Pakistan's Leadership Follies

By Farooq Sumar
The writer is a businessman and a former chairman of the National Textile Foundation

Be it political, military, socio-economic or cultural affairs Pakistan's leadership has been quite mediocre since independence. The tragedies and setbacks were many. Failure to develop a coherent set of policies to address the  nations pressing needs; to eradicate ignorance, poverty and disease at home and to maintain a dignified image abroad are the result of shortsighted leadership. After Jinnah there is just a continuous and consistent bottomless fall that has now brought the country to its knees.

Some of our decisions or lack thereof need to be revisited to comprehend our follies. The four military interventions-coup d'etats - have retarded democracy and socio-economic developments indefinitely. The military's continuous interference distorts and twists Pakistan completely out of shape, so much so that it is faceless in the comity of nations and an oppressive burden that impoverishes the people. The unacceptable truth is that the military has become the senior partner in governance at all levels, to the extent that separation of powers is totally blurred. The nation experiences medium to violent jerks often that rob it of stability, economic progress, cohesion and comprehension of its destiny.

The arrogance of the military is the basis of its justification that it has a monopoly on patriotism, wisdom, organisation and management skills to rule. This may be true in part today as all other power structures and institutions have been weakened quite deliberately by the military. While major political parties have either been created by them or compromised and corrupted to become followers who receive crumbs for their pimping services.

Disastrous Decade of Democracy & the Sorry state of Pakistan

By Simon Templar

Thug life is a term used by gangsters to glorify their law breaking, heady crime sprees.

Nothing describes the misrule of two successive, so called democratically elected governments in the unstable, underdeveloped 200 million strong south Asian state of Pakistan.

How thieves, plunderers and freebooters came to rule this nuclear armed state is a sad tale in itself.

Ruled by military General Pervez Musharraf who took over in a military coup in 1999, the country became a close US ally after 9/11 and witnessed an era of growth and stability under military rule.

However when Musharraf reached his limits of flexibility, it was decided by the US and British to force him bring back the two tainted, condemned political leaders in exile and to wash away all their sins under a dubious order in the name of national reconciliation.

Dirty water, cholera and malnutrition: deadly mix afflicting Yemeni children

(Photo by Observer and WHO)

More than 10,000 civilians have died in the war that has torn Yemen apart since it started in 2015. The country is now engulfed wide-scale humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 2.2 million children suffering from severe malnutrition and much of the population reduced to drinking dirty water. As a result, starting last May, Yemen has been experiencing the “worst cholera epidemic in the world,” according to the United Nations. It’s a situation proving deadly for children, the most vulnerable victims of this conflict.

Close to 300,000 people in Yemen have contracted cholera, of whom 1,700 died, according to numbers reported in June. This epidemic has, in large part, been caused by the poor quality of the country’s drinking water, which is often contaminated with fecal matter. Moreover, wartorn Yemen lacks the resources to purify the water. And, when people fall ill, they often have no access to medical care. This disease, which is easy to treat, is most deadly when contracted by vulnerable people, like the elderly and, especially. children

Anti-Corbyn Argument Smashed!

One of Britain’s most influential rappers just smashed the entire anti-Corbyn argument in seconds:

British rapper Akala said this:
"So why will I be voting now? The answer will surprise none of you, Jeremy Corbyn.", "We do not need perfect politicians, because we are not perfect people ourselves.

However for the first time in my adult life and perhaps for the first time in British history someone I would consider to be a fundamentally decent human being – that is, someone who does not want to kill the poor and does not routinely make a habit of rationalising the bombing and invasion of other peoples countries under the rubric of humanitarianism – has a chance of being elected."

"I simply think we cannot afford, in this very particular set of circumstances, to not vote.

Our brothers and sisters in America were not given an alternative, their options were one war-mongering lunatic vs. another and many of them (almost half the US electorate did not vote at all), quite understandably could not bring themselves to vote for Hilary Clinton, despite the threat of Mr. Trump.

Were I an American I must confess I would have done the same.

We, however, do have a chance for the first time to vote for the lesser of two evils."

There are a great many other progressive policies that make Corbyn a genuinely different candidate from what we have seen before but another very key area – of literally life and death – is the NHS.

If you want to see what privatised healthcare looks like just ask any poor American.

"There are countless American families mired in a lifetime of debt for basic healthcare that citizens of every other industrial country (and Cuba) receive as standard from public money.

When I was five I got the measles and nearly died!

If I was an American child born into a similarly poor family I would either likely be dead now or my family still paying off the bill."

