Not all the presidents men
The Pakistan presidents address to the nation on the eve of Pakistan Day (March 23) made news even before Asif Zardari took the microphone. He became the first president in Pakistans history to deliver this address four years in a row. While his own Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) aggressively marketed the speech,the opposition was less than charitable,suggested newspapers.
A report in Dawn on March 22 predicted a hard day for Zardari: If opposition parties do not back down at the last moment,President Asif Ali Zardari will face a tense joint sitting of parliament… All his three previous mandatory addresses to joint sittings of the National Assembly and the Senate have been a smooth affair,but things dont seem to be going the same way this time,despite earning the unique credit of having his previously arbitrary presidential powers clipped through the landmark Eighteenth Amendment for the restoration of a genuine parliamentary democracy. Both the main opposition parties Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Pakistan Muslim League-Q have threatened protests.
Zardari spoke about building consensus on issues like the energy shortage,economic crisis and terror,as well as political reconciliation among warring parties. He also read from Benazir Bhuttos last book,Reconciliation: Islam,Democracy and the West saying: It is time for new ideas. It is time for creativity. It is time for bold commitment. It is time for reconciliation (Daily Times,March 23).
The News added: While PPP leaders and coalition partners were all praise for President Zardaris address to the joint sitting of parliament,opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said it was the address of the leader of the PPP,the ANP and MQM,not the president of Pakistan. Daily Times reported that the PML-N,the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and the Forward Bloc staged a walkout during the address.
Violence in Karachi
Violence continued to ravage Karachi this week,reported Dawn on March 25: Fear and tension persisted in the strife-hit areas of Karachi… that witnessed at least four targeted killings followed by intermittent firing and an arson attack on a passenger bus… Over the last few days,nearly 50 people have lost their lives to the fresh spate of targeted killings on ethnic and political grounds. The Express Tribune reported on March 25 that eight people were killed overnight in Karachi.
Match for match
A report titled A perfect Pakistan Day present in The News on March 24 celebrated Pakistans win over the West Indies: Pakistan are fast becoming the new Australia. Three days after ending the 34-match unbeaten streak of the defending champions in Colombo,they became the first team to enter the semi-finals of World Cup 2011 with a commanding ten-wicket triumph over hapless West Indies. And after India defeated Australia,Daily Times carried the news in a report on March 25 titled,India knock out Australia to set up Pakistan blockbuster.
No second thoughts
Pakistans anti-corruption chief,whose appointment was quashed by their Supreme Court last week,lost all hope of being reappointed,despite last weeks rumours that PM Yousaf Raza Gilani moved a summary from the PM secretariat to the presidency asking for it. The News reported on March 23 that the court issued a detailed judgment not only disqualifying Justice (retd) Syed Deedar Hussain Shah as chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) but also directing the government to make a fresh appointment to the vacant office without any delay.
