NGOs foreign curseColumnist Irshad Arif wrote in Nawa-e-Waqt that the NGO mafia was active in Pakistan on the basis of dollars and pounds sent from abroad. Yet human rights had to be protected by Pakistanis. In the Mukhtaran Mai case the culprit was not arrested although the concerned MPA held a conference in Dera Ghazi Khan. The columnist wondered why was it not possible to care for human rights without the NGOs. He asked why there was no organisation other than the NGOs to do the job.
Wise decision on 'mazhabi khana'
Writing in Jang, Abdul Qadir Hassan wrote that the government had made the wrong decision to remove the reference to religion in the passports. The people wanted it back and there was a time when it was feared that the government might give in to foreign pressure. But a wise decision was taken to undo the mistake made earlier. The people would now be happy with the government. Jang also reported that the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat Movement that had opposed the removal of the mazhabi khana stated that their job was not yet done, more should be done by the government to target the Qadianis and the passports issued without the khana should be recalled. The Minorities Commission of Pakistan in Lahore warned that if the government reinstated the reference to religion in the passport they would start agitation against it. The PML cabinet that approved the reinstatement of mazhabi khana had dissenting votes from nine ministers.
Musharraf and mullahs
Columnist Nazeer Naji wrote in Jang that so far people were thinking that Musharraf might have a hidden nexus with the mullahs of the MMA. Then the MMA took up the cause of mazhabi khana and they thought that Musharraf would stand firm. Musharraf began to be supported by the people of Pakistan who wanted the threat of the clergy to subside. But after getting their support, Musharraf simply surrendered to the mullahs by giving in on the mazhabi khana. Thus people were bound to lose hope in the promise of moderation and would be forced to accept the extremism of the clergy.
A politics of splits
Columnist Iftikhar Ali wrote in Jang that splits were appearing in all the opposition parties. In March 2005, the ARD mainstream parties the PPPP and PMLN were not able to agree with the MMA on its 'million march'. At the same time the PMLN was angry over the PPPP for holding secret talks with the government for a share in power. The MMA itself was split along personalities and Qazi Hussain Ahmad was heard privately to criticise Maulana Fazlur Rehman for ploughing a separate furrow. In the NWFP ANP was split with its ruling family, the Wali Khans.
Ijazul Haq opposed religion 'khana'
According to Sarerahe in Nawa-e-Waqt, religion minister Ijazul Haq — who had gone public with his support to the campaign for the restoration of an entry of religion in the national passport — actually voted against it during the cabinet session in which 8 other ministers also opposed it. Sarerahe thought that Ijazul Haq as the son of the Islamic dictator General Zia had now decided to abandon his father's ideology to stand together with a secular education minister, General (Retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi. Khabrain quoted Ijazul Haq as saying that there was no disagreement in the cabinet on restoring the religion khana in the passport.
'Mullahs hold nation at ransom'
Speaking to Khabrain, Abdus Sattar Edhi stated that the clergy in Pakistan was holding the people of Pakistan to ransom in the name of Islam. He added that Musharraf was a man of open mind and had given unprecedented freedom to the media. He said that the people of Pakistan were simple and not given to extremes.
Adam spoke Pushto
According to Khabrain Prof Pareshan Khatak told an audience in Peshawar that according to his research the first man, Hazrat Adam, spoke Pushto after his creation by Allah. He was answering the charges of those who said that Pushto was the language of Hell because of its hard accent. Hew said the language of Paradise was Pushto.
Wrong soldiers!
Writing in daily Din, Hafiz Shafiqur Rehman said the wrong soldiers were those who entered the army dreaming about seven star messes, starched uniform and kanals and kanals of residential plots in 'posh' defence societies, after which perhaps to conquer Islamabad after receiving a certain high rank or go into property dealing with the advantage of good contacts in the cantonments.
Tipu Sultan and nine unwanted women
Biannual journal of Quaid-e-Azam Library Lahore Makhzan (number four 2004) informs about a book by Tipu Sultan titled Bahr al-Munafeh. Tipu describes nine types of women he would not go near: 1) A woman who is of ill-repute; 2) An adolescent woman who would take to fornication and become fahisha (coitus-lover); 3) A woman who is irritable and loves coitus; 4) A mad woman; 5) A woman with a hairy body; 6) A red-headed woman; 7) A black-faced woman; 8) An excessively tall woman; 9) A woman with tough hands and feet. Ataul Haq Qasimi wrote in Jang that May 2005 was the month of Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary.
'Churails' lift young student
Reported in daily Pakistan, the house of one Muhammad Siddiq of Sangla Hill was attacked by three very beautiful churails (witches) and when he hired aamils to cast a spell on them they also thrashed the aamils till they ran away. Then the beautiful churails picked up Talat, his son, a student of 8th class, and took him to the canal where he was found badly bruised. The churails came to Siddiq's house and threatened him with dire consequences, then simply dissolved into thin air.
'I don't want another Karachi!'
Columnist Fawad Hussain revealed in Jang that Baloch leader Sardar Ataullah Mengal told the BBC that 50 years ago Karachi had only indigenous population of 5 million. Now the population of Karachi was 14 million and 90 percent of it was non-Sindhi. Now Balochistan too had a population of 5 million but if it was converted into another Karachi (through Gwadar?) the Baloch would become a minority in their province.
Goose step at Wahga
Writing in Jang, Mehmood Sham stated that when he was last at the Lahore Wahga border outpost with India he was fascinated by the ceremony of furling the flag by Indian and Pakistani border guards at sunset. He was forced into sentimental tears by the goose-step used by Pakistani soldiers who brought their foot higher than their heads while taking down the flag. There were shrieks of Allah Akbar and Zindabad from the Pakistani side where people sat on a viewing stand. A Pakistani citizens too came every day to the post, raised the flag, faced India and raised the takbeer.
Defeat the West!
Columnist Irshad Haqqani quoted in Jang a letter from a reader saying that it was useless in Pakistan to suggest any solution to problems because the West was dominant and was inflicting injustice on the Muslims. The only way any solutions could be successful if they were enforced from a position of dominance. Therefore Pakistan had to defeat the West, get into a position of strength and then think of solutions.