Shaking Pakistan with Lipstick

I must say that Newsweek Pakistan has outdone itself with its list of the 100 Women Who Shake Pakistan. Never has such an extraordinary list been created. I bow down.

Some of the women listed here have “shaken” Pakistan on such a large scale that it’s a wonder that they haven’t had a street named after them yet. The most commendable of the lot, also very well known to all Pakistanis as our very own Estee Lauder, is Mehrbano Sethi, who introduced cosmetics in a country where makeup was largely unavailable. Her contribution to Pakistani womanhood is unparalleled in the history of the country. Let’s bow down.

Sethi has, incredibly, shaken Pakistan with lipstick unlike the no make-up Hina Jillani who was left out of this list for surely a life-long, country-wide, feminist struggle is nowhere near the empowerment women get from layers of foundation. Nothing feels better than sticky lipgloss which gets stuck in your hair. Undoubtedly, nothing is more empowering than nailpolish. Pretty hands stand above and beyond women’s shelters & justice. Only a “jealous” non-elite fool would deny that.

And the women agree. Women from all over the country travel to our major cities where it is available, often in droves, cleaning up shops as they go along. News of Luscious has spread so far & wide in the land that poems based on the products are being memorised in order to advertise to the illiterate. Women in Thar dance to the tunes. Activists have volunteered hours of their lives to translate them into all our national languages. They are jingles so powerful that Abida Parveen herself wouldn’t be able to do them justice. Near eid, our shopkeepers can hardly keep up with the large demand. Medora, Swiss Miss & all the other local beauty brands are seriously considering shutting down. “Even though we’re cheaper, poor people are more than willing to spend money on a product that puts Estee Lauder to shame,” said an employee with tears in her eyes.

“It’s true,” said a woman in a store in Peshawar who had come all the way from Waziristan looking for things she could use to empower the oppressed women of her area with. “We are willing to spend more. Look it’s simple. Medora nailpolish chips in 2 days whereas Luscious lasts me 2.5 days.” In front of my very eyes, she bought everything in the store. “This is the best present I could give to the women living under the Taliban. I don’t care about these rights groups or shelters etc. Women aren’t interested in this funny concept of freedom or equality you silly city fool! They want to look pretty. Don’t you know that’s the only way to feel good?” I hung my head in shame & instantly decided to get a manicure. It didn’t make me feel better, so I’m wondering if I should get my sex changed to male officially…

But in all seriousness, although what Sethi & the other women who I don’t think should be on this list have achieved is commendable, and should indeed be lauded, they are not a patch on the worthier ones who were left out. I admire them for their resolve, but they are not known to most Pakistanis. The only ones who do know them well are those who are catering to their own elite crowd through a publication. It’s something we’ve all witnessed before: sycophantic elite self-love, giving each other way more importance than necessary & making an erroneous assumption that they can speak for Pakistan without knowing the ground realities. How many people even know who Selina Rashid is for example? I do but only because she happens to be related to me & knows the same tiny circle. Much as I admire her & laud her for creating a company that is definitely praiseworthy, I do not think she has “shaken” Pakistan. Her market is a tiny elite circle or those who can afford her services. What she has done is commendable & I sincerely hope more women follow in her footsteps instead of sitting home or baking cupcakes. What I object to is the fact that too many worthier women, who actually represent Pakistan, were left out.

Honestly, I often wonder what planet our elite live on in general, but that’s another story.

And let me state here, again, like I have so many times in the past, that the elite self-love circle will probably be out for my blood for even daring to say this. And I will indeed report all their hilarious comments back. I will be accused of being “jealous” & “insecure” (which is basically the following wail: “WHY DON’T YOU LIKE ME DAMN IT?! WHY DON’T YOU LOVE ME BLINDLY LIKE YOU SHOULD?!”) because, after all, who on earth would voluntarily make the decision to be a low-life teacher?  This is the only way they know how to deal with valid & logical criticism which makes me sad, especially as a teacher, to see so many parhay likhay jahils. What makes this whole song & dance the Lahori elite and I have going is the fact that the more they hate me, the more confident I become as a writer for, after all, being detested by those who lack brains is sometimes a bigger compliment than critical acclaim. I won’t deny that I find it all terrible amusing and when they do the whole drama, I thoroughly enjoy watching them drive themselves up the wall for no good reason whatsoever. It’s comical, really.

