“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, 
for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” - Henry Ford

The curse of price inflation haunts us. There seems to be no respite for the common man. Everything is becoming more and more expensive and yet nobody can come up with a satisfactory explanation. This phenomenon is causing acute pain to millions of households who are struggling to survive on what little money they have. We are finding that our static incomes are failing to keep up with the massive increases in the cost of living. The price of food, fuel, energy, housing and everything else is rocketing far beyond our means to keep up. The middle classes are being wiped out. God help us, the poorest are in an even worse state. But why does this happen? Why don’t rupees go as far as they used to? 

It is really much simpler than most people imagine it to be. The rupee, like the dollar and every other currency in existence, is a mere political currency, unredeemable for any real asset. The rupee is not a certificate of real wealth, but a ‘note of credit’, based on a trust and promise from the central bank and politicians that it will retain its future value. The currency is not based on any real and valuable commodity like gold or silver. It is based on nothing.

Depending on the whim of the State Bank of Pakistan, extra rupees are printed and issued to pay for shortfalls in the government budget or to pay off debt. Remember, these notes are just pieces of paper with ink designs on them and for the State Bank to print more is an easy matter. But every extra rupee issued diminishes the value of every other rupee in the economy and thus weakens its buying power for the public.Hence goods and services become more expensive with time. 

In effect, this ‘fiat’ monetary system destroys the wealth of the poor and middle classes who suffer most from price rises. When this inflationary money is created out of thin air, it is injected into the economy through private and government owned banks in the form of credit and new paper notes. Through the ‘fractional reserve banking’ process, the new money is multiplied even further and lent for bank profits based on interest rate returns from borrowers. These credit markets keep business and consumer activity churning over. The key to the manipulation of the system is the ability of the State Bank of Pakistan to artificially price the base interest rate.

A low interest rate means cheap credit, an increased money supply, more borrowing, and a consumer boom. A higher interest rate results in more expensive credit, a contraction in the money supply leading to less borrowing, and a slowdown in growth. ‘Monetary policy’ comes in the form of central bank decisions that are euphemistically known as ‘loosening and tightening’, where interest rate cuts mean loosening and hikes mean tightening. It sounds eerily similar to having a noose around someone’s neck.

It is not such a bad analogy. By changing base interest rates, the State Bank of Pakistan can constrict or ease the financial situation for the entire country. Thus an immense amount influence over the lives and properties of hundreds of millions is vested into the hands of a tiny group of individuals who are politically motivated in their actions. It is no surprise then, that prior to elections, politicians will pressurise the State Bank governor to lower interest rates to supply cheap credit to the masses and thus fuel an artificially generated ‘feel-good’ boom.

The problem is that inevitably, every boom eventually turns to bust, causing havoc for millions of ordinary families. But since when did the interests of the ordinary people ever get in the way of short-term political expediency? In The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx laid out his ten tenets of extreme socialism. His fifth is especially relevant: “Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.” Why the global monetary system is based on the degenerate ideas of this man is a complete mystery. Yet here we are.

When interest rates (the price of money or credit) are changeable at the whim of the central bank, booms and busts are the unavoidable result. No matter how hard the State Bank tries to engineer ‘safe landings’ for the economy and avoid recessions by tinkering with the base interest rate, they always happen. The problem is that there are too many variables involved and these people are only under the illusion that they know what they are doing, besides which, when the economy goes awry they can always pass the buck and blame ‘external factors’ or ‘global conditions’.

Interest rate cuts and cheap credit is always seen as the quick and easy answer. When interest rates are artificial and credit is distributed according to a arbitrary rate that is lower than a ‘natural’ equilibrium market rate, i.e. if monetary policy is ‘loosened’, excess credit often engulfs the economy, creating ‘bubbles’. This gives the illusion of prosperity. But in reality the new found wealth is concentrated in the hands of very few through the ‘bubble’ stock market, ‘bubble’ house price increases, and the profiteering corporations who have direct credit lines with the government.

Only a minority of the population benefit through cheap loans, stock market bubbles, or corporatist subsidies. The vast majority only suffer the consequences of the profligacy. The apparent new-found prosperity in the form of shiny new cars on the streets and new shopping malls is therefore not based on real production and wealth but in fact on mountains of cheap debt, and as every debtor knows, the bills always catch up with you in the end.

Mr. M. A. Jinnah issued the following condolence message on the death of Allama Iqbal:

I am extremely sorry to hear the sad news of the death of Sir Muhammad Iqbal. He was a remarkable poet of world wide fame and his work will live for ever. His services to his country and the Muslims are so numerous that his record can be compared with that of the greatest Indian that ever lived. He was an ex-President of the All-India Muslim League and a President of the Provincial Muslim League of the Punjab till the very recent time when his unforeseen illness compelled him to resign. But he was the staunchest and the most loyal champion of the policy and programme of the All-India Muslim League.

To me he was a friend, guide and philosopher and during the darkest moments through which the Muslim League had to go, he stood like a rock and never flinched one single moment and as a result just only three days ago he must have read of been informed of the complete unity that was achieved in Calcutta of the Muslim leaders of the Punjab and today I can say with pride that the Muslims of Punjab are wholeheartedly with the League and have come under the flag of the All-India Muslim League, which must have been a matter of greatest satisfaction to him. In the achievement of this unity Sir Muhammad Iqbal played a most signal part. My sincerest and deepest sympathy go out to his family at this moment in their bereavement in losing him, and it is a terrible loss to India and the Muslims particularly at this juncture.

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“To me he was a personal friend, philosopher and guide and as such the main source of my inspiration and spiritual support. While he was ailing in his bed it was he who as the President of the Punjab Provincial Muslim League, stood single-handed as a rock in the darkest days in the Punjab by the side of the League banner, undaunted by the opposition of the whole world. When on account of his serious illness he was confined to bed, he resigned the post of the Presidentship of the Punjab League but was instead elected its Patron. He still continued to guide the work of the Punjab League from his bed and had somebody to reply to all letters concerning the League. It would have been a matter of great satisfaction for him to hear the news with great delight that the Bengal and Punjab Muslims were absolutely united on the sommon platform of the All-India Muslim League. In that achievement the unseen contribution of Dr. Sir Muhammad Iqbal was the greatest. No greater blow has struck the Muslims at this juncture.”

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Quaid-i-Azam made the following comments extempore during his presidential address:

Dr. Sir Muhammad Iqbal’s death is an irrepairable loss to Muslim India. He was a personal friend of mine and composer of the finest poetry in the world. He will live as long as Islam will live. His noble poetry interprets the true aspirations of the Muslims of India. It will remain an inspiration for us and for generations after us.”

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Sometime after this meeting, Jinnah turned to Matlub Saiyid, who had been present at the Lahore session, and said:

Iqbal is no more amongst us, but had he been alive he would have been happy to know that we did exactly what he wanted us to do.

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If I live to see ideal of a Muslim State being achieved in India and I were then offered to make a choice between the works of Iqbal and the rulership of the Muslim state, I would prefer the former.

This view was expressed by Mr. M. A. Jinnah presiding over the second session of the “Iqbal Day” held in the University Hall, Lahore.

Continuing, Mr. Jinnah said that in April 1936, he thought of transforming the Muslim League, which was then only an academical institution, into a parliament of the Muslims of India. From that time to the end of his life, he continued, Iqbal stood like a rock by him.

Iqbal, Mr. Jinnah said, was not only a great poet who had a permanent place in the history of the world’s best literature, he was a dynamic personality who, during his life time, made the greatest contribution towards rousing and developing of Muslim national consciousness. He compared Iqbal with great literary figures of England like Milton and Shelley.

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Iqbal was described by various speakers not only as one of the greatest poets of the world, but also a political prophet who first visualised the ideal of a separate Muslim State in India, at the celebrations in connection with the Iqbal Day held in the University Hall, Lahore, under the auspices of the University Union.

Paying his tribute to the memory of the poet, Mr. M. A. Jinnah said:

The message of Iqbal has reached the farthest corners of the world. He was the greatest interpreter of Islam in modern times.

“I have had the privelege and opportunity,” he added, “of being associated with him. I have never found a more true and more loyal colleague than him.”

Mr. Jinnah exhorted Muslim youth to understand the spirit of Iqbal’s message. This, he said, would show them their goal. “Iqbal is goig to live for ever. The coming generations will look upon him as the greatest benefactors of Muslims.”

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Every great movement has a philosopher and Iqbal was the philosopher of the National Renaissance of Muslim India. He in his works has left an exhaustive and most valuable legacy behind him and a message not only for the Musalmans but for all other nations of the world.

Iqbal was a poet who inspired Muslims with the spirit and determination to restore to Islam its former glory and although he is no more with us, his memory will grow younger and younger with the progress and development of Muslim India.

His works should therefore, be read and digested by every Musalman to create solidarity, and we should all try to organise the Muslims throughout India economically, educationall, socially and politically.

M. A. Jinnah

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The following message has been issued by Mr. M. A. Jinnah on the occasion of celebration of Iqbal Day:

“Dare and Live” is Iqbal’s message. Optimism, industry, faith, self-confidence and courage are the principles on which Iqbal bases his philosophy and which he believes are the essential factors for the purification of human soul and for the elevation of human character. The obstacles and setbacks in life, according to him, make the life worth living. The sacrifices and losses, made and incurred in the service of a right cause nd for noble principles elevates a nation and makes life more glorious and worth living.

Iqbal never believed in failure. he believed in the superiority of mankind over all the rest that God created. In fact he was convinced that man is a collection of all that is best in God’s universe. Only man does not know himself. Man has but to utilize his great potentialities and to use them in the right direction for the realization of that “self” which finds itself so near to God; and Islam is the code which has prescribed easy ways and means for that realization.

