tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post4640147681307190736..comments2024-03-27T15:36:44.737-07:00Comments on Haq's Musings: Stop and Smell the Roses in PakistanRiaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-417207708531593162015-12-28T13:29:03.366-08:002015-12-28T13:29:03.366-08:00#Pakistan elections seen through the eyes of a #Pa...#Pakistan elections seen through the eyes of a #Pakistani #Syrian #Arab dual national http://tribune.com.pk/story/1017660/pakistan-through-the-eyes-of-an-arab/ …<br /><br />"What my fellow Arabs might find surprising is that it was the police that guided me to the polling station that I was supposed to vote in. The kindness they showed is worth mentioning. It is difficult to absorb the idea of a helpful police as an Arab. This is not to say that all Arab or Middle Eastern countries suffer from a lack of a public-friendly police. There are some countries, like Jordan, Tunisia and majority of the Gulf countries where the police do serve their people.<br /><br />I consider myself lucky to be a Pakistani of Arab origin and that I had the right to vote in the LG polls and therefore had a say in the political process. The fact that my opinion, my vote and my choice mattered in my country gives me confidence and boosts my patriotism. I mourn the situation in the Arab world today, where at least 10 countries are in turmoil. The situation in Pakistan may not be ideal, but the country definitely has the makings of a pluralistic political system."Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-4242703741159817582010-05-07T21:02:45.987-07:002010-05-07T21:02:45.987-07:00Huma Yusuf blogs for Pakistan's Dawn.com site ...Huma Yusuf blogs for Pakistan's <a href="http://blog.dawn.com/" rel="nofollow">Dawn.com</a> site in Karachi and is a close watcher of new media in Pakistan. She says that in her country, new media has spawned a pithy brand of citizen journalism. The reason: “unlike Indians, we feel like we’re in a state of war”.<br /><br />She says that during the Pakistan Emergency of 2006-7, Pakistan’s online population grew from 2.5 million to 18 million.<br /><br />Click <a href="http://civic.mit.edu/watchlistenlearn/old-and-new-media-converging-during-the-pakistan-emergency-march-2007-february-2008?page=0%2C0" rel="nofollow">here</a> for an MIT media labs paper she published on activism by Pakistan's online population.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-72662509129917676042008-08-20T21:55:00.000-07:002008-08-20T21:55:00.000-07:00I think the main thrust of the Op Ed is not to cri...I think the main thrust of the Op Ed is not to criticize the US or explain how it all happened. Rather, it is intended as a tribute to the people of Pakistan and to show how Pakistanis differ from their Arab brethren. <BR/><BR/>To me, Musharraf's time was up. He was running up against the informal, historical term limits of approx 10 years imposed on Pakistan leaders by the circumstances as the people get tired of them and want change.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-2404354721031330522008-08-20T21:45:00.000-07:002008-08-20T21:45:00.000-07:00I think the sarcasm in the "dropped mush faster th...I think the sarcasm in the "dropped mush faster than u can say freedom fries" somehow assumes that US betrayed Musharaf. It is the other way around.US gave green light to take down Musharaf to PPP as US State Dept got concrete intel that Pak intel is neck-deep in creating mess in Afghanistan.In Indian Embassy bombing incident,multiple intel agencies simultaneously tracked the communication from ISI in Pak and agents in Afghanistan.It was not a rogue operation as the orders from the very top clearly with green light from COAS,ISI chief and President in the loop. The impeachment is a joint effort to take control of ISI and Pak army to civilians. Musharaf's betrayal of US is the reason why US is not giving asylum to him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-76127334755291173912008-08-20T10:16:00.000-07:002008-08-20T10:16:00.000-07:00This Egyptian-American writer's view is definitely...This Egyptian-American writer's view is definitely a tribute to the people of Pakistan. It shows how Pakistanis (South Asian Muslims) are different from their Arab brethren. Although there are no term-limits to military dictators, Pakistani dictators usually fold in approx 10 years. Examples include Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Ziaul Haq.<BR/>However, it's too early to say "kudos" to Nawaz Sharif or Asif Zardari, given their past failures. The real test of Pakistani politicians and people now is whether they can build sustainable institutions of democracy that are responsive to the needs of the nation. While I admire India's democracy, I strongly fee that it has failed to serve the vast majority of its ordinary people. I hope Pakistani version of democracy turns out better than its Indian counterpart.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com