Let the witch hunt begin. I’m quite used to it and I have elephant skin. But first let me bow down to this shameless display of irresponsible “journalism”.

WAF Press Release on Salmaan Taseer Assassination

Press Release

Women’s Action Forum

Women’s Action Forum condemns in the strongest terms the brutal murder of the Governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, whose principled stand for justice was deliberately and maliciously distorted by extremist elements in the country in the pursuit of their own political ends. Incitement to violence in the name of religion has become widely prevalent in the country and the state has failed in its duty to curb this mischief. The murder of Salman Taseer is part of a strategy adopted since the time of Ziu-ul-Haq to misuse religion in order to undermine democratic dialogue and to establish religious autocracy. This is unacceptable in a Muslim majority country no particular group should be allowed monopoly over religious views.

This must stop now!  There must be a strong and effective law in this country to hold accountable elements that are deliberately provoking and inciting violence in the name of religion. This is critical for safeguarding the right to life and security of the people of Pakistan is safe guarded.

It is high time for political forces to play their expected role and not avoid responsibility to steer the nation on a saner path rather than succumbing to pressure from mischievous elements. No nation can survive in an environment where debate, discussion and dialogue are not possible because of fear, and where intimidation is used as a political tactic for the furtherance of interests harmful to the country.

The real issues before us are those of economic stability, peace, security and well being of the people. These issues are being overshadowed by campaigns of hatred that are pitting citizens against each other.

The media has a great responsibility to adopt policies encouraging freedom of expression and public debate. At the same time, they must restrain elements within themselves who are misinforming and misleading the public on events and issues.

We appeal to the Pakistani nation not to be influenced by destructive forces that use religion or politics to further lower the potential for peace and prosperity in our country.

 

WAF Working Committee

 

I am Aasia

I am Aasia and my story has revealed the death of common sense and compassion in my land. I am Aasia who cries at the demise of a once tolerant land.

 

I, Aasia, live in a land that puts itself on a pedestal, demanding immunity to any criticism of its warped interpretations of religion. I live in a land where everyone colludes to silence those who don’t agree with them. I live in a land where if you don’t agree with inhumane state sanctioned discriminatory practises, then your head is cut off by those who claim they are doing it in the name of a religion of peace.

 

I am Aasia. I believe the blasphemy law is nothing but a force to silence any voice of reason. The blasphemy law is a force of control. I do not believe you have the right to declare me a lesser person based on my religion. I do not believe you have the right to demonise me or call me unclean while claiming to practise a religion that doesn’t discriminate. I am Aasia, your ehle Kitaab, a woman any Muslim man can even legally marry. I am Aasia and I question your audacity to treat me as an outcaste.

 

I am Aasia for I am used as a pawn: a target used to demonise when you don’t want to listen to your own bigotry, your own hypocrisy. I am Aasia and I reject your intolerance, your hypocrisy and your infliction of your persecution complex upon me.

 

Forgive me while, I, Aasia, ask you why YOU think you have the right to say what you will about me, but not even tolerate a word from my perspective? I ask what gives YOU the right to judge me while insisting that I dare not judge you. Forgive me while I point out to you just how nauseating your double standards are. Forgive me while I ask you to hold up a mirror and take a long, hard look at yourself.

 

I am Aasia, yet another fashionable cause. Those of you who can make a difference have done nothing but give me lip service and I’m afraid it’s not good enough. As long as this law exists, Aasias will proliferate the land.

 

I say this because I am Aasia, the most disenfranchised of you all. If you can read this, you are probably sitting very comfortably in front of your computer screens, safe from mobs, guarded from the reality of poverty. Most of you are too busy leading your rich lives, deaf to my pleas, deaf to my cries, comfortable in your homes with your cupcakes everywhere. And I know some of you might appropriate my pain, my misery and exploit it for your own elitist benefit. I fear you will reduce my suffering into a cause that you can fight with fashion, the way you say you fight terrorism with tank tops.

 

I am Aasia. Silence me if you can. I am Aasia for I, too, shall not be scared to challenge discrimination against me.

