Comments on: The Zardari conundrum

By: Zia Ahmad

Zia Ahmad — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:29:02 +0000

It’s a belated opinion, a not terribly original one at that but the road from Mr 10 % to the presidency provides a good solid case for Mr Zardari’s skill at hatching elaborate, intricate long term strategies. It’s already a popular assumption that Zardari engineered Benazir’s assassination for he clearly had the most to benefit from it. It takes a man who is good at playing the textured, complex game of chess to devise such an ingenious plot. It all started with him keeping a distance from his wife which helped people disassociate Benazir with horrid corruption charges of the previous two terms. This move brilliantly complimented Musharrif’s rapid downturn in popularity following the Justice Iftikhar, Lal Masjid and emergency fiasco. Benazir was popular again and was received with open arms at the cost of 160 people dying in Karachi. Benazir’s popularity shot up significantly and when she was eventually slain in December a grieving Zardari made his long awaited appearance. Benazir’s assassination did wonders for the ’08 elections and effectively marked the end of Musharrif rule. Zardari took reins of People Party, and with his signature grin and newly found sympathy vote allied himself with Nawaz Sharif and gang to oust Mushariff which they did and eventually got elected to the prized presidency. In summary to call Zardari uneducated and clueless is unfair for he has displayed a remarkable capacity for strategic thinking and utmost excellence in his acting prowess with enormous reserves of patience, toiling in jail for ten years. He is indeed a talented president with huge reserves of shrewdness and cunning, we should be proud of and must value accordingly.

By: Arthone

Arthone — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:24:54 +0000

I just wanted to say that I love this site

By: Sidhusaaheb

Sidhusaaheb — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:52:15 +0000

A rather strong counter-opinion is to be found at http://www.countercurrents.org/ali080908.htm .

By: billo

billo — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:36:05 +0000

Raza, I can’t believe you wrote this.

I really don’t understand this “middle class” bashing. In any case, as was reported on BBC (and from my own personal experience as well) it is hard to find *anybody* who has a good word for Zardari.

as for forgiveness..don’t you think Musharraf was “feminine” as well given the NRO?

By: Sidhusaaheb

Sidhusaaheb — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:36:54 +0000

Corruption in the highest of places can be more than difficult to prove.

You might recall that Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and some others were widely accused of having taken kick-backs from Swedish manufacturer Bofors, for preferring its product over French SOFMA, while deciding upon the purchase of howitzer guns for the Indian army. He and his party even lost the general elections in 1988, mainly on account of that issue, which was communicated rather well to the public by the opposition parties.

However, none of the allegations have been proved conclusively in a court of law even till today and his family-members continue to hold powerful positions.

By: Salman Pindi Wala

Salman Pindi Wala — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 02:58:05 +0000

Alas,

Another disaster that Pakistani nation has to face. One of the most corrupt men in the world is now president of Pakistan. I wonder what would be his percentage now?

Pakistan has become a joke after this “selection” by so called Electoral College, which itself is full of dishonest people PPP, Murderers Looters, MQM, Ethnic racist ANP, Corrupt religious leaders Maulana Diesel, Fools and theves PML (all),

May God save Pakistan from hands of devils and its representatives.

By: Muhammad Usman

Muhammad Usman — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:44:11 +0000

The Zardari puzzle
I fully agree with your view about the capture of the “opinion” in Pakistan by the irresponsible print and electronic media. I am no fan of Mr Zardari either but this is time we can make a judgment on his moral quality dishonesty.
Why Zardari is being considered dishonest person, because he tell lie, steals or deceive, but never tell the truth and show integrity only in jail.
If I have a reputation of being dishonest, people will not want to deal with me, because they don’t trust me and I have to redress their concern.
Zardari is reputed to be dishonest. His reputation of dishonesty is for decades and he is still disposed to lie, cheat, defraud, or deceive. His small business has not produce BPD 60 Million in Swiss bank by honest business dealing.There is something to hide.
Did he make effort to prove himself clean of his bad reputation?
The litmus test for dishonesty is advocacy by others praising him as being clever and “beating the NAB”.
Call to action for him:, it is never too late to be honest. It is worth to tell the truth, to return lost goods, and not to cheat or deceive. Other people would like to deal with you, if they can trust you.
But you can’t always expect a reward or recognition for being honest. It isn’t the reward that is important. Rather feel good about yourself for your own honesty. That is what counts.