Iqbal was not only a philosopher but also a practical politician. He was one of the first to conceive of the feasibility of the division of India on national lines as the only solution of India’s political problem. He was one of the most powerful though tacit precursors and heralds of the modern political evolution of Muslim India.

Iqbal, therefore, rises above the average philosopher, as the essence of his teachings is a beautiful blend of thought and action. He combines in himself the idealism of a poet and the realism of a man who took practical view of things. In Iqbal this compromise is essentially Islamic. In fact it is nothing but Islam. His ideal therefore is life according to the teachings of Islam with a motto “Dare and Live.”

I wholeheartedly associate myself with the efforts of the Iqbal Day Committee in celebrating the Poet’s Day on his birthday and I hope and pray that every one of us may be able to live up to the ideals Iqbal preached by his beautiful national poems and which have now embedded the doctrine of Pakistan into the heart and soul of Muslim India which is now burning very brightly, never to be extinguished.

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“It is a source of great encouragement to me that our people in your province have started to organize themselves. Strengthening yourself, really speaking, means strengthening borders of Pakistan, a thing which will enable us to achieve our goal and thus maintain our freedom, honor, prestige and glory of Islam for which we are now fighting,” says Mr. M. A. Jinnah in the course of a message to the Frontier Muslim Students’ Federation under whose auspices the Iqbal Day was celebrated.

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To the cherished memory of our National Poet Iqbal, I pay my homage on this day, which is being celebrated in commemoration of that great poet, sage, philosopher and thinker, and I pray to God Almighty that his soul may rest in eternal peace. Amen!

Though he is not amongst us, his verse, immortal as it is, is always there to guide us and to inspire us. His poetry, besides being beautiful in form and sweet in language, presents to us a picture of the mind and heart of this great poet, and we find how deeply he was devoted to the teachings of Islam. He was a true and faithful follower of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), a Muslim first and a Muslim last. He was the interpreter and voice of Islam.

Iqbal was not merely a preacher and philosopher. He stood for courage and action, perseverance and self-reliance, and above all faith in God and devotion to Islam. In his person were combined the idealism of the poet and the realism of the man who takes a practical view of things. Faith in God and unceasing and untiring action is the essence of his message. And in this he emerges truly Islam. He had an unflinching faith in Islamic principles, and success in life meant to him the realization of one’s “self”, and to achieve this end the only means was to follow the teachings of Islam. His message to himanity is action and realization of one’s self.

Although a great poet and philosopher he was no less a practical politician. With his firm conviction and faith in the ideals of Islam, he was one of the few who originally thought over the feasibility of carving out of India such an Islamic state in the North-West and North-East Zones which are historical homelands of Muslims.

I wholeheartedly associate myself with the celebrations of this “Iqbal Day”, and pray that we may live up to the ideals preached by our National Poet so that we may be able to achieve and give a practical shape to these ideals in our sovereign state of Pakistan when established.

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Iqbal voiced the ideals and aspirations of Muslim India. He made great contribution by his poems and prose to the political awakening and stirring up of the soul of Muslims of India. I wish the Iqbal Day every success.

Failed Presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton, popped up in Pakistan recently on a ‘marathon’ three day visit to ‘assuage’ the offended Pakistani population who - for some reason - strongly object to being killed by American drones and car-bombed in the fallout of obscene American policies. Apparently, three days is all it takes. Let's review the ill-will tour. 

Supine, corrupt, feckless Pakistani politicians cleared their empty diaries even further to wine and dine her. These are the same rogues who have impotently presided over the mass murder of civilians at the hands of the American sponsored ‘faux Taliban.’ Puppets owe their careers to puppet-masters, so they were only too grateful that Her Imperial Majesty could spare the time to condescend to visit them.

After all, as Secretary of State, she has an extremely busy schedule. War mongering, fundraising with AIPAC, harassing sovereign Muslim nations and scheming with fellow CFR vampires takes up a lot of one’s day and leaves one with little or no time for the ‘little people'.

True to form, her pretence of motherly reassurance quickly disappeared as her inner east-coast imperialist arrogance rose to the surface. The lecturing, haranguing demeanour that makes her so despised in America and loathed in Pakistan was in full gear as she urged Pakistan to “DO MORE!”

Spitting on the graves of thousands of Pakistani soldiers martyred in defence of their nation and people, she accused them of harbouring Al Qaeda and failing to check an insurgency that ironically, it was America that sparked it in the first place: “I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are [al Qaeda] and could not get them if they really wanted to... Maybe that’s the case; maybe they’re not gettable. I don’t know... As far as we know, they are in Pakistan,” she carped.

Such shocking, inflammatory comments left Pakistani's reeling. Typical of imperialists everywhere, the disrespectful and undiplomatic remarks were banded about with absolutely no proof or evidence whatsoever. This from the same proven liar who coined the new political term ‘miss-spoke’, after she once fancifully claimed that she had arrived in Sarejevo during the Bosnian War as First Lady “under sniper fire.” She hadn’t. But no matter, anyone can mistake little schoolgirls carrying flowers for Serbian snipers!

She swatted away any criticism of the immense humanitarian fallout of her nation’s policies in Pakistan. Appearing bored and imperious in interviews, she could only trot out the usual clichés about ordinary Pakistani’s making “sacrifices” and deserving “credit” for their efforts in defending themselves against the sheer chaos that America has caused in the region.

Pakistani’s were left open-mouthed as she clumsily tried to deflect all blame for America’s gargantuan failures in the region onto Pakistan. A shocked senior security official rebutted her lies: “Pakistan has done far more than any other country in combating al-Qaeda, capturing at least 700 of its activists.”

Interestingly, only the young students of Lahore University were brave enough to personally call her out on her ludicrous assertions. During a meeting, one student asked: “What guarantee can the Americans give Pakistanis that you guys would not betray us like you did in the past?” Another asked: “Why is America bombing the northwest of Pakistan with drones that do not discriminate between children and women and kill them with equal precision?”

Her shocking arrogance echoed around the walls of the university hall: "If you want to see your territory shrink, that's your choice!"  For all the effect it had, she might as well have been saying: “Come on kids, those babies killed in drone attacks could have grown up to be al-qaeda operatives. Havn't you heard of our new-fangled policy of 'pre-emptive strikes'? Who says it's terrorism? White is black, night is day. We say so! Do you have a problem with that?U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!"

When a bold TV anchor caught her off guard during an interview asking why the KL bill was so carelessly written as the majority of the Pakistanis had felt humiliated by the bitter language used, the Wicked Witch of th West was momentarily stunned. She smiled nervously and joked, ‘Who said the Pakistani media is not free?" The TV anchor was not deterred and raising concerns about the hidden agenda of the bill linked with controlling Pakistani intelligence and security agencies. 

By this stage she must have felt a little punch-drunk by the sheer gap between what these critics were saying and how slavishly the politicians in Islamabad were debasing themselves on their knees for KL crumbs. Shocked that these 'third worlders' should be questioning her, one could tell what she really wanted to say: “Beggars ought to adhere to the conditions or die with famine. No one is forcing the money down your throat, but your leaders always ask for more!”.

Blaming the media for 'sensationalizing' and 'telling lies' about the KL bill and American intentions in Pakistan, she seemed to be assuring the panel that Americans are perfect and can do no wrong, and it is only ignorant foreigners (like you) who are to blame for the furore. Even though she knows that the views of the eilte in power and those of 99.9% of Pakistanis are at complete odds, she then had then temerity to remark: "No-one is forcing you to take the money!" 

You're dead wrong Mrs. Clinton! We don't want your filthy money! But you know full well that someone IS forcing is to take it! It's the cretins that your CIA placed in power over us! We don't want it, but they do! Stop telling lies!

Being an unrepentant imperialist, Mrs. Clinton believes that the 'little people' must surrender themselves completely to authority. Incredibly, her interference in Pakistani affairs then extended to the level of offering opinions on the taxation code. Clearly not content with killing civilians, she began recommending to the elite the best ways to suck wealth from the Pakistani people.

Cheerily calling it  “best practice,” she stated, ‘The percentage of taxes on GDP in Pakistan is among the lowest in the world... We [The United States] tax everything that moves and doesn’t move, and that’s not what we see in Pakistan. You have 180 million people. Your population is projected to be about 300 million. And I don’t know what you’re gonna do with that kind of challenge, unless you start 'planning' right now".

So much for America for NOT intending to meddle in Pakistan's internal affairs! Enough already!

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On one hand we welcomed a guest who is abhorred by the vast majority Pakistanis and on the other hand we witnessed the most barbaric massacre of the year in Peshawar. A blast that ripped through one of the main markets in the city claimed more than 110 martyrs and injured 250 others.

This, Ms. Secretary is the cost we are having to swallow. We must watch the lives of innocent children, women, young and old snatched away.

We are not talking about hundreds of lives Mrs. Clinton, we are talking about thousands. You had one 9/11 and are still milking it for all its worth. Meanwhile we are 'nine elevened' on a daily basis. While America deviously dictates to our 'democratic' elite in this country, and continually insists on how important the KL bill is, common Pakistanis witness the trauma of death and despair your ferocious policies bring for our fellow countrymen and can can only sob and curse you from afar.

If our government really wanted to, they could  reject this blood-soaked aid. Of course, they won't, because these 'democrats' do not represent the will of the people of Pakistan, only the will of their wallets. The cost of the aid will be borne in the shape of the tremendous sacrifice of self respect, autonomy and in the precious lives of ordinary Pakistanis.

They treat us with total contempt, kill our civilians, offer us peanuts, and then demand that we be grateful? Enough! The KL bill cannot compensate for a single Pakistani life lost through their drone terrorism. Not even a hundred KL bills could pay back what it feels for a mother who loses a child in a blast or a wife who turns into a widow. The lives of our fellow citizens are NOT FOR SALE!