 

Emails to the UK Visa Office

I applied for my British visa in the beginning of May and have, like many others, yet to receive it. What’s most frustrating and worse is the lack of cooperation from the British US visa office. First of all, it defies the senses that the visas are sent to Abu Dhabi to be processed. It feels racist really. Although Gerry’s, the courier office, happily responds to phone calls etc, they are thoroughly useless and politely say “we don’t know” to anything and everything anyone asks. Eventually, hoping to find out something, anything, I emailed Abu Dhabi only to get a reply saying they’ll get back to me “soon” but never replied. Irritated and desperate, I sent many sarcastic emails, which I cannot reproduce here just in case they decide to sue me or something. As a Pakistani citizen, I have no legal recourse as we are all well aware. I shall just reveal the delicious tit bits that got their attention.

I received my first positive response from Abu Dhabi (since “soon” had come and gone) after sending them the following email: I would REALLY APPRECIATE and love a reply to my query. I’m willing to even donate you an ovary and piece of my soul for this precious information.

They asked me for additional information which I sent them instantly. And then again, I waited in vain. Finally, I sent this: Really would be most grateful and appreciate a reply. Would mean a lot. PLEASE.

Followed by this a few days later: Do you require anything else? If no, A REPLY WOULD BE REALLY NICE AND APPRECIATED. It’s been 2 months. Thank you very much for inconveniencing my life sooooo much. I’m very grateful. Your instant replies must be lauded. And I sincerely thank you from the BOTTOM OF MY HEART for making us Pakistanis look polite and super efficient.

I’ve asked before: do you need an ovary for this precious information? If so, I’ll make arrangements to send it if it will get me a response. I have plenty to spare since I’m not even 30 yet.

Much regards and appreciation for the constant anxiety and migraine.

They replied the next day, on July 15^th, confirming that my documents have been processed and will be sent “soon.” Of course, this rather cryptic message wasn’t good enough for me, now fully frustrated at the fact that terrorists are issued visas and us, the secular people who are constantly getting threats for standing up against religious extremism are being denied. Are they trying to push me into the arms of those who happily create ludicrous conspiracy theories? Because, at the moment, they seem comforting.

Then I sent this: Does that mean that I’ve been granted and blessed with a visa or have I been rejected? Would love a reply again since the rejection rate from Abu Dhabi for Pakistani citizens is an astounding 47%. Secondly, could you please define “soon” and please let me know if they have been sent. Because sometimes it can take a very long time. The acceptable definition would be 3 or four days, but please let me know soon so I can book my ticket.

Abu Dhabi replied saying they couldn’t tell me anything due to the Data Protection Act. My reply: So you guys can’t even define what soon is? Because, according to many experts in the language who I have consulted regarding this matter, they say that your use of the word isn’t right. Soon would have meant I should have received it today really. It’s not like Abu Dhabi and Lahore are that far really. I’m not asking you to send me my documents to Mars. So I feel rather deceived. This isn’t soon. I feel lied to. Not nice… Do you perhaps put our documents on a ship, send it to Antarctica and then send them to Pakistan? That’s what it seems like. Again, thank you very much for this distress and the constant headache. I may be Pakistani, but I’m a human being.

And since this was a few days ago, I just sent them the following email:

Dear nameless, faceless visa officers,

Again, my kindest regards for making us Pakistani look efficient. It continues to defy my senses what your definition of “soon” is. I shall have to start teaching my students that they must learn a different definition of soon from now on if they ever apply for a British visa. But they’ll probably give me the standard reply: “but ma’am visas are issued by people playing eeni-meeni-minie-mo with our passports!” I’m afraid, at this point, this joke doesn’t seem like a joke, but a bitter reality.

According to many conspiracy theorists, you do indeed ship our documents to Antarctica before sending them back to Pakistan. They believe that since we are constantly denied visas and our passports are often hijacked for month on end, a few sympathetic White people decided that our passports should at least be allowed to travel. Now, since it is going to make a stop over in a land full of penguins, I was wondering if you could please send me a pair along with my passport. However, since penguins also have homosexual members, could you please ensure that one is male and the other is female? I only say this because it would be nice to have a family of penguins as a souvenir for my passport’s holiday since I doubt I’ll get my passport in time to go on mine. I have absolutely nothing against homosexuals; in fact my biggest desire is to produce a gay son one day.

