August 30-31

JUGNOOS VS SNAKES AND BOARS!

For a few hours this weekend, I was out in the open fresh air, in the villages of Pakistan, away from all that clouds our straight thinking. I was with wonderful people. Simple people who have simple needs. I was with people who need their needs met pronto. What clarity!

For now, and only for now since we are not in the driving seat…Its not productive to get fixated on who wins and looses on Sept 6; because the present political culture has different priorities. I am lucky I have seen this system from so close that I know exactly how to fix this system going forward. I am not despondent about who wins and who doesnt win. I am angry but not despondent. Because we need to look beyond that. we need to look at the jugnoos and avoid the snakes and boars. We need to have a plan to save Pakistan …

We need to fire straight. we need to  be on target. We need to be focussed. We need to be UNITED in our voices. We need to demand what is our right…good governance, We need to legislate for good governance. we need to question when we dont see good governance. And we certainly need to give solutions for good governance.

We need unity for a LIBERAL PROGRESSIVE AGENDA for the Pakistan of today and the Pakistan of the future…. We will do it

 

August 28-29

Politiking galore- what about Pakistan’s downward trend!!!??? (Read the note in Write to section for how I feel these days) ADB says GDP around 5%- downward from 7.5% not acceptable- Where is Pak going???

Dawn TV on 29th with Farhan on democracies future amindst all the politiking

 

August 27

Attended and was guest speaker representing my party at seminar by Pak Liberal Forum on present political scenario and challenegs in post Musharraf era for political parties.

Assembly – last day for this session. submitted questions for next session.

 

August 26

Spoke to artists at NCA as guest speaker about current political environment. Very interesting experience. i invited them to parliament. I hope they enjoyed the experience.

Assembly scenes: Musical chairs – pulls and pushes- is this what politics is all about?

PMLN has entered opposition benches.

Dawn tv, Geo Kamran and PTV on the same subject.

 

August 25

PML announces its presidential candidate at a dinner.

 

August 23-24

The August 2008 Economist Intelligence report has predicted very disturbing economic forecasts for Pakistan. Whilst the coalition government politiks, the state of the economy is deteriorating day by day. With reserves at close to 9billion dollars vs the 16billion that coalition government inherited, with Rupee devaluating from Rs 60 to Rs 76, with food price inflation soaring beyond 32 percent, which is all leading to borrowing at higher rates due to worsening risk rating, its all pointing towards a default situation. Thus it is not surprizing that international forecasts are dismal. EIR forecasts  consumer price inflation to average 14.9 percent, real GDP growth to slow to 4.4 percent from 6 percent of last year. FT predicts 25 percent inflation. EIR  states that Pakistan’s economy has enjoyed rapid growth for past five years but it is now set to slow significantly due to policy and political instability, worsening security problems and cracks in coalition. It states that the economy is likely to suffer from a lack of effective policymaking owing to political strife. Unemployment rate is expected to worsen from 5.6 percent to 6 percent. The report estimates that wealthy Pakistanis have moved dollar 405 million out of Pakistan intensifying pressure on dollar. It also predicts that the 20 percent rise in electricity prices will put pressure by provincial governments on federal government to decide rises through council of common interest versus federation. Along with this report Moodys’ downgrading Pakistan’s risk ratings remains an immediate possibility.  Thus when the coalition government blames its econmic tsunami and inaction of five months on  dealing with President Musharraf’s resignation first, it seems that it cares more about political vendetta than economic well being of Pakistan.

Questions for submition- I have figured out that the hundreds of questions I am submitting get tampered by ministries to make them easier to answer, they get changed from starred (meaning oral discussion allowed) to unstarred (meaning no oral discussion allowed), and thus its pointless wasting my time giving govt a hit list which they in 5 months have not bothered to solve. Interestingly if they had solved all the questions given by me, their governance would have been amazing rather than dysfunctional.  Its a niyaat issue that best got described when in the press conference announcing Zardari for president it was said that the routine issues of food security etc would be solved now (i.e 5 months later) because before that they were busy getting rid of President Musharraf! So I have decided to give new type of questions to assembly for next session. lets see if this is more productive. I dont give up. If something is not getting desired good results for public I need to change methodology and ask questions in different way.

 

I also tried to give some shape to charge sheet since March 24. Purpose is so that for historic purposes there is a record of issues and mistakes. I have very little doubt if this listing will help achieve improvements by govt.

Thirdly I played golf this weekend and watched a few movies which was required for the soul!

And fourthly I attended great lecture tea on Sunday.

 

August 22

Assembly. raised question on ..

how agriculture production could be increased if DAP subsidy was reduced from 50% to 30% but Minister couldnt answer nor figure the maths out since he claimed he had increased subsidy without realizing that price had increased too thus reducing percentage!!