We don’t blame the people. They, like us, are helpless to stop this humiliation. We can only ask the government to take a stand for our dignity. If not 110, then how many lives need to be sacrificed before this incorrigible government is willing to share in our grief? Was receiving a foreign guest important enough to force the entire city of Lahore into lock-down, inconveniencing millions while the nation mourned the loss of innocent lives lost over the years to American-instigated terror?

We do not need America. They need us. They have us fooled. Even now we can capitalise on the fact that America is dependent on Pakistan for their supply route to Afghanistan. 70% of their supplies go through our territory. They are using our bases, our air corridors and our roads. Within one day, we could send their adventure in Afghanistan crashing into oblivion. Yet we still beg for peanuts? This government will not see sense. It is time for change.We must heed the lessons of the past. The only guarantee the Americans can give Pakistan is that they WILL betray us. 

Mrs. Clinton returns to Washington with her tail between her legs. She know that she still has Pakistani politicians eating out of her hands, but she also knows that their future is not certain. Anger is mounting. As a result of her visit, Pakistanis are now even more embittered and angry, not just at America, but at their own government too.  Considering it was a trip meant to shore up the puppets, it was a spectacular failure.

Maryam Shahid and Atif F Qureshi | PKKH 

Once it was the British, then the French, then the Nazis, followed by the Soviets and now it’s the turn of Al Qaeda. The latest incarnation of bogeyman to haunt the nightmares of America comes in the form of takfiri terrorists – a tiny faction of an extremist sect apparently living in desolate caves and numbering just a few hundred. But the difference with this latest enemy is that while the Americans did not create Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union, they certainly did create Al Qaeda. In the Afghan struggle against Soviet occupation, the CIA was heavily involved in nurturing, funding and organising fighters for their cause. Osama Bin Laden was one among many.

He and his patsies then became accomplices and scapegoats in 9/11 – that massive hoax that justified the unprecedented aggression and wanton destruction that followed. But just as Americans are used to over-egging their cakes, the secret American perpetrators who ‘Made It Happen On Purpose’,  found it necessary to invent further hoaxes in order to keep the first one alive.

As the saying goes, truth stands constant, but lies need constant support. And so in the years since 9/11 we have seen alert after alert and video after video reminding Americans – just in case they forgot – of the sword of terror hanging over their heads. Meanwhile Bin Laden in his videos seems to suspiciously morph from one man in Bin Laden costume to another, and his videos seem more like tribute acts from something akin to an Elvis impersonator contest.

When the American public started getting complacent, the emergence of actors Adam Yahiye Gadahn and Yousef al-Khattab in 2004 conveniently overcame the tiresome english subtitles of Bin Laden and Al Zawahiry (Americans hate subtitles). These American misfits offered a more palatable, cable TV friendly and altogether more sinister American-accented version of the Al Qaeda scam story. Unsurprisingly, both have been exposed as Jews who apparently ‘converted’ to Islam only to then ‘attack’ their own country while wearing Muslim clothing.

More and more lies are becoming necessary to prop up the first. As masters of psychological warfare and black propaganda, don’t expect the CIA to slack off any time soon. These phantoms and ghosts are needed to justify the oppression and devastation that the Americans are raining down onto the Muslim world. Wherever the Americans want to invade next, expect Al Qaeda to pop up its artificial head. We should have smelled a rat when they claimed they were in Pakistan. Instead, our government nodded and tutted like lemmings. Now all of us are paying the price of this fraud.

Maleeha Lodhi, General Eshan Ul Haq and Abida Hussain possible replacements

As President Obama signed the $7.5 billion Kerry-Lugar Bill today amid mounting anxiety that the Bill would impinge on Pakistan’s sovereignty, there were manoeuvrings in Islamabad concerning the status of Pakistan’s Ambassador to Washington.

Ambassador Hussain Haqqani has been heavily criticised in Pakistan for heavily damaging relations between the two nations while being seen as too pro-American in his dealings with Washington. His indifference to fundamental Pakistani interests was noted by the Pakistan Army who expressed “serious concerns” about the aid package, citing certain “clauses impacting on national security”.

With Pakistan’s government in full panic mode, the Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had been re-dispatched to Washington after only a week’s absence to pull Haqqani’s chestnuts out of the fire. He succeeded in placating American Congressman who were confused that the normally asleep Pakistani nation was creating such a hue and cry in defence of their national honour.

To appease outraged Pakistani’s, a “joint explanatory statement” was issued by Mr Kerry and Mr Berman after their meetings with the Foreign Minister. A token gesture, it will be placed in the Congressional Record, the official log of proceedings in Congress along with the Bill.

While insisting that the Bill showed ‘support for Pakistan’s democratic institutions and people,’ the Americans still kept most of the conditions that had worried Pakistan’s Armed Forces.

• The Secretary of State (Hillary Clinton) will have to certify periodically that Pakistan is working to dismantle “illegal nuclear proliferation networks”.
• The US will also certify that Pakistan is no longer supporting “militant groups”.
• The aid will be spent through the new gigantic US embassy in Islamabad where ‘a special unit’ will maintain accounts and strictly monitor it.

In spite of the blatant violations of Pakistan’s national security interests that would be necessary in keeping with such clauses, Senator Kerry (of Skull and Bones fame) said “it also makes absolutely clear – and I want to emphasise this point – that the legislation does not seek in any way to compromise Pakistan’s sovereignty, impinge on Pakistan’s national security interests or micromanage any aspect of Pakistani military or civilian operations.”

The Americans also inadvertently confirmed why the Pakistani government has been so lethargic in preventing such a travesty, saying they had already provided more than $3bn in aid to the Pakistani government since President Asif Zardari came to power. This massive bribe had been spent in “combined security, economic and development assistance”, US officials said.

Now that the Ambassador to Washington has outlived his usefulness, he is due to be imminently retired from his post. Various names are being floated as his replacement and the three most prominent are Maleeha Lodhi, General Eshan Ul Haq and Abida Hussain. Ms. Lodhi and Ms. Hussain have already served terms in Washington while General Ehsan Ul Haq served as Director General of the ISI and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Ask an average American about the role of America in the world and they will probably repeat the usual buzzwords of ‘freedom’, ‘democracy’, ‘peace’ and other such clichés. Ask almost anyone else, and they will frown and spit venom. For good reasons.

Most Americans may be oblivious to their cruel and unusual kingship of the globe but the rest of the world is only too familiar with the reign of terror that constitutes American foreign policy. For far too long, America has wreaked havoc in places it has no business or concern; propping up puppets, destabilizing nations and all the while ruthlessly checking all opposition to its hegemony.

All this chicanery is aided and abetted by the highly influential American-controlled global media. Here, American interests are couched as universal - interests that all nations must accept as their own, regardless if they coincide or not. It is this same media that is constantly creating propaganda, spreading misinformation and blatant lies to further American objectives. Dig further and the perpetrators of this shameful dupery gather to form a small nexus of media firms that come with separate names yet identical aims.

Thus we witness colossal travesties like the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the terrorizing of defenceless Palestinians by Israeli forces glossed over and seen as ‘necessary,’ while the laughable phantom menace of a bearded man in a cave is projected as ‘an existential threat to western civilization’. 

Most will not have a problem with a nation legitimately pursuing its own interests; after all, all nations must do this. This problem arises when it is done with a dose of hypocrisy that is indigestible to the casual observer. While cooing about peace, they wage wars of choice, killing millions. While crowing about democracy, they scheme against the democratically elected government of Gaza, inciting rebellions. While advocating freedom, they implement legislation like the PATRIOT Act, destroying civil liberties.

If we are to judge by deeds and not by words, then America and its dog-like allies (Israel, India, UK) are terrorist states that spread mayhem and chaos around the world. Tools of the dajjalic system, these countries ruthlessly pursue the cause of darkness, depravity and deviance, all the while couching themselves as ‘liberators’ and ‘peacemakers’. America may call itself the ‘policeman of the world’, but real police enforce justice and law – America only bribes, extorts and aggresses; ‘gangster of the world’ is hence more accurate.

A history of criminality:

§         America is the only nation in the world to ever drop atomic bombs and commit nuclear holocaust, murdering and maiming millions of innocent Japanese civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

§         America offers ‘unconditional’ support for the terrorist State of Israel which is aggressively expanding its borders at the expense of the Palestinian people. America turns a blind eye to its massive nuclear arsenal and war crimes, while railing against Iran, which is only attempting to gain nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and has never committed an act of aggression for hundreds of years.

§         The wanton bestiality and criminality of US occupation forces is evident wherever they are in the world. Prostitution, rape, theft and war crime allegations follow the terrorist US Marine Corps and CIA like a dark cloud.

§         Selective outrage. When Muslims are ‘suspected’ the American propaganda machine goes into full gear whereas if Israel and India conduct crimes against humanity like Gujrat, Samjhota Express and the Lebanon and Gaza wars, America couldn’t care less.

§         Failure to support American foreign policy can result in serious repercussions. After 9/11, the American thug Richard Armitage had the gall to threaten to send Pakistan to stone age if it didn’t support America’s fake War on Terror.

§         America has a long and distinguished history of agitating against, invading and occupying weaker nations based on spurious and nonsensical claims. The staged farce of WMDs in Iraq, the Gulf of Tomkin incident, Pearl Harbour and 9/11 are only a few of many, many examples.

§         In North-West Pakistan, US drones have inflicted 60 separate attacks, killing more than 550 innocent people including women and children, since August 2008. This is a blatant violation of the sovereignty and dignity of an independent nation.

§         America’s pharmaceutical mafia treated innocent Africans as guinea pigs for their untested drugs. It has been proven that they were responsible for spreading the artificial AIDS virus in Africa, and then profiting from the vaccines. Millions have died around the world since. Now it is the turn of Swine Flu.