Again, thanks for the wonderful treatment and the delay has just been the most wonderful thing ever. I missed my 10 year high school reunion. I cry every day when I see the pictures. I’m desperate to go see my friends, but why am I telling you this? You obviously don’t care…

The Ostrich Syndrome: A Teacher’s Perspective

As someone constantly exposed to the so-called “youth” of this country, I do believe I have some insight and some valid criticism of the recent ban on facebook, which, ostensibly, has to do with blasphemous content.

Firstly, what is the “youth” of this country? And why are they lumped into a monolithic entity? Why is it assumed that they are all one and the same when their realities are different in many ways. To assume that our “youth” is living air-conditioned lives, constantly logged on to the internet, chatting away etc. is purely delusional. The truth is, the vast majority of the “youth” are very poor and cannot access websites. The “youth” is actually the majority of our population. And we are constantly trying to box them into holes on what they should be, what they should do, how they should think, how they should behave, killing off any diversity that exists… this has lead to an increase in intolerance which I have noticed in my less than three decades of existence, despite the fact that sensitivity towards women’s issues has increased as compared to my generation (I’m only talking about educated people here though. I do acknowledge that the ground realities for women have become even more horrific). Sounds contradictory? It’s not. Read on. It’s all connected to religion and wanting to desperately prove that their religion is not barbaric towards women, a criticism that has very valid roots since, let’s face it, the status of women in the Muslim world is far from decent. So even though I see an increase in gender sensitivity, I also see an increase in linear thinking, mostly intolerant, reeking of a severe persecution complex (“the world is out to get us and destabilise Islam!”), which is very, very dangerous.

The “youth” have grown up in a post 9/11 world so they have little or no living memory of a time when the world wasn’t obsessed with us. I remember people scratching their heads, perplexed about where this Pakistani I speak of was. India was all they knew. And now… well… we’re everywhere, one of the most recognisable countries in the world, a hub of terrorism, a country on the forefront of the oxymoronic “war on terror”, perhaps on the verge of self-destruction, “the most dangerous country in the world”. Our grief has become the world’s entertainment. The world watches as we are bombed, killed, destroyed, humiliated and demonised. And sadly, it truly feels like no one cares. We all know, for sure, that our lives are worth less than any other lives, truly worthless. These kids have always known that. What’s worse is that as more and more innocent people die in their own country, these beliefs get strengthened. As the privileged ones travel the world, and are tortured at airports thanks to the colour of their skins and passports, they face humiliation which angers them for good reason. Why wouldn’t being called a “rag-head who will pray to his sand nigger god to destroy us” enrage someone? They have grown up in a country full of unrest and at war with itself. They have grown up in a world that constantly reminds them they are the “other” in every sense. They have grown up in a world where “Muslim” has become a synonym for “terrorist.” Imagine what it does to their psyche. Imagine growing up like that. It saddens me immensely because, as a teacher who is close to her students, I see the toll it takes on them. I see their anger and I sympathise with it. I don’t agree that this is a war on Islam per se since that is just too simplistic an explanation, but I do understand why they would feel this way.

As a teacher of critical thinking, I have a frustrating job. I love it because it is very rewarding, but teaching critical thinking to kids who have been taught NOT to think is quite challenging. They come to me with blinkers on. And, obviously, there is much resistance to thinking about multiple perspectives at first. The majority don’t want their worldview shaken. Most don’t want to hear that there is another valid perspective at first. It’s hard to digest and I know that because I remember the IB TOK classes which I model some of my classes on. It wasn’t easy. But then again, critical thinking is never easy, nor should it be. It should be constant tool used for one’s personal growth, and it is absolutely necessary in order to evolve and become tolerant. This is why I feel the recent ban on facebook is dangerous and promotes a culture of intolerance.

As a teacher who often jokes that her class should be called “How to Grow a Brain” I strongly believe that banning facebook sends out a counter-productive and frightening message. And no, this is not a slippery slope. This country suffers “The Ostrich Syndrome” and this ban is proof. We like to stick our heads in the sand, like kids sticking their fingers in their ears screaming “I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you!” I’d like to ask all those constantly wanting to censor this that or the other what kind of message they think they are sending out. Because this is how I see it: if you don’t like it, ban it. If you don’t agree, pretend it doesn’t exist. Everyone else is wrong anyway, since they’re all out to get us. There is no need for productive dialogue, there is no need to have a healthy discourse; heck there’s no need to turn the other cheek and ignore it. This is the message: stick your head in the sand until it’s over. Oh, but it’ll never be over since the world is out to get us.

