Sunday evening Youtube.com started facing intermittent reports of inaccessibility. It initially started off with a simple white page saying “This Site is Accessible” subsequent reports were submitted on Herdict Web shows the inaccessibility lasted for about an hour but then everything recovered back to normal.

It was then later reported that the crackdown by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority was on one particular video which is of Mr. Asif Ali Zardari saying a very forceful Shut Up to an audience member while he is busy delivering his speech at a rally.

Link to the Blocked Video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzuHD5×1fEU [a few other variants have also been blocked]

Speculations are that as this government will continue to edgy on a number of issues as they get pushed into a corner, instinctively they will react in short similar burst. It is a known fact that the President and his core group of leaders might be feeling the heat from the Supreme Court of Pakistan as the NRO was apparently chucked away into oblivion hence leaving them technically ineligible to occupy these high-level offices.

This post has a video enclosed, please click through to watch the video

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Umar Cheema reports in The News of an incident in Islamabad where a retired brigadier, the registrar of the Army-run National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Brig (retd) Obaidullah Ranjh assaulted his respected professor colleague, Prof Tahir Malik, when the latter questioned the role of General Musharraf in brokering a deal with the PPP through the NRO. The assault was so ravish the the brigadier started hitting the professor like a punching bag, leaving the latter virtually unconscious. After the incident, instead of regretting his act, said he wouldn’t care in case an FIR was lodged and defended the use of muscle power, saying: “If somebody disgraces the Army and its institution, what should I have done?” and asked the media to write whatever they wanted, adding: “I’m not answerable to you.” HIS ACTIONS ARE UTTERLY OUTRAGEOUS AND MUST BE CONDEMNED | UPDATE: The News Update on Feb 06 > Presidency orders probe as brigadier blocks FIR

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This news story is just too hilarious too pass up. I have just read this on Cafe Pyala where Ambassador Miangul Akbar Zeb reportedly cannot receive accreditation as Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The reason, apparently, has nothing to do with his credentials, and everything to do with his name — which, in Arabic, translates to “biggest dick” reportedly Pakistan had previously floated Zeb’s name as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, only to have him rejected for the same reason

Akbar Zib is no newcomer to politics, this long-ranging high level diplomat has worked with some of the largest members of world governments, he most recently served as High Commissioner Designate of Pakistan to Canada, and prior to that he was the ambassador of Pakistan to South Africa,. He also served in that capacity in Washington from 1983-87, and New Delhi from 1994-2000. Seriously I have no disrespect for the honorable diplomat, but he sure has his prospects limited to serving Pakistan at a non-Arabic mission


WARNING: NSFW :- Shout out to Cafe Pyala for digging this story out but his last paragraph is just too priceless not to quote verbatim “I wonder what would happen if Mr. Lund became the Swedish ambassador to Islamabad. Or had Laura Bush ever visited Pakistan. May be that’s why Begum Abida Hussain never referred to herself as Mrs. Fakhr Zaman when she was our ambassador to the US. I guess that would also rule out sending anyone named Foqia on any diplomatic assignment in the English-speaking West. Not to mention Rabia Butt.”

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I’m sharing with our readers, the actual court order issued by the District Court in the case US Government vs Aafia Siddiqui – if one might notice, there is no reference regarding the abduction of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui from Pakistan in collaboration of General Pervaiz Musharraf and the US Governmental Agencies, the case immediately jumps to her alleged arrest in August 2008 and the alleged tussle she had with the federal officers who had her in for questioning.

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Dear Awab and other friends,

I can feel Awab’s pain as someone who did follow this case so closely, and I do not mistake his patience now as anything due to lack of sensitivity. Contrary, I admire him for that.

Perhaps it would help to recap the points that were elaborated in the report ‘Don’t Blame the Victim‘ released from this forum in late 2008.

