A new low by Imran Khan (sexist remark about Maryum Nawaz)

What the psychopath Imran Khan said yesterday about Marium Nawaz should enrage all decent women throughout the world (except of course those who regard him as a kind of prophet). He said something that any husband would have killed him for it. Addressing Maryum directly in his speech in Multan, he asked her not to say his name with such fervor and enthusiasm lest her husband becomes infuriated with her. From a 70-year old Pakistani man, this is unforgivable. He's old enough to be her father, but the man can't hold his tongue. Some of his cronies should tell him to remain silent for a few days, it will be a relief for the entire nation. I pray everyday that he gets a severe throat infection.

Meanwhile, the courts have given further evidence of being scared and buckling down to pressure from Imran Khan. Contrary to expectations, the Election Comissioner (undoubtedly under pressure from the establishment), de-seated those dissident Imranians who had voted for the opposition when electing a new chief minister for the Punjab Assembly. Of course, right now, Imran's devotees are ecstatic, but they don't realize that this is a blow for their party as well, since they've lost 25 members in the assembly, so effectively they are the minor party right now. In future as well, no opposition members will be able to support them if they require. 

Living in interesting times!

The Chinese have a saying, "May you live in interesting times". I'm glad I'm alive today, when so many interesting things are happening, in Pakistan and elsewhere. 

In India, the media is busy reporting that there is a civil war going on in Karachi between the people and the armed forces. Even a respectable channel like CNN was duped into reporting this fake news. There was a time when I used to respect Indian journalists for being truthful. Not any more. They are so biased against Pakistan and Muslims that they don't report on the killing of Muslims in Indian-occupied Kashmir and other parts of India.

In Pakistan, things have heated up after the ludicrous attempt by Imran Khan to silence Captain Safdar and Maryam Nawaz. The Inspector General of Sindh was forced (probably at gunpoint) to sign the arrest warrant to get Safdar. If the ex-army captain had taken out his gun to shoot down those who broke open the door of his room, a bloodbath would have ensured. Probably that was what they intended, to kill Safdar so his wife would stay out of politics for four and a half months, thus depriving the combined opposition of its main speaker.

Imran and his cronies certainly were taken unawares by what happened after the shameful incident. Almost the entire police command in Sindh requested to be sent on leave ranging from ten to sixty days. This was a big shock, and the army chief had to be requested to conduct an inquiry and fine the persons responsible for acting as if they are above the law. Of course, since everyone knows who did it, it's doubtful if the results of the inquiry will be made public. Perhaps a few small fish will be sacked and people will soon forget the incident, and Imran will thank his wife for it. Until the next major incident happens, which will be very soon, seeing the panic on the faces of Imran Khan and his minions.

Was it a plot to kill Mariam Nawaz?

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Mr. Jinnah's mausoleum had previously been used for political purposes by the then opposition leader-on-a-container Imran Khan a few years back. He and his unruly followers had created a ruckus, demanding the resignation of the prime minister at the time (Nawaz Sharif). It had been considered normal at the time and no one was charged. But when Mariam Nawaz (daughter of the ousted prime minister) and her husband did the same thing, all hell broke loose. 

The youthia government went all out for the kill. After all their ministers condemned Mariam's husband Safdar of the crime of desecrating the grave of the founder of the nation, someone advised the desperate nincompoop Imran Khan to do something reckless. Luckily no one was killed.

They got a local leader's nephew to file a charge against Safdar for attempted murder and creating mayhem at the grave. The said nephew, by the way, is also free on bail pending the outcome of a trial for terrorism. Then the leadership got the Inspector General of police kidnapped and he was forced to order the police to break down the door of the hotel room where Maryam and her husband were staying. Not many saw what was the real intention behind the break-in. 

The leadership apparently thought Safdar (a retired army captain) would try to resist arrest, a shoot-out would follow and the couple would be killed. If not both of them, if the husband were killed, Maryam would have to self-isolate for four months and the opposition's momentum would be slowed. 

The incident shows the desperation of those who rule the country. It's obvious that Imran is in a panic, and will do anything to save himself from the people's wrath. Let's hope he doesn't do something drastic, like starting a war with a neighboring country.