And I ask you: why do I HAVE to be offended? Is our faith so weak that a cartoon will destroy it? And even if I am offended, why am I not being given the option to boycott facebook voluntarily? A voluntary ban would have been much, much more effective in order to send a message out. A blanket ban has only lead to exactly what we like to cry about so much: negative publicity in the world press and many outraged Pakistanis protesting the ban such as me. How conveniently we pick and choose from religion! Lest we forget, I would like to remind the Muslims reading this of the incident of the woman who used to throw garbage at our prophet. The prophet, in whose name we claim we are protesting, was a peaceful, cooperative man who forgave people who pelted him with garbage and rocks. Responding with an intelligent dialogue, responding with patience is, in my opinion, the best way to protest one’s concern. Think about it: why is this competition going on? Why are we responding in exactly the manner the world expects us to? Why are so hell bent on proving that we are not tolerant? Responding with anger, with outrage, will only strengthen Islamophobic beliefs, which will, by the way, make these Islamophobes happy since we are playing right into their hands and giving them the reaction they expect and probably want.

As for me, I am going to go change my “Restore Judiciary” shirt to “Restrain the Judiciary” adding the neglected article who absence has so peeved me since I first bought it during the lawyer’s movement. The fact that the courts are acting like tyrannical parents is something I strongly object to. The fact that they are entertaining demands by catering to the religious parties is abhorrent, especially since these religious parties are incapable of winning in democratic elections. I protest this ban on facebook and my objection to the competition doesn’t count since it’s not voluntary. Without the freedom to offend, free speech ceases to exist. And as someone who grew up in Zia’s oppressive regime, I know how dangerous it is to censor and ban things based on religious sentiments. Intolerant religious interpretations should not be immune to religion, nor should we allow religion to be used to promote intolerance. For those who have witnessed it, we do not wish to see it again.

I may not agree with the venom being spewed through the media, but I’d rather get multiple perspectives than just one, leaving me no choice but to think only the way I am apparently supposed to. And the fact that we let our media go ahead and spew this venom in the first place reeks of hypocrisy. While we think it’s perfectly all right to demonise the world, promoting intolerance and hatred for the West, creating Hindu-Zionism conspiracy theories, we strongly object when the world responds in kind. Again, I ask, why is it ok for us and not anyone else? Are we all meek little innocents? And again, what kind of message is this sending the “youth” we are oh so very concerned about? I’ll tell you what it leads to because I battle with it constantly. It leads to essays that are rants on how evil the world is, full of hate speech, and with absolutely no sensitivity to the other perspective. It has, like I said, lead to a persecution complex so strong that it’s very hard to break. It has lead to people like Faisal Shahzad. Now you tell me. Do we want more of him? Or more of those who are willing to debate peacefully instead of resorting to violence?Because at the rate we’re going, no one will need to bomb us into the stone ages. We’re going there ourselves.

forget the bones

forget the bones
forget the land
withdraw the cash
take the cat
take a toke
of this fine hash
then run

give me the jewellery
and I will strap it
all over my body
carry it off to another land
and run

life will go on
amidst the bombs, amidst the guns
life will go on
don’t run

but we are brown, we are green
in a world with no in-between
crescent mooned
lampooned
soon to be
harpooned

forget the bones forget the land bury the jewels take the cash take the cat
run!

there’s no return
no u-turn
don’t look back
but run

educate
we have our brains
they can never take them away
don’t give up
believe in luck

but…
they can blow them up
each one
had at least two guns
nay, they WILL blow them up
you are an infidel
kafir
RUN

and there will be no return
no looking back
(stroke the cat)
no more heat, no more kites
but lots and lots and lots and lots of flights
FOR GOD’S SAKE WILL YOU PLEASE FUCKING RUN!

