solitary vote in parliament in Rehman's favour, forwarding the argument that the MMA is the only political force that is independent and does not take dictation from abroad. He maintained that he found himself ideologically and politically close to the MMA, which denounces President Pervez Musharraf's support to the international coalition in the war against terrorism, especially in neighbouring Afghanistan. "Khan has more than a soft corner for the ousted Afghan Taliban," a senior leader of his party said on the condition of anonymity. "He thinks that the orthodox religious militia did a great service to Afghanistan and Islam before they became a target of the Americans." Also, the MMA's firm stand against Musharraf, especially his series of controversial constitutional amendments, won the heart of Pakistan's former speedster, he added. Imran's protracted bitterness towards the Pakistan Peoples' Party and anger against the Pakistan Muslim League left him with no alternative other than the MMA, which secured 86 votes, including those of the Pakistan Muslim League (N). Khan's vote for the pro-Taliban cleric has added to the political confusion within his party, which performed poorly in the October 10 elections. "It would have been understandable, had Imran voted for a candidate that was nominated jointly by the opposition," said a senior Tehrik-e-Insaaf leader. "But by voting for the MMA, he most certainly has lost his standing among the liberal, democratic and progressive elements in society." Human rights groups and the majority of the moderate and liberal Muslims have been extremely critical of the MMA's narrow interpretation of Islam and the conservative views of its leaders on women, education, fine arts, television and sports. By voting for the MMA, the Tehrik-e-Insaaf chief has, in effect, endorsed the religious alliance's stand on these issues as well. Will the women's wing of the Tehrik-e-Insaaf, led by Jemima, Khan's British-born wife, endorse the Taliban-like interpretation of Islam? That remains a moot point. Mairaj Mohammed Khan, the Tehrik-e-Insaaf's secretary general who has spent a lifetime advocating socialism and secular politics, finds it hard to defend the somersaults of the party leader, who has drifted from one extreme (of being pro-Musharraf) to the other extreme (of being anti-Musharraf) within a short span of time. REFERENCE: Will the Real Imran Please Stand Up? By Amir Zia 9 DECEMBER 2002 http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2002/12/will-the-real-imran-please-stand-up/