Panic in the selected government!

It's easy to tell whenever a government in Pakistan knows that it is no longer popular and is about to fall. The biggest sign of course is the imposition of censorship on the media. All TV channels have been ordered not to telecast speeches of the opposition leaders, even those who have so far not been convicted of any offence (like Maulana Fazlur Rehman).

The other significant sign is calling all opposition leaders Indian agents. The entire cabinet of the puppet prime minister Imran Khan has gone into overdrive, painting Nawaz Sharif and his allies as helping India. Strange, Nawaz Sharif and his ministers did not call Imran Khan an Indian agent when he paralyzed the government of the day for 124 days in 2014. That "dharna" led to the cancellation of the visit of the Chinese president to the country. Ironically, it is said that the same Chinese president is reluctant to visit Pakistan after an important advisor of the puppet premier was caught indulging in corruption. 

As I said, almost every minister in the government is yelling out loud about Nawaz's treachery. Shehbaz Gill brings up something new every day. Today he "revealed" that Nawaz met Modi secretly in Nepal, yesterday he said Nawaz's sons have been seen talking to Indians in London recently. Shaikh Rasheed, whose brain has obviously been affected by Covid, can't control himself. Yesterday he threatened Maryam Nawaz openly, saying he would reveal certain secrets that would cause an earthquake. If he really has such secrets, why not expose them now? But then, no one takes him seriously, he talks about everything under the sun except his job (which is to run the railways).

The third thing is arresting prominent leaders of the opposition. Today they have announced they will arrest Maryum Nawaz's husband on charges of treason, but they dare not arrest Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose party leaders threatened to hold demonstrations outside the Peshawer Corps Commander's House when the National Accountability Bureau said it would charge him with financial crimes. NAB of course hurriedly withdrew the notice, probably after some bigwig told it to do so.

So we are in for interesting times in the days to come. I hope the puppet prime minister is told to go to London soon and rest there for the remainder of his life.

GEO again under fire

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For a long time now, I was under the delusion that one day Pakistan would be a truly democratic country. Like the advanced European countries, for instance, where the citizens have rights, and no big don can get anyone killed without paying for it. Of course, not all countries have achieved this ideal, but yet, they at least have the rule of law. Not like those Arab countries, where you're likely to be chopped up into several pieces and fed to the dogs.

I know that corruption is an inherent trait in Pakistanis, but I also know that most Pakistanis wish to live in a democratic society. But since 1958, when the army took over the country, we have gone downhill. 

It may be true that our politicians are hideously corrupt (even that guy known as "Mr. Clean"), and they are all obsessed with clinging to power by all means fair and foul. But surely this same situation exists in India, and democracy works over there. No Indian general has as yet proclaimed that "democracy does not suit our people", and none has dared to stage a coup. But unfortunately in Pakistan, the Constitution is violated every time a dictator wishes to overthrow an elected government. Naturally, no dictator or autocrat like Imran Khan would be comfortable with an independent media. Which is why they pressurize the electronic and print media not to report negative news, like the huge turnout at Maryam Nawaz's rallies.

This is also the reason why, every now and then, the few TV channels which dare to portray the truth are summarily taken off the air. Geo has suffered a great deal in the past due to its independent posture. Recently the channel aired a program by the talented Shahzeb Khanzadah in which he described how our judiciary was forced to convict the former prime minister. Even though most people would agree that he was corrupt to the core, yet he was not given a fair trial, and the suggestion that the military establishment was instrumental in getting him convicted was enough to rankle the de facto rulers of the country.

This is not the first time it's happened, but worse is still to come. Advertising agents will be told not to give payments to Geo and the Jang Group, they will ensure that the channel is not visible in most parts of the country and their newspapers will not be allowed to be distributed. 

I wonder why they pretend to be democratic. Why not be like Egypt's dictator, or Putin, and do whatever they want (as in Saudi Arabia and China)? But then, those Western countries that give us aid will then refuse to do so. If we had plenty of oil, I doubt if we'd have any elections.