Pakistani Army has a greater cooperation with the United States and the U.S Special Operations Forces are alive and kicking in Pakistan — contrary to the lies spread by the establishment — helping Pakistanis in rooting out terrorists in the tribal areas. Saudis also wield greater influence and have open preferences for certain political leaders of Pakistan, and open dislikes for others.

While there is a lot of hue and cry in Pakistan over these cables, there is not much substance if one digs under the surface. One of the cables even reflects the concerns of a Pakistani official over the reduction in the “annual aid” given by the Saudis — which is still a whooping $300 million after the cuts. One wonders how much money the Saudis give to Pakistan when they are happy with the things in this country.

Saudis have been giving us money — and free or subsidized oil — for decades and Americans are also doling out wads of cash to Pakistan.  Based on these leaks, if one uses the term “client state” for Pakistan, one would not be wrong. What a shame!

It is still a mess but dust has started to settle a bit. Conflicting statements are still doing the round with Tim May of the international players union citing the ineffective cricket boards and the ICC as the reason behind this episode. Others are dissecting the mental predicament of Haider when he left his teammates in a lurch for the safer grounds of the UK.

It appears that he will be given asylum in the UK as he has repeatedly talked about threats to his life back in Pakistan. The real culprit of this fiasco is the PCB. It has proven yet again that it is a rotten institution with no codes and morals. Its aging and asinine chief, who is a political appointee, remains oblivious to what is unfolding in its team. Its security team, which is headed by none other than an army colonel, fails to detect threats to its team players and is so ineffective that it is unable to keep checks on players’ activities. And the list goes on and on.

ICC, again, is showing its double standards. It thrashed the PCB for last month’s corruption scandal but stays mum on this one. Some international cricketing voices are calling for a complete ban on Pakistani cricket and one cannot doubt their insanity and their nefarious suggestions.  Former Pakistani players, who can play a great role in this episode, have sealed their lips. Perhaps they have also become sick of the things at PCB.

The ultimate casualty of this scandal are the Pakistan cricket fans who have finally realized that the glory days of their team are long over.

What ensued was the Great Bengal Famine that consumed the lives of millions of people. All this happened at a time when hundreds of thousands of Indians were being recruited to fight for their ‘homeland’ in war theaters of all sorts, geographies and proportions.

Churchill, despite his allegedly racist persuasions, should not be solely blamed as this was the colonial mindset that was driving his actions. The signs of “Dogs and Indians not allowed” were very much intact in India even in the early 1940s, at the epitome of the Independence movement, and at a time when the colonial masters had already started packing their bags for the motherland.

It was but another sad episode in the colonial history of India where the masters had other priorities and they followed them with a gusto. Some onus also lies on the greedy local merchants who horded up on food and earned blasphemously high profits later on. The event was but just another shameful episode in the already well-tainted colonial history of the British Raj.

The first report was about a video that showed Pakistani soldiers shooting to death six unarmed teenagers in the Swat valley. The not-so-grainy clip showed Pakistani soldiers plugging six lives without any trial or judgment; orders from their superiors, who were present on the occasion, were enough for them and it was implied that the teenagers were Taliban operatives.

The second report, which was published today, was about the clandestine negotiations between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Taliban leaders with NATO acting as the main facilitator, offering its aircraft and vehicles to its arch nemesis for the process. It also had the mention of a “Pakistani employee” of NYT contributing to the report.

That was not the case before as there were real, ‘honorable’ mentions of Pakistani reporters, which, by the way, are only a handful.

One fails to understand why the NYT has adopted such clandestine SOPs. The fear of reprisal from the powerful Pakistani establishment is not a recent phenomenon. It is as old as the country itself. And NYT has run countless reports — many of them bordering on controversy viz. a viz. Pakistani Army — then why this sudden need for cloaking?

Does that mean that the threats have increased from the agencies or the reporters are getting sick of the constant surveillance and harassment? Or the editors of NYT have adopted a new approach for ensuring the safety of its foreign reporters? What’s happening?

The judiciary is meeting at midnight to thwart an alleged sacking and the government gives lame excuses. What was an unconfirmed report about the dismissal of Supreme Court judges turned into a major drama where judges meet at 1 am in the morning and issues a strong statement blasting the government.

Even if the report was true, could not have they waited till the morning? And what the government was thinking when, and if, it decided about the firing of judges?