The basic stance was that in this case, a victim had been turned into the accused. That is an old tactic of patriarchy. In this case, there was not one allegations but four, and justice required that they should be addressed in the order in which they had appeared:

1. First allegation was brought against Aafia, long, long, long ago by US authorities that she had links with Al-Qaeda. This was dropped by the US authorities. So let it go (though they can be taken into account for raising false flags)
2. Second allegation was by international human rights group, prior to July 17, 2008, that Aafia was being held in secret prison, was unlawfully abducted and sexually tortured, and that he children had been abducted. This needed to be addressed before moving on. This allegation was AGAINST the US and allied authorities, and the most serious of all because two of those children are still missing, and could be dead.
3. Third allegation was by US authorities that on July 17, 2008, Aafia was found to be in possession of some objectionable and dangerous material. This was, again, not brought up, so it can be dropped. But it was a counter-allegation by the “accused”, which in this case was US authorities (and Afghan and Pakistani authorities too – i do not want to sound as if I am ignoring their alleged role in this matter, but since US authorities ended up having custody of the victim, the focus naturally shifts to them)
4. The fourth allegation was by US authorities that she fired at some US soldiers, etc. while she was being interrogated, after her alleged arrest in the event of #3. This is the only allegation on which Aafia has been tried. See, where it comes in the order?

People’s Resistance was/is not about bowing down to PUPPET JUDICIARIES. How many judges had been sworn in after Justice Chaudhry was kicked out? Was there not a replacement judiciary sitting in the Supreme Court which was “unanimous” against (y)our stand?

Yes, there should be no violence. Rather, I would say that there should not be even the thought of violence. Yet, the least we can do is to understand where we stand, and to focus on the moral victories which we have won recently. We are far from perfect, like everyone else. But like other decent nations, we too have set some golden precedents for the 21st Century, and PR has played such a major role in that. Its a new century, and we seem to have arrived here before many others. Lets keep peace for the sake of living up to our better traditions, and leaving behind our worst.

Do you think PR should do something for peace-keeping? There can be backlash, and unpleasant backlash, and perhaps if we could do something to prevent it, maybe even by way of coming up with some peaceful alternatives?

We are, after all, on the same side. Its a wonderful resource we have here.

Regards,

Khurram Ali Shafique

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This post was submitted by Khurram Ali Shafique.

A US court has found Dr. Aafia Siddiqui guilty of attempting to murder US agents while she was detained for questioning in Afghanistan in 2008. She is allegedly have picked up an army rifle and shot at the US agents, none of the Americans was injured but Aafia Siddiqui also known as Prisoner 650, was shot in the stomach.

She was arrested by Afghan police in July 2008 on suspicion of carrying chemicals and notes referring to “mass-casualty attacks” in New York. A jury in Manhattan found Siddiqui guilty of attempted murder, of armed assault, using and carrying a firearm. She faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

It must be remembered that in 2005 the then President of Pakistan, General Pervaiz Musharraf had bartered a deal with the Americans and may have actually handed over Aafia to the American CIA as she was deemed to have been declared a suspected terrorist, since then she has been missing until an outcry by Yvone Ridley who spotted a certain Prisoner 650 illegally being detained in Afghanistan, it is probably due to this media rukus that the Americans then had to create an elaborate story, which suddenly lead to this “assault on American soldiers and her getting a bullet in the stomach”

Since the alleged assault in Afghanistan, Dr. Aafia has been imprisoned in the US, awaiting a trial, only today has the trial ended, the jury convicting her on seven counts of attempted murder which may lead her to life imprisonment.  There has been no mention of her being misplaced for the three specific years before the alleged attack – for which I hold the Government of Pakistan and General Pervaiz Musharraf wholly responsible first before putting the Americans under the cross-hairs

I and many Pakistanis may not actually like the overall decision, but we must draw the line, I am very sure that the defense [Aafia's lawyers] must have presented the best possible case going through all the relevant facts with a fine toothed comb. After two days of deliberation if the jury has come out with a guilty verdict, we must simply accept the decision, pending a possible appeal, Dr. Aafia is guilty. Being a staunch believer in supremacy of judiciary we must accept this verdict, without possibly burning down the American Embassy in sheer rage and protest merely because the decision went against Dr. Aafia.