forget the bones forget the land
strap the cash smoke some hash
(stroke the cat)
we are pawns
we are just bait
so liquidate
dilate
deflate
concentrate
defecate
full of hate
is this our fate?
even fear won’t set us straight

so just forget the bones forget the land
take the cash
(don’t leave the cat!)
take a toke
of this fine hash

r
u
n

Terror Tactics

By Nida Maqsud

The people of Pakistan aren’t vociferously outspoken enough against the terrorist attacks that have taken place, both within and outside Pakistan’s borders – or so it has been claimed by many a commentator. I have read article upon article with such a premise, and, as a citizen of the world, I have agreed. But as a Pakistani at heart, I’ve struggled with this theory for many months, only to keep knocking against a wall of inconsolable despair. Why have I not spoken out until now? Because I am a hard-working, intelligent resident of Pakistani society, a loyal citizen of the United States, and it kills me to have to suffer the incompetencies of corrupt elected governments; the conniving schemes of powerful countries trying to take advantage of “failed states”, and vice versa; the demoralizing illiteracy of a large and ever-increasing group of people who believe that their anguish can only be expressed through violence; and the heartbreaking optimism of a people who continue to work hard and believe in the nation that their ancestors fought for so tirelessly. Add to that the defeatist tendencies of my own friends and family, and there you have yourself a sample slice of a world, terrorized and speechless.

So why aren’t we, as Pakistanis, speaking loud enough for the rest of the world to hear: We condemn terrorism. Could it be a result of our confusion? I mean, what exactly do we say? Whose side are we on? Most certainly not the Indians who have always been our enemies, in all but music, film, theater, literature, student exchange, intellectual discourse… And of course not the American government, who seeks to displace all other ways of life with their own, in their on-going conquest of the world. Not even Pakistan’s own rulers, hypocrites of the first degree, murderers and high school drop-outs, thieves, embezzlers, and power-hungry dictators, painting a palatable picture of ‘democracy’ for CNN and BBC to broadcast around the world. Do we stand up for capitalism, socialism, or communism? For secularism or theocracy? For democracy that is true or staged? Do we categorize ourselves as Pakistanis, Muslims, victims or perpetrators? Should we create a facebook group with our own website, catchy title, and slogan? Or print T-shirts and wear them on our Long March into hell?

Let there be no question that Pakistanis are suffering. Some in silence, attempting to pick up the pieces and go on with their lives as lawyers, doctors, musicians, chefs, drivers, teachers, businessmen, or civil servants; some through activism, by building schools, arranging protests, vying for the underdogs; and still others erupting in fury, burning tyres, smashing windows, blowing up their local KFC, not knowing who to blame and how to vent.

Let there be no question that Pakistanis condemn terrorism. The terror you feel when the world of, first the performing arts, then international sports, is attacked within a couple miles of your home, in the span of only three months. The terror you feel when so many vested interests are vying for power to decide the fate of your country, and hence, the world. The terror you feel when you think ten times before deciding whether it’s safe to bring a new child into this world. Of the powerless under the powerful. And let there be no question, by powerful, I mean, greedy – be it for money, revenge, or just a chance to be king of the world – anything but peace which is just so profitless, bad for ratings, and, come one, let’s face it…boring.

So what can we do to help? Protest, make phone calls to our elected officials, write letters to the newspaper? – that seems to work in the US. Trust the local authorities to solve our problems? – that doesn’t seem to be working in Swat. Fight fire with matchsticks, as they’ve been doing in Gaza? Become conspiracy theorists, and spread the word about the evil of the Rothschilds? Pray? I ask you, oh terrorized people, oh terrorizers, of the world, what can we do? What, in the name of Allah, Jesus, Ram, Buddha, secularism, fuck’s sake, whatever you hold dear, can we do? How can we pull the plug on this globally televised event we call “Terror”? And end the real suffering.

Campaign to save the judiciary

A high level meeting of Pervez Musharraf, PML-Q led by former Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat and Musharraf’s legal team, led by Sharifuddin Pirzada took place at the President’s house today. A source privy to the meeting informed us about the possible plans to derail the restoration of the judges that were discussed in today’s meeting. Suggestions included having a stay order against the working of the parliament, offering money and black-mailing members of PML-N and PPP (reminder: Faisal Saleh Hayat was a PPP member but joined PML-Q after having his multiple murder and corruption charges dropped). The judges have been promised to be restored by Nawaz Sharif by the 12th and we must actively oppose all possible moves to derail the process.

This is where we need your help. A few emails, sms-es and calls on your part can greatly help Pakistan and further the cause for the restoration of the only independent judiciary of Pakistan.