"When I was 10 my mum got cancer, same story.

The idea and reality of an NHS is one of the most democratic ideas ever invented.

It must be protected at all costs, the Tories have made their intentions in this area quite plain – as has Corbyn."

"If you are so busy hating those pesky ‘immigrants’ (you know the same darkies and foreign nationals that overwhelmingly staff your NHS) that you can’t see that the Trump worshipping Tories are callous enough to condemn millions of ‘their own’ people to slow and early death because they are poor and because it’s profitable, (as the Republicans just have) then you are unlikely to be reading this anyway.

But if you have such people in your family (as I do) please try and talk some sense into them, for their own good."

"The simple fact is, if enough people vote for Corbyn/Labour they will win.

In fact there are enough people that did not vote at all in the last election to tip the scales decidedly."

Westminster Incident

On Wednesday afternoon, our home city of London suffered a hideous attack A palpable sense of anger and outrage runs through us all as well as heartbreak for the victims and their families.

This afternoon's attack on both Westminster Bridge and around Parliament is an attack on what all Muslims (to me terrorists are NOT Muslim) and people of this nation hold dear: freedom, peace and the ability to live our daily lives without fear. Our way of life is enshrined in our religion,  thereby any attack on one is an attack on us all.

The perpetrators of this attack have one objective: divide and stoke fear. Their myth of 'Them and Us' is exactly that, a myth.

All of us have a collective responsibility for identifying and notifying the appropriate authorities of individuals who attack and kill innocents for whatever cause. People who carry out such attacks are an abomination to all of humanity and must be dealt with swiftly and appropriately.

We are grateful for the way our emergency services keep us all safe and continue to do so in difficult circumstances. We stand together strong and united.

Our prayers are with the departed and those they left behind and with the first responders who helped without care for their own safety. In that action alone we see what makes us human: the need to help others and to support goodness over the evil. Today our actions of good over evil start with our oft repeated but very clear message:

“We will not let the terrorists win by dividing us.”

#notinourname
#unitedagainstterrorism
#westminster

STAND WITH PAKISTAN

Sadiq Khan launches blistering attack at move to end Dubs scheme for child refugees

Sadiq Khan has launched a blistering attack on the Government after it emerged just 350 lone child refugees will be welcomed into Britain under the so-called Dubs Amendment.

The Mayor said “ministers should collectively hang their heads in shame” to end the agreement which campaigners hoped would see 3,000 unaccompanied children enter the UK.

In a low-key announcement, immigration minister Robert Goodwill said the scheme is set to close after another 150 refugees have been brought to Britain after it was revealed 200 have arrived so far through the route.

Labour peer Lord Alf Dubs spearheaded the measure last year which requires the Government to relocate unaccompanied refugee children from other countries in Europe.

But in a written statement, Mr Goodwill revealed only 350 children would be relocated through the amendment before it ends which provoked a furious backlash from politicians, bishops and charities.

Mr Khan said the Government was “shunning” its responsibility to help the world’s most vulnerable children.

He said: “Ministers should collectively hang their heads in shame for their decision to end the Dubs Amendment, which was helping to transform the lives of children caught up in the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

“In London, we have a proud history of welcoming and supporting refugees seeking sanctuary and helping them to rebuild their lives. 

“That’s why as an MP I voted in favour of the Dubs Amendment, and it’s why as Mayor I am proud to have worked with London councils who have provided support for unaccompanied asylum seeking children, including those that have arrived via the Dubs route.

“As a country, we cannot shun our responsibility to do our part in helping some of the most vulnerable children in the world. 

“This is bigger than party politics and I strongly urge the Government to reverse its decision and to work with London councils to support our ongoing efforts to help vulnerable children who are in desperate need.”

Tom Viita, head of advocacy at Christian Aid, said: "After Trump's refugee ban in recent weeks, it is shocking to see the UK sending out another deeply worrying message to the rest of the world.

"Theresa May and her government need to be pulling Trump up, rather than following him downwards."

The Bishop of Croydon, the Rt Rev Jonathan Clark, added: “By refusing to help those children you are in effect helping the trafficking industry."

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We are not giving up on vulnerable children who are fleeing conflict and danger.

"Thanks to the goodwill of the British public and local authorities, in the last year alone we have provided refuge or other forms of leave to more than 8,000 children.

"Our commitment to resettle 350 unaccompanied children from Europe is just one way we are helping."

Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/sadiq-khan-launches-blistering-attack-at-move-to-end-dubs-scheme-for-child-refugees-a3462131.html