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| Criticising Mr Zardari |
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Friday, November 20, 2009
The comments given by Ahmad Nadeem Gehla (Nov 18) on the article of Charles Ferndale are far from the ground realities. In my view Mr Ferndale had very aptly conveyed the feelings of a majority of Pakistanis and those of the workers of the PPP. Mr Ferndale did not question the legitimacy of Mr Zardari’s election as president of Pakistan. He had only highlighted the arbitrariness and polarisation manifested in the party’s camp due to the unenviable leadership style of the top man after assuming the president’s office.
The examples given by Mr Gehla in respect of Altaf Husain and the Sharif brothers are out of context, as these leaders are founders of their parties while Mr Zardari was elected due to the vacuum of leadership created by the sudden death of Benazir Bhutto. Mr Gehla’s stance that PPP workers abandoned those party stalwarts who abandoned the Bhuttos is also factually incorrect. Nahid Khan, Dr Safdar Abbassi, Senator Enver Baig and many others never abandoned the Bhuttos. Rather they have been sidelined in the post-February 18, 2008, scenario by the current leadership. However, I agree with the writer that the PPP is the only party which represents all federating units. All Mr Zardari has to do is to bring sincere and loyal leaders back into the party mainstream and revamp it in a way that the current trust deficit between workers and the leadership disappears.
Dr Najeeb A Khan
Islamabad
*****
I get the impression, from the recent headlines and news back home, that we are definitely heading for another constitutional/political crisis with regard to President Zardari et al.
While I am no great fan of the above-mentioned gentleman, I must say I feel that the way things are in Pakistan, with an internal war against terrorism in full spate, it is unwise on the part of our various ‘political leaders’ to start off a new issue focused on removing the president at all costs right now. I am sure that there will be enough time for this, within and by constitutional means, when the present government’s tenure is up. For God’s sake, let a government complete its time in office warts and all — think of Pakistan for a change, not your own self-interests.
Omer S Khan
Basingstoke, UK
*****
Rumour mills are working overtime against President Zardari. What is happening? We kept this man behind bars for 11 long years. What was proved? Why do we always seek pleasure in maligning others for our ulterior motives? Many of our columnists and anchorpersons have a clear allegiance to one of Mr Zardari’s many rivals. Before creating a crisis-like situation in the country they should prove the charges and allegations in the court.
Shahid Abbas
Sialkot
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This refers to the letter by Ahmad Nadeem Gehla (November 18) titled “A conspiracy against democracy?” The writer has taken great pains to explain that politics in South Asia is ancestral. Similarly in another letter titled “Zardari under fire” (November 17), Basit Riaz Sheikh expressed his astonishment over a very correct observation by Shafqat Mahmood in his article “If President Zardari is held ineligible…” (November 13). Mr Sheikh lamented that holding the president ineligible would make a mockery of our democracy and elected parliament.
The two letter-writers need to be reminded that in August 1974, nobody cried foul when President Richard Nixon was forced by the Supreme Court to resign and escape impeachment. Similarly many Indian politicians have faced the courts while they were in power.
Abid Mahmud Ansari
Islamabad
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