2) Contact the people in the meeting, urging them not to conspire against the judiciary:

Sharif uddin Pirzada (responsible for all the coups in Pakistan):
051-4440483

Attorney General Malik Qayyum (complicit in Nov 3′s act of treason):
0300-8456118

Faisal Saleh Hayat (charges dropped against him even before NRO)
051-9224578      0300-8444798

Ahmad Raza Qasuri (of black spray-painted face fame)
0300 9558217                    051 2654762

2) Get the message through to Musharraf to STOP interfering with our judiciary and parliament:

Ideal person to contact:

Bilal Musharraf:
(note Bilal has only been selected because he has been actively supporting his father’s actions of Nov 3rd and has been trying to misrepresent the act of treason committed by Pervez Musharraf at many gatherings in San Francisco Bay Area, especially at Stanford University).

Email: bilal@eplanetventures.com
Cellphone: +1-650-861-0229

Through his friends:

Mushaid Hussain Syed          0300-5006056
Ch. Shujjat Hussain              0300-5157029
Muhammad Ali Durrani          0300-8453883
Sheikh Rasheed                   0300-8554242
Wasi Zafar                           0301-3001720


ISPR:

Director General ISPR

Major General Athar Abbas

Tel Office : 0092-51-9271600 Tel Office : 0092-51-56130041 Fax Office: 0092-51-9271682 Tel Home : 0092-51-9273379 Tel Home : 0092-51-56132209 Cell : 0302-8555741 Email: abbasathar@hotmail.com dg@ispr.gov.pk

Directly:
Pakistan Secretariat
Fax: 92 51 9224 768 / 9221422
Phone (+92)(051) 9202750, 9202752-3
Email: president@pak.gov.pk

Aiwan-e-Sadar,
Islamabad, PAKISTAN
FAX: +92 051 920-1893/1835 or 4632

Chief of Army Staff House,
Golf Road, Rawalpindi

051-5556822
CE@pak.gov.pk,

You can also get the message to him through his secretary:

PR Secretary
Colonel Hassan    PRO President    0300-8555569

To send a COMPLETELY anonymous email, use the following program:
http://anonymouse.org/anonemail.html

3) Spread the message:
As always spread this like wild fire.

Feel free to publish this on ANY BLOG as long as you give the mailing list link (so more people can subscribe)

In solidarity
–
Ryzwan

Restore the Judiciary NOW

Join the Mailing List:
http://lists.hcs.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/emergency

Emergency Times:
http://pakistanmartiallaw.blogspot.com/
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Application for registration of FIR against Musharraf and others

   AFRIDI, SHAH & MINALLAH
Advocates & Legal Consultants
24th, 1st Floor, Beverly Center ,Blue Area, Islamabad.
Tele Nos:  2278253-4  Fax: 2278257

March 3, 2008

The SHO,
Police Station,
Secretariat,
Islamabad.

REGISTRATION OF CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST GEN ® PERVAIZ MUSHARRAF, MINISTER OF INTERIOR, SECRETARY INTERIOR, CHIEF COMMISSIONER ISLAMABAD, IGP ISLAMABAD, SSP ISLAMABAD, DC ISLAMABAD AND OTHERS FOR KEEPING THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF PAKISTAN JUSTICE IFTIKHAR MOHAMMAD CHAUDHRY, OTHER HON’BLE JUDGES AND THIER FAMILIES UNDER/IN WRONGFUL RESTRAINT, WRONGFUL CONIFINEMENT, COMMITTING CRIMINAL TRESSPASS, CRIMINAL INTIMIDATION,  ETC PUNISHABLE UNDER THE PAKISTAN PENAL CODE 1860 READ WITH OTHER ENABLING PROVISIONS.

We have been authorized and instructed by the respective Presidents of the High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi Bar Association and Islamabad Bar Association to submit this application for registration of a criminal case under the relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code and other enabling provisions. It is, therefore, stated as follows;

1.    That on March 9, 2007 the then Chief of Army Staff, General Pervaiz Musharraf attacked the independence of the judiciary by illegally using the State machinery to criminally intimidate, coerce, threaten and assault the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry so as to illegally force him to resign from his office.

2.    That on refusal to succumb to the illegal pressure and subjugate the independence of the judiciary, the Chief Justice of Pakistan was taken into custody and kept in illegal confinement and house arrest with the other members of the family for more than two weeks. The officials of the intelligence agencies and the administration at the behest and on orders of General ® Pervaiz Musharraf trespassed the official residence of the Chief Justice and kept him and the members of his family confined to two rooms within the residence.