§         America tops the international list of domestic crime rates and rates of mental illness, depression, obesity and suicide. More people are incarcerated in America than China and India combined. Not the mark of a contented nation.

§         During the past 60 years, America has exceeded even its own expectations of mass murder. Conservative estimates reach a staggering 5 million killings in fake, illegal conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan etc. The figures still omit the clandestine operations and assassinations conducted to gratify loathsome purposes.

§         Gangsters only follow money. Being the ‘gangster of the world’, America was a silent spectator as barbarous acts of genocide were committed against the Kosovans, Bosnians, and Yugoslavians at the hands of the Serbs.

§         Crying crocodile tears over the welfare of the Iraqis under Saddam Hussein, America invaded and seized Iraq's resources. Yet only a few years earlier it turned a blind eye to the million-man genocide in Rwanda and the massacres in Congo.

§         It has fanned intense hatred between Somalians and Ethopians leaving thousands dead. Vengeful payback in retaliation for its humiliation in Mogadishu.

§         America killed countless civilians after attacking Vietnam on apocryphal claims.

§         Hundreds of thousands of innocent Kashmiris have been martyred due to forced, brutal occupation by one of America’s primary partners in crime and terror - India. According to one conservative estimate approximately 60,000 orphans and 30,000 widows are a product of this heinous conflict. 

§         India has deployed more than half a million criminally inclined troops in the Occupied Territory of Kashmir, making a living hell of the unarmed civilian’s lives. Rapes, murder, abduction are among their favored leisure activities.

§         America’s explicitly closest ally, the bandit state of Israel has spread a dark shadow of terror in Palestine and neighbouring countries. Palestinians paid the main price of the european holocaust when their nation was wiped from the face of the earth by zionist usurpers and terrorists. Thousands were murdered and millions were terrorized by the oppressors.

Analyzing the history of past half century, three countries have been the primary orchestrators of terror and strife. Together, they have inflicted inconceivable casualties on mankind. This terror nexus can more appropriately be named as the ‘United States of Terrorica’ (UST) comprising of the USA, Israel and India. The UST alone is responsible for much of the world’s woes and has held the world hostage for decades now. The most hazardous reality being, that all of these states are nuclear-armed, posing a catastrophic threat to the entire existence of mankind. They should give up their masks of peace and their fraudulent claims of being serenity-lovers.

 

But their reign of terror will soon be over, starting with America. America’s chickens are coming home to roost, and what the Buddhists call ‘bad karma’ is rearing its ugly head. As America flounders in the Hindu Kush and its debt-ridden consumer economy implodes into oblivion, ordinary Americans will soon taste the pain they have been dishing out to millions of innocents around the world. Unwittingly, they will be the biggest losers in the coming years. Not their fault, but they should have known better than to elect tyrants and criminals to rule over them.

LONDON - The recent audacious attack on one of the most heavily fortified military compounds in the world sent out a clear message of intent from the TTP. Conscious that their massive defeat in Malakand was just a prelude to their forthcoming extermination in Waziristan, their final gambit was to launch a suicidal bid to embarrass the Army on its own domain.

Pakistan Zindabad.

Atif F Qureshi  PKKH Editorial Team and www.PakDestiny.net

“Why hast Thou made me born in this country, the inhabitant of which is satisfied with being a slave?” - Allama Iqbal

Throughout history the world has been plagued by the great imbalance – those who are weak versus those who are strong. It is this imbalance, this lack of equilibrium that creates turmoil because, all things being equal, often, the strong will always tend to prey on the weak. In any dimension, from the alcoholic husband beating his wife and children to the superpower bringing weakling nations to heel, the dynamic is always in play.

The problem arises from a lack of morality, for when morality is ignored or excluded; the conclusion is just the same as that when a fox and hen are in the same cage. Although the moral guidance found in religion tries to temper the predator versus prey mentality, it still causes huge strife. Recently though, as religion is increasingly abandoned and ignored, we find humanity rushing towards primal instincts of selfishness and greed, a way of life codified by Niccolo Machiavelli’s infamous book, The Prince.

The truth is, in an immoral or amoral world, weakness DOES invite aggression. We may abide by a moral code but those who confront us may simply laugh at the notion that what they do is ‘just not cricket’. This is why we must achieve that famous concept of DETERRENCE. What invites aggression is weakness, and what prevents it is deterrence. Without deterrence of an adequate kind, one is prey to the unscrupulous and greedy, those who want what one has.

Small nations have the problem that they have too few resources. This prevents them from achieving a deterrent capability. This is why they aggressively pursue and engage in alliances, international bodies and treaties that oblige all member nations to abide by a code. Unfortunately, such organisations, such as the UN, are created by the most powerful, not to achieve global peace, but to advance their own interests under the guise of diplomacy and gentlemanly conduct. This is why, in spite of the millions of pages of ‘moral’ international law that have been ratified by every country in the world, we still witness appalling travesties of justice like the invasion and occupation of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan – all weak nations.

On the occasion of Defence Day of Pakistan, we’ve decided to do a short comparison of the Air, Land and Naval forces of Pakistan against those of our rival, India. With their failed tank designs, laughable missile ‘capability’ to dud nuclear devices, it turns out Pakistan in comparison has done well for itself despite arms embargoes and sanctions from countries that have been lining up to offer their equipment to India. Its never wise to underestimate your foe – however this is intended to be a reality check for the hawks accross the border who wondered why India didn’t attack Pakistan in the aftermath of Mumbai. At the same time, we intend to let those Pakistanis know who wonder if we’ll be able to survive a conventional war with India, that ALLAH is our protector.

Pakistan and India have met on the battlefield many times in the last six decades. On paper, it would seem to be no contest, but reality paints a different picture. India may be five times bigger and have more than twice as many soldiers and weapons, but it has always been unable to overpower Pakistan. Seeing Pakistan as a major obstacle to its vain plans for regional hegemony, India wants nothing more than to subjugate it. The fake ‘peace and friendship’ rhetoric is merely a cynical ploy.Bringing Pakistan to heel is India’s most ardent wish, just like it has done with most of its bordering neighbours.

This is a fact that has been proven beyond any doubt by the covert rebellions that India is actively stirring and sponsoring in Baluchistan and the NWFP. Also, the staged incidents and terrorist acts that resulted in India reflexively pointing a finger at Pakistan, only for the world to later realise that it was an Indian hatched enterprise. The Mumbai drama and the attack on the Indian parliament are cases in point. India looks for any excuse, no matter how spurious, to destabilise, demoralise the Pakistani nation and to stoke tensions and turn global opinion against Pakistan.

It is only Pakistan’s brave armed forces that provide the necessary deterrence to prevent Indian adventurism. Highly capable, professional, well-equipped and world-renowned, Pakistan’s armed forces strike fear into the heart of the Indian generals who haven’t fallen for their own bollywood propaganda. Throughout the six decades of Pakistan’s existence, they have gone from strength to strength, fighting, flying and sailing fearlessly to war in defence of the homeland. In comparison, the Indian armed forces are bloated, arrogant and inefficient, a mere reflection of the national predilection for pen-pushing, bullying and boasting.

The atrocities committed by the vaunted Indian Army in its own country are well documented. Their inhuman treatment of their own people from the Assamese and Tamils to the Sikhs and Marathis is a matter of record. The brutalisation of Kashmir is clear for the world to see. Only an invading force bent on oppression and subjugation would pour over half a million troops into that beleaguered state. They are not there for the fresh air and picnicking. Only one force in the region is capable of rolling back Indian aggression. Only one force HAS resisted. It is the Pakistan Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The Pakistani response could not have been more different. Multiple Army Corps were mobilised within days and dispatched to the border efficiently and quietly. Equipment was readied and the determined troops stood their ground, ready to defend Pak Sarzameen. Pakistani officers could only look on in surprise at the antics across the border. Eventually, India decamped and withdrew having wasted billions on yet another useless adventure. But they should have known that attempting to intimidate and demoralise the Pakistan Army is an exercise in futility.

Pakistan was well prepared and its soldiers befitted with high morale. A great deal of credit for this goes to Pakistan’s defence production facilities which have done a very impressive job of equipping the large Army. Pakistan’s defence facilities produce almost every kind of weapon and ordinance that a modern army requires, from main battle tanks like the Al Khalid to infantry assault rifles like the venerable G3. Pakistan has no need to import equipment and is self-sufficient in the production of high-tech weaponry to international standards. The measure of the quality of products is proved by the fact that Pakistan in 2006 exported over $300 million dollars worth of high-tech arms to friendly countries, by far outstripping the pathetic arms exports of India. Pakistani defence companies, public and private, have built a solid reputation in the global arms market.

India on the other hand suffers from a defence industry that is laughable in its ability to deliver. The long-anticipated (over forty years to be exact) Arjun tank turned out to be a complete failure, its designers somehow overlooking the elementary fact that it was too wide to be transported by train and therefore useless. In addition, in recent exercises it suffered from numerous malfunctions that lead the Indian army to wash their hands of it and order over a thousand Russian T-90 tanks off the shelf from Russia instead. The Indian Government, always keen to save face, forced the army to buy a few token Arjun tanks (christened ar-junk by critics). The Arjun fiasco is perhaps the most famous example of fantastically expensive Indian defence catastrophes, but by no means is this an isolated occurence. Almost every piece of equipment conceived by the mad scientists of the infamous and ironically named DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) has failed. In fact, the DRDO has produced more flops than Sunny Deol, and that’s saying something.

