Comments on: Round Up IX

By: Desi Back to desh » It is not easy playing the game that is words…

Desi Back to desh » It is not easy playing the game that is words… — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:16:40 +0000

[...] Round up IX by Sepoy at Chapati Mystery includes the analysis by Dr. Naeem that represents the views of an ordinary Pakistani. [...]

By: rentstrike

rentstrike — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 14:30:49 +0000

Tariq Ali’s sexist and slanderous “profile” of Bhutto ought not to have been run in the LRB in the first place and is even less appropriate in the aftermath of her assassination. Unless, perhaps, he intends to amend it to blame her for that too.

By: sagarone

sagarone — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 13:52:51 +0000

I was just listening to the news and guess what…19 year old Bilawal has been named as the chairperson of the PPP. It has to remain in the family of course, otherwise how would he be able to make the contribution required of him? It will take more than just shouting ‘democracy’ to get the feudal mentality out of our psyches. By our, I mean South Asian, because the same thing happened after Indira Gandhi’s assasination.

By: End of Peccavistan « Mukti

End of Peccavistan « Mukti — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 09:08:56 +0000

[...] generals or kohl-eyed generals or clean-shaven dog-loving general or (these words are taken from Chapati, in Bangladesh we could add besepctacled academic sounding generals). Pakistan has had a number [...]

By: Steven Levery

Steven Levery — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 21:02:27 +0000

Thanks for your analysis, anger and all, Naim Sahib. I don’t think of myself as completely naive to the suspect nature of mainstream reportage, especially when it’s about the history and politics of another country, but on the other hand it’s all too easy to take a phrase like “self-imposed exile” at face value and repeat it elsewhere.

We could use some humbler beings holding the reins here as well, but I don’t believe they can get elected.

By: Jawad

Jawad — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 06:40:42 +0000

You say “MQM and the Jamaat has yet to announce their intentions.” Do you mean Jamiat (JUI)? Jamaat announced their intentions by joining PTI in the boycott, before the assasination.

By: Animesh Pathak

Animesh Pathak — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 03:33:16 +0000

Came to this website following your url from Democracy Now! You were good there, and the article is an excellent one too. I hope more Americans read/hear you.
These are sad and dangerous times, but I wish stability and peace to Pakistan in the near future.
-A

By: Pakistan: some links « The Tasneem Project

Pakistan: some links « The Tasneem Project — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:38:09 +0000

[...] Akhtar Beg, Indian Muslims) Requiem for a “daughter of destiny” (Wajahat Ali, Alt.Muslim) Round Up IX (Sepoy, Chapati Mystery) A tragedy born of military despotism and anarchy (Tariq Ali, The [...]

By: whitney

whitney — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:36:28 +0000

Very well said (as ever), sahib. I’m forwarding this to those members of my family who’ve been looking for some context.

By: Desi Italiana

Desi Italiana — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:26:34 +0000

“I didn’t bother to find out what the White House said, for I know their response too: the Terrorists did it.”

From La Casa Bianca:

“The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan’s democracy. Those who committed this crime must be brought to justice. Mrs. Bhutto served her nation twice as Prime Minister and she knew that her return to Pakistan earlier this year put her life at risk. Yet she refused to allow assassins to dictate the course of her country.”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/12/20071227.html

By: John Abraham

John Abraham — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:06:06 +0000

Prof Naim says: What Pakistan needs is some humbler being, but none is in view.

Seems strange to me and something of an oxymoron. Pakistan is made of a pride, ‘ghuroor’, which rests on twin coercive pillars viz., the military and Urdu.

Both are not required if Pakistan only realizes the essence of nationhood - a federalism based on respect of regional identities. Then Pakistan would no longer need Urdu and would need the military, not to imprison her citizens but only to face external enemies. Since the previous incident in Liaquat Bagh or Nishtar Park, if the respectd Professor would prefer, the stick to beat the external enemies has instead been used to beat the citizens.

But then the good Professor being a teacher of Urdu is himself an ideolog of coercion, albeit of a softer variety, but an ideolog nevertheless.

By: chica

chica — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 18:31:08 +0000

This is a great brief. “What Pakistan needs is some humbler being, but none is in view. And if he or she were, the White House would not like him/her at all. After all, they have to fight the GWOT first.” Says it all!

By: Ajit

Ajit — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 18:27:14 +0000

This is a tremendous commentary. I loved it. I am an Indian.
I must say our subcontinent is lurching toward some horrible fate. The situation is not as bad as in Pakistan. But what is happening is definitely disastrous. I feel sometimes the situation is not very dissimilar to Europe of 1930s.

By: Zack

Zack — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 18:14:16 +0000

Here is an excerpt from Benazir’s last speech on BBC.

By: dia

dia — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 17:45:15 +0000

Thank you to Naim Sahib for the insightful analysis. I feel much the same way about my family’s home country of the Philippines. I appreciate your condensed history and the objective look at Bhutto’s role in the larger scheme.