Note: This article needs to be cleaned up and re-edited; bear with me, I'm tired and I'm going to bed when I have something done.
Politics is not my favorite topic for this blog, not even my favorite topic to talk about anyway as people usually get really passionate about it, often not using logic and reason but their own emotions to come to their conclusions. However, I felt like talking about the assassination of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto anyway.
It's really sad that someone had to die. There wee several casualties at the rally apart from Mrs. Bhutto herself. The saddest part to me is, that someone not only took the life of another human being, but also took away the mother of three children (I'm sure there were other people with kids who died at the rally as well).
The Western media is proclaiming this to be the end of democracy in Pakistan. Having lived in Pakistan through Mrs. Bhutto's previous two terms (and the terms of Nawaz Sharif and Musharraf), I find this comment rather funny. Most Pakistanis were totally fed up of Benazir and Nawaz Sharif a long time ago, especially the educated youth of the country.
Why did the United States support Mrs. Bhutto? There are quite a few reasons for this.
Firstly, Benazir Bhutto was educated at Harvard. She had an American and British education in some of the most prestigious institutions of the two countries. This apparently made her smarter than her political advisories.
As of late, Benazir Bhutto had been commenting on supporting the United States and giving them whatever they wanted. This meant compromising the sovereignty of Pakistan. This would not have necessarily been in the best interests of the Pakistani people. Instead this was a political move for Mrs. Bhutto in order to regain political power.
She's a woman. Women apparently make better leaders for foreign countries (but for some reason having a woman president for the US sounds like an absurd idea to most of the US public (yes, I'm referring to Hillary Clinton here)). What's even more hilarious is that women have usually been mistreated more in Pakistan during Benazir's tenures
Like my friend Pinny, has often suggested to me, the seat of the head of state of Pakistan is somewhat like the ring in The Lord of the Rings. Whoever holds the seat gets mesmerized by it and extermely power hungry. The last time Benazir and Nawaz Sharif were in office, they both tried to get rid of people they considered obstacles in their goal to achieve supreme power. President Musharraf appears to be doing the same thing. Take the removal of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, who had rightly judged some cases in the favor of the people, instead of corrupt individuals. The question is, is this democracy or is this just a civilian form of dictatorship which the West is too blind to see?
Why didn't the educated youth want her back in office? She's been tried and tested twice before, third time is not a charm in politics, it's down right stupid. The litany of corruption charges against Mrs. Bhutto and her spouse is another smart reason why most Pakistanis didn't want her in charge of their tax money. If they really wanted to invest in property overseas, people would have bought it on their own instead of funding Benazir's palace in Surrey, England. There's way more to it and you can read up on it here.
It truely is a sad day for Pakistan and the rest of the world. However, Benazir would not have brought democracy to the country, as she had stated. That was just her excuse, I'm sure who ever assassinated her had theirs.
Geo, one of Pakistan's private news channels, has a little segment called "Pillow Talk". It usually features the current an animated version of the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. The first of the two clips I've seen has him talking with the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. The second one is even better, guest starring the great US President himself, George W. Bush. If you can understand a little Urdu, you'll really enjoy these clips, they're pretty well done. Enjoy :)
Here's the one with Pervez Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto:
Here's the one with Pervez Musharraf and George Bush:
Pakistan turned 60 today and it's been 6 decades of strife and turmoil (in sporadic sequence). People, it's time for the blame game. So who do I blame?
The Fuedal Lords: Unlike India, Pakistan let the Feudal Lords keep their land after partition, which was fine with them of course. However, the other people living on the lands suffered at their hands. They prevented them from getting education and forced them into cheap labor. This resulted in a very poor and uneducated population which on the other hand tend to vote for the same Lords that subjugate them.
The Mullahs: The Mullahs have played an essential role in Pakistan. However, there role seems to be more instigated towards their own benefit. Unlike what Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Maulana Hali (yeah) or the great Iqbal tried to teach the nation, the Mullah's tend to enforce a thinking which seems to be backward, which to me seems contrary to what the Quran and Sunnah teach us.
The Dictators: The unconstitutional dictators that Pakistan has seen over the years have interfered in the country's political scene at times when it was usually most needed. However, the power of the ring (or the seat of power, whatever you prefer to call it) usually usurps them into doing what is more beneficial for them, rather than what is more beneficial for the country. It must be kept in mind that I respect the Pakistani military a lot and this is in NO way an attack on them, only an attack on our military leaders.
The Politicians: Why do I mention them towards the end of the list? Simply because it pretty much covers the Feudal Lords, the Mullahs and the Military Dictators. For example, take the present Pakistani goverment; it consists of all the categories I've mentioned above. The Politicians are probably the worst of all, it sometimes makes me wonder if Pakistan truly needs a democracy. However, there's a lack of a better system in my mind right now.
The People: The People tend to not care. I guess it's pretty common all over the world. I mean, George Bush Jr. managed to win a second term into the White House (even though most people tend to profess their hate for him). If people really want a change, they need to change themselves, their own way of life and do as they preach.
One needs to remember that there are exceptions to the rule. For example, Pakistan's so called "Golden Era" was under Ayub Khan, a military dictator. Even so, there aren't many.
I guess it's important for Pakistan to act on the words of John F. Kennedy and instead of thinking more about themselves, work for a better Pakistan. After all, Pakistan has a lot of natural resources and a great potential to explode in the economic circle.
When you think about movies, you usually think about Hollywood, or even Bollywood for that matter. However, there are a couple of movies that are making a stir around the world and in Pakistan.
Khuda ke Liye (In the name of God)
This is a movie produced, written and directed by Shoaib Mansoor, one of the most famous director in Pakistan. The plot involves a Pakistani student (Shaan), who finds himself at the wrong place and at the wrong time. After the fall of the twin towers during the tragedy of 9/11, Shaan's character is arrested. The other protagonist is played by Imaan Ali who is a British Pakistani girl and wants to marry a Non Muslim, she is shipped off to the homeland.
A lot of people have been anticipating this movie chiefly because it is a Shoaib Mansoor production. However, from the trailers I've seen and from what I've heard so far, this is probably going to be Mansoor's worst work. Since there aren't any worthwhile places to go and see the movie in Islamabad, I guess I'll be seeing it when it comes out on DVD. I'll be surprised if it's any good.
Zibakhana: Hell's Ground
Zibahkhana means slaughterhouse in Urdu, but the English title, for some unknown reason, is Hell's Ground. This is probably Pakistan's first big horror movie and has been given cheers world wide. Unlike typical Bollywood/Lollywood movies, this movie has more of a western touch instead of just being a Hollywood ripoff.
The movie took just 4 weeks to make and a budget which according to Time Magazine "makes The Blair Witch Project look like a Hollywood Bankbuster". The movie is a production by Omar Ali Khan who is the owner of Hotspot, a cafe and popular meeting spot in Islamabad. The main cast comprises of school going teenagers instead of more prominent actors from the Pakistani movie scene. It features the typical gore and zombies that you'll find in most Western horror flicks with a more Pakistani touch.
If I had to choose between the two, I'd definitely vouch for Zibahkhana, unlike the former, Zibakhana is less cliched and a more original work compared to most Pakistani movies and television shows. And face it, the zombies just look really cool. Reminds me of my school days when people would talk about this tree at Hotspot with a leaf that had some sort of palpitation and would move repeatedly.