Lawyers gathered in and around Supreme Court and chanted slogans in Chief Justice’s favor. It was nothing new as the judges look quite supportive of gathering crowds and acting as political leaders. This was, after all, the approach taken by the deposed judges to demand reinstatement. They would do the same if the government takes any action.

The PPP-led government has proved ineffective and remains deeply unpopular due to charges of corruption and nepotism. Nawaz Sharif is no holy cow either but his media managers are strong enough to stonewall their wrongdoings. With bombs going off in shrines, which were once considered the holiest places, and 20 million people living in the open after losing everything to floods; Pakistan cannot afford another judicial or political circus.

Thousands of cases are pending in the SC and the judges can focus on deciding those first; political cases can wait. The government, on the other hand, needs to pull its act together if it really wants to accomplish some good. Judges can and should punish those involved in corruption and misuse of authority but it would be better if they do so without causing a scene.

Common Pakistanis are fed up of the scheming politicians and the media savvy judges. Only if those in the power-circles understand this. And this includes the ‘establishment’ if it is pulling the cords in the recent fiasco.

As for other sports, it is a clean slate in every sense of the word. India thrashed Pakistan in hockey 7-4 and advanced to the semifinals. Pakistan lost in every sport whether it is weightlifting, swimming, tennis or badminton.

Pakistani sports have not seen the relative glory of the 60s and 70s as it has all been a downward roll ever since.

Will those in the power centers pay any attention to this disgrace? I am afraid the answer will be in negative: a big no. A nation where sports have been relegated to the lowest place possible and where political leaders fight over the positions of sports organizing committees can’t expect itself to do any wonders.

We should celebrate this chance victory though as those brave wrestlers have made it possible for us to at least stand in the medal table, whatever lowly position it might be. And we can at least concentrate on wrestling if we are so incompetent in other sports. Asian Games are also around the corner and this is the perfect time to hone wrestling talent.

Dear Saad,

I am a fan of your blog and your candid opinion. I read in one of your earlier posts that you will publish emails if you find them interesting. This has encouraged me to write this letter.

You must have read the news about the public rally of Altaf Hussain in Karachi regarding the Aafia Siddiqui arrest. What can I say about that? I have no words to explain Altaf’s bigotry. He never raised a voice in Aafia’s favor during the last two years but now had this mega rally.

What message he wants to send to the US? That he has no stance at all? He knows that Aafia’s case is not that simple and that she had some links with Al-Qaeda. As he has his reign of terror in Karachi so no one dare questions him. He is maligning the reputation of Urdu speakers but this is not the first time that he has done that.

When is the time when he has not let us down? He is sitting in London with British citizenship while us, the common Urdu speakers, are dying on the streets of Karachi. He has corrupted a whole generation of Urdu speakers. He is not a leader, he runs a cult, a mafia.

Who is he to forgive the blood of 15,000 Urdu speakers who died during the military operation and then during the extrajudicial killings allowed by Benazir?

Urdu speakers are not extremists as his recent rally might show. They are the most liberal, the most educated and also the most suppressed, unfortunately. We do not have any leadership although the world is changing so fast. We cannot trust Altaf. We cannot trust Imran Khan or any other tonga party leader because he is anti-Urdu speakers and his past proves this when he threw Karachi players out of his team. We don’t need a leader in the first place, I mean not a mafia leader. We need an agenda for our community. Altaf can leave us alone. He is already enjoying the benefits of British citizenship.

I hope you will publish this email.

XYZ

Yes, I’ve published this email. And I’ll publish any replies or further comments.  It was quite candid I must say. While you have laid bare your hatred for Altaf, which, I must add is shared by a sizable number of your compatriots, you have not come up with any solid premise.

The recent turn in MQM’s policies has baffled many as it was considered a secular, liberal and pro-western party. I think in Karachi, especially among the Mohajirs,  the hatred for the Americans is the lowest.  I am, however, unable to comprehend the reason that behind this 180-degree turn in MQM policies when they started protesting for Aafia’s release and slammed US to the core.

Some reports are pointing towards the recent murder of Imran Farooq in London and Altaf’s comments that he does not feel safe in London as a reason for this shift. He even talked about some international conspiracy to plug him.

Given his past antics, these statements look spurious.  His iron-fist control on his party has not waned though and his statements may whiff of trouble for Karachi to some, especially  in the days to come. Keeping our fingers crossed is what we all can do.