While the Indian army lurches from one rebellion to another, the Pakistan Army is efficient and highly organised, capable of applying deadly force to the nations enemies. The recent Army actions in Malakand and Swat are clear examples of the Army’s sound capabilities as it completely eliminated the TTP from entrenched positions within a matter of weeks. Such a feat of counter-insurgency is unprecedented. The Sri Lankan military was unable to pacify the Tamils for over 40 years and the Indian army, in spite of its brutal methods, is still regularly humiliated at the hands of the Kashmiri Mujahideen, Naxalites and countless other separatist rebel groups that have sprung up to challenge the so-called ‘biggest democracy in the world’.

The Soviets knew this, and so they restricted their surface fleet and concentrated on submarine warfare, and the German Kriegsmarine circa WW2 knew this too. They relied on masses of U-boats to control the seas, not expensive surface vessels that would be more of a liability than a benefit. While the Indian Navy has gone down the foolhardy path, the Pakistani Naval brass have been far wiser. Knowing that they cannot match India in numbers, they have concentrated on securing territorial waters and securing sea lanes via high-tech submarines. The acquisition of the Augusta 90-B was a major step in the upgradation of the submarine fleet, and this is soon to be followed by the purchase of several German U-214 boats. This type is the most modern and sophisticated conventional diesel submarine in the world and far outstrips anything in the Indian arsenal. This has been supplemented by the purchase of small Chinese and possible Turkish frigates and large numbers of anti-ship missiles of the air launched and sea-launched variety. Pakistan is also proficient in the building of the only vessel it makes any sense to construct these days – the small missile-launching patrol boat.

The most important factor for a Navy is balance. This is what gives a Navy the ability to respond to any threat – a variety of vessels in small but not overwhelming numbers that can be utilised well. While the Indian Navy is bloated and suffers from a critical shortage of usable, serviceable ships and a submarine fleet in an appalling state of disrepair and neglect, the Pakistan Navy has capitalised on its strengths while minimising its weaknesses. If war were to break out tomorrow, the Indian navy, in spite of its superior numbers, would not dare to approach Pakistani territorial waters for fear of undetectable submarines lurking below and lethal cruise missiles raining overhead. Under those circumstances, being the absolute liability that it is, their vaunted but ultimately useless Indian aircraft carrier would most likely set sail at full steam – back to port.

In every single war, the Pakistan air force has outperformed the Indian air force and thus cemented its place in the nations imagination. It is the only air force in the world to have a 100% strike rate against the Israeli air force – a feat no Arab nation could achieve. As a result, today Pakistani pilots are invited to train the cadets and pilots of other air forces around the world and cadets from dozens of countries come to study at the ‘Top Gun’ style Pakistan Air Force Academy.

The Indians may have superior jets like the Russian Su-30 MKI, but Pakistan is catching up fast. The acquisition of the F-16 Block 50 from the US and the Chinese FC-20 will transform Pakistan Air force into a technological force to be reckoned with. This will be greatly helped by the induction of over 250 JF-17 multi-role jets co-produced with the Chinese. These will form the backbone of the air force for decades to come, replacing existing older aircraft.

While Indian pilots crash their poorly serviced planes by the dozens, Pakistani engineers have worked wonders in preserving and servicing the Air Force through times when parts and spares were difficult to come by due to sanctions. India is spending multiple billions on upgrading its fleet and is due to import hundreds of the latest fighter jets through its MRCA tender, but Pakistan is not standing still either. By 2015, the Pakistani Air Force will be revolutionised. Regardless of Indian belligerence, the induction of modern fighters, AWACS surveillance planes and upgraded air defence systems will make the skies over Pakistan impregnable.

Pakistan wins on all counts. Not only is it ahead, but it is widening the gap by developing longer range missiles that go into ICBM (inter-continental) range along with more advanced and powerful nuclear warheads. But the most exciting development by far in the ballistic missile field are the reliable reports that Pakistan is developing next generation missiles in the form of MIRV (multiple independent re-entry vehicles). As the name suggests, this allows multiple independent warheads to be deployed from the same missile, effectively disabling any possible anti-ballistic missile threats. It allows the devastation of the missile to be massively multiplied without significant increases in missile numbers. This technology is expected to be deployed on the Shaheen III and later types.

In addition to the ballistic missile arsenal, Pakistan is also way ahead when it comes to cruise missiles. When the now 700km range Babur was tested in 2005, the world was stunned and Indian commentators were left catatonic. Especially considering the fact that the Babur was produced in-country with no outside assistance save for a stray US Tomahawk missile or two. The Indians have no equivalent missile, and instead rely on the Brahmos import from Russia. The Brahmos is supersonic, but what it makes up for in speed it loses in agility and accuracy. While the Brahmos makes for good bollywood style PR, the Babur, and now the air launched Ra’ad are far more suitable for wartime, being cheaper, more flexible and more accurate. Longer range versions are being developed, particularly anti-ship varieties that will hunt down and sink ‘white elephants’ in the Indian ocean – the Indian surface fleet

Pakistan’s first nuclear tests were in May 1998, when six warheads were tested. It is reported that the yields from these tests were 12kt, 30 to 35kt and four low-yield (below 1 kt) tests. From these tests Pakistan can be estimated to have developed operational warheads of 20 to 25kt and 150kt in the shape of low weight compact designs and may have 300–500kt large-size warheads. Plutonium warheads are more operationally deployable with only 2–4 kg of plutonium needed for the same device that would need 20–25 kg of U-235. The low-yield weapons are probably in nuclear bombs carried on fighter-bombers such as the Dassault Mirage III and fitted to Pakistan’s short-range ballistic and cruise missiles, while the higher-yield warheads are probably fitted to the Shaheen and Ghauri series of ballistic missiles.

The sixth Pakistani nuclear test (May 30, 1998) at Kharan was a successful test of a sophisticated, compact, but powerful bomb designed to be carried by missiles. And that was over 10 years ago. The advancements in miniaturisation technology since then have been astounding. The plutonium based nuclear weapons are now reportedly being spiked with tritium. Only a few grams of tritium can result in an increase of the explosive yield by 300% to 400%. Pakistan has also built hard and deeply buried storage and launch facilities to retain a second strike capability in a nuclear war, as well as road-mobile missiles, air defences around strategic sites, and concealment measures.

India is no match for Pakistan when it comes to courage, professionalism and most importantly a ‘mission’ – to make Pakistan a force that will bring Jusice and Peace to humanity, for all times to come. The future belongs to this great nation and it’s emenies will soon become irrelevant.

Pakistan Payendabad!

This is a poem I wrote recently in the style of Allama Iqbal's famous Shikwa, and Jawab-e-Shikwa, one of the greatest classical poems of the 20th century.  As you can tell, I'm no poet, but Hazrat Iqbal is such an inspiration to me that i thought I would try my hand at it.

Shikwa (Complaint)

Oh Pakistan!

Pure they did name you. Was this a lie or just jest?
For impure you turned out to be when put to the test.

How speedy, how quick, have these six decades passed.
Yet when one is in pain, time is not meant to go fast.

Oh hear our complaint, Oh land of great tragedy,
Treat this not as trivial, or an exercise in mockery.

From Makran to Gilgit, we raised your flag high,
Yet nothing did we reap save a disappointed sigh.

In your mountains you heard our cries of Pak Zindabad,
Were those echoes your reply or was it all a canard?

Frustration abounds when we hear your name,
Leaden-footed we feel as we walk your lanes.

What grief you have wrought, what trials of late.
From the tribulation of this land is there no respite or space?

We gave you our children, we gave you our souls.
What have you returned save for sorrow and woe?

A million and more perished for that 27th night.
Did they not sacrifice so we could all live in light?

But no light is there here, darkness encroaches all-round.
We struggle enchained, ever more tightly bound.

Did our fathers not create you to know freedom and peace?
Why then to their enemies have you been sold and leased?

What say you to them, those martyrs of yours?
Who died at the hands of the savages you abhor?

Those who laid down their lives for your Sacred realm,
So that Believers, and none but, could remain at the helm?

Not their children, but others, then stole,
This Promised Land that we once called home.

Do we not strive for you, are we not slain?
Yet it seems all our struggle is in naught but vain.

Did we not build an army? A force of great might?
With missiles and weapons and jets to fight?

Did we not strive bravely in Jihad in your cause?
Did we not march and fly fearlessly to wars?

What more can we do to protect your mountains and shores?
Yet you still sprout deviants who break all natural laws?

Your enemies vanquished, your protectors return home,
Yet no fruit do they find after the deeds they have sown.

Those that care for you, they see nothing but grief.
Yet why do the most corrupt gain the glory they seek?

Where is the freedom that was rightfully ours?
Why do you prostitute yourself to foreign powers?

So many failures, your achievements so weak,
Surely it cannot be that you have reached your peak?

There is no shade here from the bright burning sun,
Whatever we build, why is it always undone?

Is it so unjust of us to ask, where is order, where is law?
Why is it that your teeming masses are so scandalously poor?

It is time for you to elucidate, time for you to explain,
From your unseemly silence you have nothing to win.

You failed us, time and time and time again.
Will you ever deliver the Promise? How? When?

Jawab-e-Shikwa (Response to Complaint)

Oh my people!

Heedless you are, of my glorious fate.
Deniers you are of reality of late.

Pure they named not I, but you who roam above.
Yet pure I remain, it is you who lack Love.

You think I am not pure? Your mothers made wudhu from this dust.
Now you have water, yet your Masajid see rust.

And they perished not, those Mujahideen beloved.
With me they still are, in this land, pure and rugged.

How true they were, to they promise they showed.
With me they still are, and not collections of bones.

Rewards abound for those who sacrifice for me.
How blind you are, for you still do not see?

Success is for those who place others above themselves,
But you can think only of drawing first from the well.

If you expected from me, I felt entitled from you.
Did you not swear by My Lord to create Madinah anew?

Instead you ploughed nothing, and reaped only frustration.
When I call YOU to account, am I above my station?