Our questions in the assembly are being hcnaged and tampered with by the ministries to make it easier for them. I asked Foreign Minister whether he considered compositie dialogue was benefitting Pak or Indian national interest considering his statement on Berlin Wall, his leadership’s statement on terror camp existence and the offer made to SriLanka by Pak on defence Pak. He had no relevant answer except to say CD was on track!!

I tried to raise point of order on Rupee devaluation leading to possible default considering reserves at $6.2billion only from $16b we had left behind. It neither got a response nor the whole audio talk time.

Attended a PML foreign relations Committee meeting on Kashmir and Dr Afia. met Dr Afia’s sister.

Following resolution passed by PML and Kashmir team:

Affirming the commitment of the Pakistan Muslim League Manifesto to the sacred responsibility of serving the right of self determination of the people of Jammu & Kashmir in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions.

Concerned at the loss of life and current state of unrest in Indian Occupied Kashmir due to the crack down by Indian occupying forces.

Express deep sorrow and grief on the martyrdom of Sheikh Abdul Aziz, a prominent leader of All Parties Hurrriat Conference (APHC).

Pays tribute to many thousands of innocent shuhada who have filled the graves of Indian Occupied Kashmir.

Condemns the brute force of Indian security forces against the peaceful resistance and pro liberation movement.

Further Condemns the unabated human rights violations, including custodial killing, barbarity & torture of youth, abuse & abduction of women and girls.

Enjoins    Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to observe his pledge of zero tolerance of human rights abuses in Jammu & Kashmir.

Calls for immediate steps to stop state terrorism, including demilitarization troops and release of Kashmiri detainees.

Urges the Secretary General of UN to send a fact finding mission to Indian Held Kashmir to study the hardship caused by the economic blockade and cause to have an investigation undertaken of the discovered mass graves.

Pledges support to the people of Kashmir in their just struggle by advocating the gross abuse & violation of human rights in the UN, EU, OIC, Non Aligned Movement and other forums.

Expresses solidarity with the people of Kashmir in their suffering in these difficult times of hardship created by Indian brutalities. 

Went back to Assembly to listen to the debate on WOE and Law and Order.

Interview with newspaper

Interview on Waqt TV with Hanif Abbasi giving PPP a hard time! and 2 and a half hour marathon talkshow with Lukman on extremism solutions on News1 !!!

 

August 21

UN Senior Citizen day celebrated in Pakistan today   

Wishing all our learned experienced friends all the best. We learn from your wisdom and experience. Thankyou ….

 

August 21

CWC central working cttee of PML – speeches by all- nutshell- policy based politics going forward.

Assembly- Outside assembly giving interviews to media…

I raised the issue of PM giving directives on his own statements which couldnt be published without his press secretary approval! which was curbing media freedom and the fact that Rice assertion that there is no leadership vacuum in Pak was wrong considering on food, energy. security (3 basic needs) govt had failed to deliver due to lack of cohesion and dysfunctionality in ranks. I also stated we would have our own presidential candidate, that govt should choose candidate with consensus and that we would be interested to see who they picked first before deciding ourselves. Plus I commented on suicide bomb at Wah Cant saying that now they couldnt blame President Musharraf for it since 2 happened after his resignation. Clearly they were at a loss of a policy.

Inside the house…My question was on deforestation and i linked it to Minister’s statement from July that timber mafia was responsible for militancy in FATA and NWFP. Minister had no question to that nor the mangrove forestry question.

law and order debate started. i will speak later on it. Bajaur committee made by PM admits defeat in resolving the issue as a coalition govt whose views are divergent. 3 prong approach was same as ours nothing new. They just cant get the balance right. they must not be let off the hook by just starting a debate in assembly, by giving us incamera briefing on subject and by starting govt oppo cttee as promised since 4 months. They need to reduce extremism and then only will we rest.

Speaker started a good initiative of Speaker relief fund for bajaur displaced people. farzana raja from govt and myself from opposition have been appointed to help collect one month salaries of our respective MNAs for this purpose. But that doesnt let the govt off the hook as to how so many people got displaced and how ineffective their current measures have been that the speaker had to step in and help out. I consider Speaker neutral and thus fund collection is a task I voluntarily accepted. that still doesnt let the govt off the hook.

 

August 20

Was part of a PML delegation of 40 MNAs and Senators who met President Musharraf this morning. He washappy to see all of us and we were happy to see him. he will be living in Pakistan and will relax for a while. He will not be joining PML. He welcomed all of us to drop by whenever we wanted. He thanked us for our support and we thanked him for his achievements and sacrifices for Pakistan.

Parliament at 5pm… raised issue of sectarian violence and how tourism cannot increase with law and order situation out of control. Asked what govt was doing about it but got myopic answer from both ministers in charge.