3.    That General ® Pervaiz Musharraf publicly confessed and regretted the illegal and wrongful restraint and confinement.

4.    That on July 20, 2007 a thirteen member bench of the Supreme Court honourably restored Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry as the Chief Justice of Pakistan and held that the allegations in the Reference were malafide, illegal and unconstitutional. It is important to note that the  evidence relating to the purported allegations in the reference had been withdrawn and the lawyers representing General ® Pervaiz Musharraf and the Federation tendered apologies before the Supreme Court and the Bench of the Supreme Court imposed a fine of Rs. 100,000/- against the Federal Government.

5.    That in a shameless act of revenge solely for his personal ego, General ® Pervaiz Musharraf committed high treason on November 3, 2007 when taking advantage of his position as the Chief of Army Staff, he issued an illegal and unconstitutional Proclamation of Emergency and a Provisional Constitutional Order. He, thereby not only committed high treason under Article 6 of the Constitution but also conspired to bring the Pakistan Army into disrepute merely for his personal gain and ego. He attacked the independence of judiciary yet again and the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan as well.

6.    That on November 3, 2007 a seven member bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan suspended the Proclamation and the PCO. The authorities were restrained not to act in pursuance of the Proclamation or the PCO and held any act performed thereunder as illegal and unconstitutional.

7.    That General ® Pervaiz Musharraf taking advantage of being the Chief of Army Staff and in flagrant violation of his oath as a member of the armed forces criminally abused his authority by taking control of the Supreme Court in the evening of November 3, 2007 through the law enforcement agencies. The Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other Hon’ble Judges, except five who agreed to collaborate in this heinous crime, were taken into custody. The acts and omissions are also contempt of the Supreme Court. This also is contempt of the Supreme Courts order dated November 3, 2007.

8.    That the officials of law enforcement agencies and the administration of Islamabad Federal Capital Territory at the behest of and on instructions from General ® Pervaiz Musharraf criminally trespassed the official residence of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and other Hon’ble Judges of the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice and the judges, along with their families, were wrongfully confined and restricted in their respective official residences so much so that the outer doors were padlocked and chained. Barbed wires were put all around the residences and the roads leading to the judicial colony were also barricaded and barbed wires were placed.

9.    That the eighteen year old daughter of the Chief Justice of Pakistan i.e Ifra Iftikhar was not allowed to leave the residence for taking his “A” Level examinations.

10.    That eight year old physically challenged son of the CJP, Ballaj Iftikhar, who has been termed as the ‘Youngest Political Prisoner” by local as well as international media has not even been allowed to come out to the garden of the residence let alone allowing him to attend the school.

11.    That sixteen year old Palwasha Iftikhar a student of ‘A’ Level has also not been allowed to leave the residence and attend her school.

12.    That Justice Sardar Raza Khan, Justice Shakirullah Jan and Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk also remain under wrongful restraint and confinement.

13.    That General ® Pervaiz Musharraf and on his instructions and his behest the Minster of Interior, Secretary of Interior, Chief Commissioner Islamabad, IGP Islamabad, SSP Islamabad, DC Islamabad and other collaborators have committed offences, inter alia, punishable under the Pakistan Penal Code.

You are, therefore, advised to forthwith register a FIR against the above named offenders under sections 338, 334, 341, 344, 441, 442, 503, 506, 107, 102-A and other enabling provisions failing which further legal proceedings shall be initiated.

For the applicants
President High Court Bar, Rawalpindi.
President District Bar, Islamabad.
President District Bar, Rawalpindi.

Through

(ATHAR MINALLAH)

# 24, 1st Floor, Beverly Centre,
Blue Area,
Islamabad

I’m prepared

I’m prepared for the violence that will inevitable ensue after the elections. I’m prepared for a rigged result in favour of the PML-Q. I’m prepared for the state brutality- the torture and mindless killings that will take place- shoot at sight orders have been given, and they will be abused. I’m prepared to stay at home and watch. I refuse to part of violent mobs. I’m prepared to cry. I’m prepared to wonder, yet again, if there is any hope.

But I’m hoping it won’t be that bad. I’m wishing that PML-Q doesn’t win. I’m praying that my country doesn’t descend into chaos. And more than anything else, I’m hoping that Musharraf will leave, or be made to leave. I’m going to keep hoping, wishing and praying now. There’s nothing I can do but watch.