You ask for order, but what law do you seek?
I despise this foreign law, that makes you so weak.

I did not fail. But instead you failed you.
Yet still My Lord gives, in spite of the evil you do.

Did my Lord not warn against spreading mischief in the land?
Yet still you wonder why peace will not stand?

And believe you that I was created in a single day?
How unmindful you are to think in this way.

When a pious trader crossed through Khyber was I born
It was before your dark age – it was a time of new morn.

When the Caliph heard the woman's cry, and the young prince-general was dispatched
That, my people, is when my egg was hatched.

Because a fresh breeze did I send to that Beloved of mine.
That Prophet, that Pinnacle, that Man beyond time.

A gift it was, a mere token from me,
For I wished He would pray nightly for the absolution of thee.

Now countless believers roam this land of note.
But how many say a prayer that travels beyond their throat?

You where you tread is a Sacred place?
How confined your minds are in time and space!

What use is a nation, a mountain, a grain of sand -
If it submits not to my Lord's Mighty Plan?

Sacred is not a word, a thought, a beard on a face,
Only the deed of the believer will cleanse an unclean place.

Do you wish for yourselves a Jannah on Earth?
Between these valleys, deserts and cities of no worth?

Then plant Jannah in your hearts, or do you not care,
For the trials and aches laid to entrap you there?

Traps they are not, nor are they jails.
Liberation lies therein from your complaints and wails.

So straighten your direction! Face Makkah I say,
Toward the House of your Lord - there is no other way!

Heedless you are, of my glorious fate.
Deniers you are of reality of late.

If not you, then let your sons and daughters come.
It is they who will see glory, once you have long-gone.

 Atif F Qureshi

When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the
Earth," they say: "Why, we only want to make peace!"

Holy Qur'an (2-11)

Wherever the Americans go, their policies spread poison. Under the pretext of 'freedom and democracy' US policy-makers trample over weaker nations, placing and replacing puppet rulers on a whim and propagandising against all aspirations for true independence. With total control of global media, and their weapons of mass distraction, they are able to crush resistance at the very root - before it even forms in the mind.

Yet in spite of the 'fasad-fil-ardh' that America has unleashed around the world, we still see an unseemly obsession with all things American. Suffering from a mass psychosis akin to Stockholm-syndrome, even nations traumatised and brutalised by America see only America as possible salvation. Clearly, American propagandists have done their work well.

Not in Pakistan. In what can only be described as a clear and hopeful sign that this nation is awakening, recent polls have revealed that the Pakistani public categorically denounces American policies. A recently conducted poll by PakistanKaKhudaHafiz.com revealed that over 88% of over around 600 participants were of the opinion that the United States should be declared as a hostile state. This only reinforces another scientifically conducted poll conducted by the Al-Jazeera network that found that over 70% of Pakistanis held America to be the greatest threat to the sovereignty and independence of Pakistan – even greater than arch-rival and eternal enemy India.

So great is this a problem for the Americans that when their Generals in the region are quizzed by journalists, they are more likely to be asked about the 'battle for hearts and minds' rather than actual battles. But in spite of the feigned concern in Washington, the widespread anti-Americanism is not too great a concern for US policymakers. After all, as far as America is concerned, only Pakistan's puppet leaders need be pro-American – the rest of Pakistan can go to hell. But in this lies the problem for the Americans. As the farcical reality of Pakistan's democracy is becoming increasingly clear to the public at large, they are turning their ire not just on their puppet leaders, but on their foreign puppet-masters. And this does not bode well for America's future plans for the region.

This anti-Americanism is nothing new. It is a mode of thought that is familiar to most Pakistani's – and with good reason. US-Pak relations have always been fractious - not based on mutual trust and respect but on mutual suspicion and necessity. Every Pakistani, from street sweeper to industrialist, knows of the infamous incident in the early 1990's when the US failed to deliver to Pakistan dozens of F16 fighter jets that Pakistan had already paid for - and not content with humiliating a proud nation enough, in a final salvo, they instead delivered of all things - wheat. The Pakistani public were not impressed to say the least.

But that is old hat. More recently, America has committed a litany of errors that can only lead an objective person to conclude that not only does the US not have Pakistan's interest to heart, but they are only interested in marginalising and destabilising Pakistan through any means possible. The Pakistani people are not blind. They see the chicanery clearly:

• The 'surge' in American troops in Afghanistan accompanied a 'surge' in terrorism in Pakistan. While the Afghan Taliban never threatened Pakistani sovereignty, since 2001 thousands of innocents have been killed in a wave of suicide bombings in Pakistan that 'coincidently', only began after the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan in 2001.

• The deliberate spread of the Afghan occupation into Pakistan and the treatment of both nations as a single theatre or 'battlefield' called AfPak. The notion that both nations are to be treated the same even though one is war-torn and primitive while the other has a sophisticated civic society is laughable, but the idea that American forces can strike into Pakistan with impunity is enough to make the average Pakistani's blood boil.

• Wave after wave of callous and imprecise drone attacks. These achieve practically nothing while only murdering innocent civilians and riling up the Pakistani public who despair at their feckless government for being complicit in continual violations of the nations sovereignty and dignity.

• Since 2001 the Americans have encouraged the Western border areas to become Indian occupied territory. This blatant infiltration into Afghanistan by the Indian intelligence apparatus has provided safe haven from which Indian agents attack and destabilise Pakistan's tribal areas and NWFP. The construction of half a dozen consulates in the Afghan-Pakistan border region is hardly meant for the issuance of visas to Afghans!

• The continual barking by American officials for Pakistan to “DO MORE!” in spite of the fact that no nation has done or sacrificed more to combat terrorism in its own self-interest. The number of soldiers martyred, treasure spent and tears of widows and orphans shed is testimony to the truth that those who claim that Pakistan is half-hearted in this effort are liars.

• The CIA-sponsored democratic farce whereby American engineered its puppets to sieze the reigns in Pakistan's recent elections. For those who still deny that it was deliberately engineered, let me ask you this: while Zardari is one of the most hated and despised men in Pakistan's entire history, how could it be possible that he is now sitting in the Presidency via a 'democratic' election?

• Even though our 'popularly elected' politicians are in the pocket of the Americans, they remain frustrated that certain institutions in Pakistan remain out of their reach. The black propaganda targeting Pakistan's patriotic armed forces, intelligence services and nuclear weapons arsenal reveals their obvious intent. Well-aware that these are the only institutions that truly have Pakistan's interests to heart, the public do not appreciate the Am-Brit campaign to malign them.

• The so-called Indo-US civilian nuclear deal that makes a blatant mockery of the non-proliferation accords, rewarding Indian intransigence and arrogance at the expense of Pakistan's national security.

• The exposure of blatant double-standards as America turns on the weapons tap for India whom it wishes to turn into its 21st century 'slave soldier' in order to counter China, while Pakistani officials are left dangling and must debase and humiliate themselves in order to ensure the delivery of a trifling number of F-16's and helicopters to fight the same enemies that America is sponsoring.

• The shielding, protection and nurturing of anti-Pakistan insurgent groups on Pakistani soil by the CIA. The so-called 'Baluchistan Liberation Army' and 'Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan' are only a few of many. All these groups base their insidious operations from Afghanistan – which funnily enough – is occupied by the Americans.

• The Mafia style threats to Pakistan by the American State Department official, modern day Genghis Khan and all-round street thug Richard Armitage who promised to “bomb Pakistan into the stone age!" in the aftermath of 9/ll . Well, with friends like these...

In spite of their indirect control over our media, America will never win the 'battle of hearts and minds' in Pakistan. Even though the rise of the so-called 'free media' in Pakistan has brought to the fore a variety rentashills and rentagobs who solemnly insist that Pakistan cannot resist Pax Americana (Pox Americana would be more appropriate), the people are not so gullible as to believe it. They see the example of Iran and Venezuala, which although not ideal states by any means, at least demonstrate that those who resist American hegemony can still survive and even prosper.

Where there are pockets of resistance, this only demonstrates the existence of an honourable people who are not prepared to compromise on their dignity. The recent polling is cause for great hope. It proves what was never in doubt - the Pakistani population will not stand for these American violations for much longer. We know that we fear Allah more than we fear America, but the nation must now realise another profound truth - salvation does not lie in continued cooperation and debasement in front of America, but only in faith in Allah and is His Messenger (SAW). It is time for this nation to throw of its shackles and re-declare its independence. 
 

Take a look at the following chart. It shows the GDP per Capita (Income per Person) growth trend of Pakistan since 1951. Charting six decades, it starts at less than $200 dollars in 1951 and ascends to a dizzying height of over $3000 in 2009. With a constant upward trajectory, the curve never dips and any kinks in it are few and far between.

Impressive, yes? With an average growth rate of 5.3% annually and not a single year of negative growth apart from 1951, it looks like a performance that many nations would kill for.

But is it really?

Let’s conduct a little experiment...

It’s widely acknowledged that the 1960’s was Pakistan’s ‘golden era’. Through wise governance and a hands-off economic policy, industrial capacity multiplied rapidly, generated an average growth rate of 6.8% during that decade, a performance never since surpassed. Poverty decreased quickly as the dynamism of market forces revolutionised agriculture and light industry. As all economic indicators gave the impression that Pakistan was on the verge of economic ‘take-off’, delegations from far as and wide as South Korea and Chile came to Islamabad to jot down lessons and learn tips.

It was the economic catastrophe of the 1970’s that put paid to the nations aspirations. Forced nationalisations, draconian industrial policies and extreme government intervention in the economy decimated the private sector base. Socialism was a policy that was neither efficient nor sustainable, leading to the growth rate being slashed.