On a related note, not all violence in Karachi is perpetrated by the MQM and we all know that PPP, ANP and other factions have also blood on their hands — and of course the ‘agencies’ are also responsible.

So now we have countless discussions, debates and even fights — the verbal ones — on the media. The plot remains the same. The supreme court is intent on enforcing its decisions, which some say are tilted towards judicial activism. The government is not ready to budge on its policies which are perceived as widely unpopular, more so after its failure to handle the flood situation. The allegations of extreme corruption further taints its reputation.

The supreme court was to hear an important case today regarding the presidential indemnity and whether it should be revoked. The president has been accused of corruption and misuse of authority, along with dozens of other politicians and bureaucrats, but they all were pardoned by Pervez Musharraf in 2008 under a National Reconciliation Order (NRO). There are many cases in the Swiss and Spanish courts against the president but the government decided not to pursue them after the issuance of this order. The same NRO has been nullified by the apex court. The court has also asked the government to write letters to Swiss prosecutors to reopen the cases against Zardari.

The government is now treading on a double edged sword. If it writes the said letter, it will implicate itself in corruption cases. If it refuses, it will be embroiled in the contempt of court controversy. Even the entire Pakistani cabinet can be shown the door by the judges in case of the second option. Anything is possible in Pakistan.

Opposition parties are making full use of the situation but the military currently does not seem interested in any active role. They are, of course, still playing their games behind the curtains.

The brief respite for the government has come in the form of an extended date for hearing. It will now be presented before the court on Oct. 13. The fortnightly relief has allowed the government to reassess its strategies.

Whatsoever maybe the outcome of this case, the poor people of Pakistan will not see an improvement in their lives. Even if the current regime is ousted, another, and more corrupt one, will replace it. An army takeover will seal the deal of destruction. With bombs going off everywhere and the economy in tatters, they cannot afford yet another episode of mayhem. They have had enough but the irony is that they are unable to convey this message to the powers that be. And that is the real tragedy of Pakistan.

Whatever the reason maybe, Karachiites are happy that they have been saved from another round of killings, violence and strikes. Investigations are underway and The Daily Telegraph has reported that there are some speculations that it was a political assassination.

There has been some whispers in the bazaars of Karachi about the murder being committed by the ruling PPP. Others are saying that it was the handiwork of the agencies; a few even pointed towards the PML Nawaz. Opponents of the MQM think that it was done by the party itself as it has a history of plugging dissidents and turncoats. All these allegations and counter allegations currently have no face value. The ball is in Scotland Yard’s game and here’s hoping that they will swiftly come up with an investigation report.

Given the turbulent history of violence in Karachi, the coming days will be of great importance.

While the details of the proposed offensive have not been revealed yet, it is expected to be ruthless, just like the previous campaigns in the province. Military operations are not new to Balochistan as the province saw a first offensive in 1948. Ayub Khan dealt with the Balochs with an iron hand and Bhutto took this to another level.

In fact, the bloodiest offensive in Balochistan was carried out under direct orders of Bhutto in mid 1970s. Zia, despite all his follies, did put an end to the offensive in order to appease the Baloch chieftains. There was a relative calm for the next 22 years but the coup of 1999 reversed the process. It has gotten worse ever since.

Balochistan is a complex place to deal with. Democracy has not taken roots and tribal chieftains control everything — or controlled everything up until 1999. Now it is the military agencies that are the coy ventriloquists in the bloody puppet show of Balochistan.

There is a lack of a democratic, middle class of ethnic Balochis and this has complicated the issues. It is also true that they despise the presence of others, especially the Punjabis, whom they think as the usurpers of their rights — and their property. It is but another fact that a majority of the military and paramilitary presence in Balochistan is from the Punjabi stock. Any future offensive will naturally fan the anti-Punjabi emotions among the Balochs.

It is also true that Balochs have suffered much in Pakistani Balochistan but they are still in a better position than their Iranian counterparts. They are free to pursue their religion and customs and speak their language. There has been a skeleton Baloch government ruling the province. There have been supporting voices in other areas of Pakistan that are being raised in their favor. None of these are present in the Iranian Balochistan.

Dirty games are certainly being played in Balochistan with political murders by some ‘unknown’ quarters — and also disappearances of hundreds of Balochs — and retaliation killings of ‘settlers’ by the Balochis. This needs to be stopped and there is a need for some actual political negotiations. Military operation or even a paramilitary ‘law enforcement drive’ will do more damage than good. Balochistan has already suffered enough.