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I moved to USA about 17 years back and hence was relatively out of touch with the developments in Pakistan. Therefore it was not only abysmal but rather surprising to see Zaid Zaman now Zaid Hamid (I am not sure what is he up to or why did he change his name) portrayed as a scholar, a defense analyst, a nationalist and may be someone who can lead our nation in the future. I think the last time I met Zaid was when he attended my wedding ceremony along with few other of his very close friends. All of his associates who attended the ceremony were the followers of a “Peer” named Yusuf. There I came to know that Zaid was not only the devotee but in essence one of the top followers of this “Peer” Mr. Yusuf, an ex army officer with quite a bit of following among youngsters. Later I came to know that this Peer was arrested as he claimed himself to be a prophet.

I met Zaid Zaman first when we went for a debate competition arranged by Pakistan Airforce in Risalpur representing Adamjee Science College. I do not want to comment much about my first impression but it was of course not very pleasant and positive. Then onwards being a debater, I visited Zaid’s academic institution the NED University frequently for different Students Union Programs. At that point Afghan jihad had a great impact on the lives of Pakistani nation. I remember all this not because it was too obvious, but in essence was too weird to too creepy to see Zaid portraying himself as a fighter in a battle field or may be dramatizing his actions as much as if he was acting in a movie scene. Hence I always felt that Zaid had some kind of mental instability. And now being a physician in USA for 17 years, we call some one demonstrating these symptoms as a Bipolar with Manic Disorder type, where one thinks himself as a redeemer, a savior and some one who possess grandiose personality.

What made me write this letter is not that I have any thing against Zaid Zaman, but since he could be another leader in the making in Pakistan, hence I felt it to be my responsibility and obligation to let people know about him. This is the least I could do to my beloved homeland. Pakistani nation has already been deceived and betrayed repeatedly by their leaders in the past. It breaks my heart to see they end up making another disastrous mistake. And once again become victim of prevarication and fiddling. Mr. Zaid Zaman is a devotee of a liar, follower of a claimer of false prophecy and an unstable person. My dear friends this is the age of technology and multimedia resources, like a true believer do not get bitten by the same hole twice. Take your time and use all the possible resources before you start delegating some one as your leader!! Now of course it is up to every individual to decide what do they want to do!!

Mohsin Ansari MD FAAP,
Medical Director,
Clinical faculty
University of Maryland School of Medicine

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This post was submitted by Dr. Mohsin Ansari.

This weeks The Economist carries a very interesting article discussing a small innovative idea by an Indian to denounce the rampant corruption spread across India. The idea was dreamt up by an expatriate Indian physics professor from the University of Maryland who, traveling back home, found himself harassed by endless extortion demands. He gave the notes to the importuning officials as a polite way of saying no. The notes tend to work because corrupt officials so rarely encounter resistance that they get scared when they do. And ordinary people are more willing to protest, since the notes have an organization behind them and they do not feel on their own.

Simple ideas like this don’t always work but its at least start of resistance against corruption…. The immediate question that comes to my mind – will such a system work in Pakistan, being ranked as 134th country Corruption Perception Index, the 5th Pillar organization has already designed a Pakistani Rs 10 as a Zero Currency, but I believe it still needs to be fine tuned [by a graphic designer?] into maybe in a more commonly used Rs 50 denomination plastered with elaborate markings signifying the importance of this zero denomination and maybe an elaborate explanation, like the ones printed on the back of the Indian rupee, denouncing corruption. Whatever be the plan, I believe we would need to bank roll a couple of billions to even begin to scratch the surface of state sponsored [read Presidency sponsored] corruption

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