But what if the policies (and thus the economic growth rate) of the 1960’s had continued? Take a look:

The blue line that you see soaring above the now rather feeble looking red one is the growth trajectory that would have been occurred if the growth rate of the 1960’s had remained. And before you say that it would have been an impossible achievement, bear in mind that the red line (showing the actual growth that occurred) constitutes an average growth rate of 5.3%. The blue line’s average rate is only a single percentage point higher at 6.3%. A tiny difference, and yet the effects are astounding. A difference of a single percentage point would have left the income of the average Pakistani at over $6000 today. That’s double, yes, double, what it is now.

To illustrate, it’s the same as the average income of ‘medium income’ countries like China and Jordan. Have you seen pictures of the soaring skyscrapers in Shanghai and Beijing? Well, that could have been Karachi and Islamabad. Remember, just a single measly percentage point more and we would have generated a national output of over a trillion dollars a year, eliminated extreme poverty and expanded the middle-classes to well over 100 million people. With the military power and diplomatic credibility that comes with economic success, Pakistan would have been the undisputed leader of the Muslim world.

Are you paying attention now?

Let’s take this experiment a little further...

In my new book ‘Pakistan - Manifest Destiny’, (available free to download here), I repeatedly stress the enormous potential of our great nation and how and why we have fallen short and how we could regain our economic vitality. Yet many have said that the aspiration to superpowerdom is mere wishful thinking. Being in a state of perpetual despondency, many scoff at the idea that Pakistan could achieve superpower status in a few short years.

Nonsense. All it takes is a slightly higher economic growth - achieved through wiser economic policies and a little determination. Many nations have performed well in this regard. In the grand scheme of things, even our 1960’s average of 6.3% is a little pathetic. After all, South Korea achieved an average rate of over 8% for over 40 years, and China a 10% rate for over 30 years.

What if Pakistan had done the same?

Let’s take a look:

Picture this: Pakistan, 2009. You’re a revolutionary in a hostile nation. You believe your message will have a profoundly positive impact on your fellow citizens, but it seems they are so entrenched in the status quo that it is hard to get through to them. For one thing, they are mired in a state of corruption and despondency, unable or unwilling to break-out.

To the leaders, because you insist on ‘reactionary’ ideals such as honesty, integrity, solidarity and unity, you are a serious danger - a threat to the very fabric of existing society. They conspire against you, trying to undermine you at every turn. They fear you because if even a few were converted to your cause, society would be utterly transformed, the special interests would be overturned and the evils of the leadership would be exposed for all to see.

However, listening to you, although many nod approvingly, their commitment is superficial. Actually taking your message to heart would lead to a significant impact on their wealth, status and lifestyles. The material sacrifices would be enormous. Their income comes from impure sources - they would have to forego it; They are used to trampling on others to get ahead - they would have to start giving way; They wile away their days in self-indulgent frivolity - they would have to start paying attention.

It seems like a hopeless situation doesn’t it?

Actually, when the Noble Prophet (SAW) began his mission all those years ago he faced far worse odds. Yet by the grace of Allah, he succeeded in transforming the existing basis of society in every way, sweeping away the barbarity, corruption and cruelty that was fundamentally ingrained into the hearts and minds of Makkan society. He put his life, wealth and honour at enormous risk, came face to face with unthinkable suffering, and yet emerged the victor.

Today, some of us are trying to overturn the status quo and revive this sleeping nation. We know that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) is the supreme example to us and we know that his way is the best way. So how did he do it? And what lessons can we apply to the Pakistan of today?

1)    Divine Providence – The Noble Prophet (SAW) was sent by Allah as a Mercy to All Worlds. He is the pinnacle of creation, the supreme example, the most pure, selfless, graceful human being ever to exist. Being the most beloved of Allah, of course, he was destined for sublime victory.

When it comes to the matter of destiny, we are blessed too. Pakistan’s miraculous creation and survival is a clear sign. Other nations by now would have fractured and collapsed - Pakistan yet endures. From the prophecy of Ghazwa-e-Hind, to the tidings and visions of countless Auliya-Kareem, we know that Pakistan’s current troubles are merely temporary. Pakistan is the vanguard of the Muslim Ummah; destined to uplift, revive and defend Islam from all threats. A leader will surely arise - destiny demands it.

2)    The Power of Example - Although many preachers talk a good talk, they have no credibility – their own lives are a living testament to their hypocrisy. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) on the other hand, lived out his ideals in spite of all hardship. His personal character and conduct was beyond reproach – the model of grace, humility and courtesy. Even his greatest enemies acknowledged that he was incorruptible. His message was profound, but because he was the messenger, its impact was multiplied manifold. There are many pretenders – he was the real thing.

A true, righteous leader must safeguard his dignity and honour from morally compromising situations and positions. Allama Iqbal likened the true believer to a Golden Eagle. Eagles soar in the air. The harsh headwinds they encounter only lift them ever upwards. They rely on their own faculties and fear no-one except Allah. They live on high mountains and are never seen on the impure ground where vermin roam. Our aspiring leaders must be aloof (and be seen to be aloof) from the evils of society, otherwise their message will have no credibility. They must lead from the front and become the standard bearers – a benchmark of conduct and behaviour.

3)    Clarity and consistency - The mission of the Noble Prophet (SAW) was to spread glad tidings and warnings. He did so in an even-handed, gracious and perfectly courteous manner. Yet he never compromised on the message. He never toned down or wildly exaggerated when talking to differing groups for the sake of expediency. Whether preaching to the powerful or to the weak, he was entirely consistent. Also, he feared no-one but Allah, let alone any fear of personal consequences when telling truths.

Today our leaders make false promises, spread disinformation and throw slander without the slightest hesitation or shame. Personal integrity, honesty and courtesy is viewed as a debilitating weakness that will seriously impede ones climb to the top of the tree. With only false ideological bases from which policies are formulated, politics has turned into a circus, designed to deceive and entice rather than enlighten and assist. We need a leader who tells harsh truths, no matter how painful or embarrassing they are. Someone who instead of telling us what we want to hear, tells us what we badly need to know.

4)    Building a loyal team – The Messenger of Allah (SAW) was an inspirational figure. As highly charismatic as he was, he attracted devotees from all around - people looking for direction, purpose and salvation from the broken society around them. The Sahaba–Kareem were totally devoted to their Master and willing to sacrifice anything and everything. Regardless of how moral or otherwise they had been in days past, in emulation of the Noble Prophet (SAW) and under his guidance, they developed such high moral fibre that perhaps only few have been able to surpass their station since.

One person can instigate a revolution in our country, but he must gather like-minded souls around him for the revolution to spread and take hold. Importantly, the movement must be able to survive and even flourish after the demise of any leaders through a cadre of devotees. Rather than a crude ‘cult of personality’ based on dynastic lines or personal magnetism that we often witness in Pakistan, the band must be loyal to a grand cause - a cause greater than any one person. Instead of indulging in paranoia regarding his own chairmanship, the leader must also systematically train and guide his followers to an equal level as himself. He must place the mission above his own personal pride and position if he is truly sincere and committed to long-term success.

5)    Targeting key people – As outstanding as his qualities were, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) knew he could not bring the message personally to each and every person in the land. Building a team was one way of spreading the good news, but he knew that in Makkan society, there were certain key people who, if they saw the light of Islam, would bring many other followers in their wake - so he sought them out. These people were highly regarded. In a tribal society, chieftains are among the ‘aristocracy’ and are thus very influential. Their opinions are often sought and their lead followed. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) often expressed the wish that people of the calibre of Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) and Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid (RA) would join Islam. When they did, they only reinforced and strengthened the morale of the faithful and the spread of the Deen.

In history, there have been very few so-called ‘grassroots’ revolutions. More often, popular revolutions are instigated by a small vanguard of individuals who by targeting and recruiting key people in positions of influence are able to achieve ‘critical mass’ for the movement. The fact is, most people are asleep or uninterested in the grand scheme of things. They may have opinions, but they largely avoid conflict and confrontation. Targeting society’s opinion-leaders is a highly effective way of bringing societal change. When people ask how - when anti-Americanism is so rife in Pakistan - that it still seems like Pakistan dances to Washington’s tune, it is because the CIA does not care about the opinion of the common man, only the allegiance of the powerful beaurocrat and politician. Remember, Allama Iqbal’s vision achieved fruition only when he transformed the influential Muhammad Ali Jinnah into the transformative Quaid-e-Azam.

Far off the beaten track as we are, all we want in Pakistan is to get ‘back to basics’. Only an ideology and movement that emulates the one instigated by the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and the Sahaba-Kareem will succeed in repairing our broken society. But we often forget that they did not have success handed to them on a plate. They too overcame great hardships and troubles on the way. Our current travails are not unique. If we look closely, we will find parallels with those over 14 centuries ago.

Yes - today we have all manner of new-fangled systems of mass communication, but only by following a few basic principles will we bring change to our society. Fashions, norms and practices may ebb and flow, but the essential nature of people (fitrat), does not change. People are delighted by the same ideals now as they always have been. We just need to inspire them into action and reignite their sense of devotion to Pakistan and the Ummah of the Messenger of Allah (SAW).

The Noble Prophet (SAW) and the Sahaba-Kareem never compromised on ethics. They simply lived by Qur’anic guidance. As a result, their beautiful legacy remains with us to this day. Today our Machiavellian leaders plot and scheme with impunity to gain the trappings of power. Do they not realise how many morally compromised leaders the world has witnessed? All are long gone, long forgotten. Just look around you. Gutter-politicians never really rise above the gutter.

Meanwhile, Eagles soar overhead, and their piercing cries echoe through eternity.

Pakistan Zindabad.

I had not thought that Pakistan’s reputation on the world’s stage could be brought much lower, but was checked when I came across a recent piece in the London Telegraph. A vigorous nation of 170 souls is being pilloried and mocked by the world in a fashion never before seen. Why? Because apparently, our President is a clown.

The Presidency of Pakistan is an office of the greatest prestige, an honour par excellénce - an equivalent office was held by the esteemed Quaid-e-Azam. Yet rather than remaining above the melee and enduring as a font of dignity and sobriety, it has become a circus ring with Mr. Zardari as moustachioed ringmaster.

Hysterics ensued when, in spite of the fact that clowns/puppets exist to amuse, Mr. Zardari cracked his whip in frustration and ‘decreed’ that laughing at him would be an imprisonable offense. For me, the most comical part of this farce is that being the social-democrat/ultra-liberal that he is (the new vice-President of 'Socialist International' no less), Mr. Zardari seems of the opinion, that like a tin-hat Caesar, his arbitrary decree will allow him to re-emerge Mandela-esque. Cue laughter.

With him at the helm, Pakistan’s national honour has been dragged through the filth at home and now abroad. As westerners are deluged by bad news, the petty western media, guided by sinister forces, is on the hunt. They are thrilled they can point to us and say “At least we don’t have it as bad as this - look at those poor buggers – and they have nuclear weapons too!”

For a puppet-master, a puppet is not amusing, just a thing to control. It is the audience who are meant to be amused. But apparently even the puppet-masters are now laughing at their latest creation. How could they not be? While millions are being displaced around Swat and the army is suffering casualties on the battlefield, Mr. Zardari walks around world capitals on begging expeditions wearing a manic grin.

But this jesting has a sober undercurrent. Our nation is in the crosshairs in more ways than one. The American-British press want to depict Pakistan as a banana-republic masquerading as a serious player on the world stage. After all, first they laughed, then they demonised, then finally, they started shooting. Drone attack anyone? For true patriots, this particular CIA-sponsored leadership is an extremely dangerous liability. We need new leadership – and now.

Mr. Zardari’s public image is now so sullied he has become a cartoonish caricature in the minds of the citizenry. A shepherd can survive the fear, the envy, even the anger of his flock - but not the contempt. Yet he remains? When will this nation wake up? Where are the street protests? Where are those damned lawyers now?

Being the Neocon-Zionist fortress that it is, The Telegraph printed a few jokes. Sure, they tickled me too, but we cannot laugh this man out of Quaid-e-Azams chair. It may take a little more than that. Time to get serious.

While Pakistani lawyers and judges instigate uproar on the streets to uphold Western law, it seems that Westerners are quietly throwing it out of the window in favour of Shariah - a legal system to which the powers-that-be in Pakistan are so allergic, they would rather allow entire provinces to erupt in insurrection. But let’s face it, if the villains in power in Islamabad today are repulsed by something - it must be good. And indeed it is, which is why in spite of the hysterical 'flogging and stoning' propaganda, a significant minority of all British seekers of justice who frequent ‘Muslim Arbitration Tribunals’ (aka Shariah Courts), are actually non-Muslims.

Britain is estimated to have around 85 such Tribunals and they are proving so popular that their number will triple within 18 months. Legitimised by the Arbitration Act 1986, the courts operate on the condition that both parties seeking arbitration agree to accept the legally-binding verdict prior to it taking place. Compared with the cumbersome and long-winded conventional British legal system, Shariah Courts lead to speedy and certain justice. By dispensing with the frivolous ceremony that often surrounds English courtrooms, they are more efficient and less costly.

Cumbersome - long-winded - frivolous ceremony. Sound familiar? It should be. But irrespective of how painfully corrupt and shambolic our own legal system is, the fact that it is an unholy import from the former imperial motherland has always provided succour and comfort to our privileged classes. So what if Judges hold justice in contempt? Infatuated by all things Western, Pakistani-English or more accurately English-Pakistani law is a sacred cow that they will not allow to be felled.

Besides which, the concept of Shariah is as alien to them as would be a Japanese Tea Ceremony to an Eskimo. Unacquainted with, or perhaps just plain contemptuous of Allah and His Messenger (SAW), the notion of replacing the inferior with the superior is just too common-sensical a thing for them to comprehend. But the hard-pressed Pakistani people know better, and as our criminally vain legal system haemorrhages credibility by the day, Shariah becomes ever more demanded.

Today’s news is welcomed by all lovers of Islamic justice and not just for the obvious reason. For our leaders are nothing if not consistent. West is best - always. Perhaps now that some white-sahibs a million miles away have seen the light, perhaps our local brown-sahibs might follow? Let’s hope so - for their sake - because if they belatedly grow an independent spine now and continue to resist the will of the people, the consequences will not be pretty. The Roman philosopher Heraclius once quipped, “A kingdom founded on injustice never lasts.” Well, the decadent Roman emperors are long-gone, and in Pakistan, surely it cannot be long now before the crown slips?

The notion of a carbon-tax must have sent a chill down the spine (if available) of every carbon based life-form in Pakistan. Although Mr Zardari may have preferred otherwise, its application will actually be less pervasive and more modest, applying only to petroleum products. Ridiculous though this levy is, its existence betrays a glaring fact - Pakistan faces a significant fiscal deficit that the IMF has demanded be remedied as soon as possible.

When people talk about the nation’s bankruptcy, they do not jest. Pakistan cannot pay its bills. Shamefully, our leaders out-do themselves in their profligate spending. Their performance would leave Imelda Marcos in the dust grasping for her credit card. Worst still, as an encore, they then jet cap-in-hand across the world. Although they may point to the global credit crisis, we never see other world leaders begging for scraps. Neither does their equivalent of our ‘Friends of Pakistan’ forum turn into a nauseating version of Live Aid (but without the music).

As an energetic nation of 170 million, it may seem odd to outsiders that Pakistan would have to resort to such cringeworthy behavior, but that would be because they are not acquainted with our illustrious politicians. Ever-reckless, never-cautious, these spendaholics have spectacularly widened the fiscal deficit to 4.9% of GDP. Now the usual Keynesian excuse is being peddled that even more spending is needed to ‘offset the slowing economy’ dressed up in fancy jargon such as ‘counter-cyclical-adjustments’. Funny how that works. Our politicians must be salivating at the thought of all that money trickling through their sticky fingers.

No significant intervention would be needed if our socialist government wasn’t hell-bent on oppressing the private sector. The shenanigans of our political classes have left the growth generating middle classes reeling, so much so that growth has collapsed from 6% to a pathetic 2%. Let’s be clear, no matter how much it spends, no government can generate real economic growth - the kind of growth that comes with enterprise and effort - it can only redistribute. Economic growth comes though private business. Redistribution is fine, but we need to create the wealth to redistribute first, and no, a measly 2% will not do.

We have a deficit because our obligations exceed our tax intake. It means we are living beyond our means. To correct this, we need to curtail wasteful spending and finally realize who actually pays taxes in this country. Yep - businesses and entrepreneurs. If we concentrate on building up the private sector we can steady the fiscal ship and accelerate growth. A sustainable 10% rate is achievable at the very least. This means strengthening property rights, reducing regulation and just generally getting the government’s tentacles out from where they don’t belong.

Meanwhile, because we fail to realize and reform, we must resort to the insidious IMF (read USA). Now that they have our great nation on the end of a short string, our ‘benevolent’ pay-masters have agreed to raise the deficit target  - this being one of their conditions for assistance. Patting our leaders on the head, they graciously noted last week that Pakistan remained on track to fulfill all conditions under their Faustian pact. To which a punch-drunk nation replied - uhhh - thanks?

Although I rarely do these days, when reading columns from various Pakistani newspapers I still come across pieces that advocate negotiation with the 'faux' Taliban holed up in FATA. According to some esteemed brains, apparently, the sacrifices that our brave troops are making day in and day out are totally unnecessary. You see, if only we just talked to these folks over a cup of lukewarm cha. This ‘misunderstanding’ could be sorted out.

After all, they’re reasonable aren’t they? Surely their cartoon villain demeanors, suicide vests and scowls are probably just for show? Jonny Depp hardly looked much different in that rollicking pirates movie and the punters loved him all the more. More jaw-jaw rather than war-war is called for when the (obviously) foreign-sponsored TTP try and take over entire districts of sovereign Pakistani territory. Negotiation - compromise - appeasement.

I know our vaunted politicians have set the bar pretty low, but surely we still live in a moral universe with certain ‘absolutes’? The fact that neither we nor our politicians live up to the high standards that Islam demands does not mean that we can dispense with them and resort to moral relativism. It is a notion that has plagued our thinking for far too long. Wrong is wrong. Sometimes there really are no shades of grey.

Yes, we allow ourselves to be ruled by the most corrupt amongst us; yes, we too have no qualms in bending/breaking rules in our own interest, but for once in our lives, can we just stand up for common decency? Surely we can all agree that flogging girls on the roadside, beheading innocents and traumatizing entire communities transgresses all limits? The government has been negotiating with these people for years to no avail. They have proven themselves to be treacherous. Through their oppression, the ‘faux’ Taliban have revoked all claims to Islamic credentials.

Yet while our martyrs fall in valleys in the West, the appease-niks still quibble and wring their hands. Why do they not understand? When negotiations fail, we must not hesitate to use force. The Kharjiites rejected Hazrat Ali (RA) as the TTP now reject the Ummah. Merciful and wise, Hazrat Ali (RA) negotiated then too, but when betrayed, he knew when to strike back. He didn’t do it out of fear for his chair or the greed of his ego. He did it for the sake of the Ummah and his devotion to the legacy of his Master (SAW).

Today, Pakistan is the final fortress of the Ummah. If Pakistan falls, countless generations will fall prey to tyranny. It’s time for us all to get behind our heroic armed forces. Our conscience is clear. We tried the path of appeasement. Sometimes it works . This time it failed. There’s no talking to the fake Talibs. Unfortunately, it seems there’s no talking to the appease-niks either.