S T H

Syed Talat Hussain Back in the college days, a group of jovial rascals, who habitually bunked classes and had nothing to show for their studies, would place themselves at the cafeteria doorstep and invite freshmen to join a free tea party. The cost of that cuppa tea was a complete demolition job of the sanity of the new-comers. They were told that they had made the worst decision of their lives coming to the college. They were then walked through the high-way of high achievements the group members claimed they had under their belts, which were endorsed by the waiter and a few other standing nearby.  They were then let go, bewildered and bemused, with the parting advice of not taking their studies seriously. The more studious the victims looked the bigger the deluge (or should I say tsunami) of gibberish directed at them. Needless to say the waiter and the bystanders were all part of a set-up and were pre-booked cheaply for a meal. The list of the trophies of the practical jokers wa...

Syed Talat Hussain You can fake many things in life but you can’t fake revolutions. But that is precisely what the Pakistani nation was made to fake on the eve of the fateful elections two years ago. Spurred by the devious script of a country under siege, enabled by carefully-designed and flawlessly-executed national upheavals like Imran and Qadri dharnas and protests by sectarian groups, and fully supported by a courtier media drafted as partner-in-pantomime through spineless seth-owners, a revolution was announced. So arrived Imran Khan with fanfare and frills, riding high, talking loud. Journalists, economists, politicians, and significantly large victims of revolutionary anthems went delirious in ecstasy. Attaboy! What a man! Also arrived with him bundles of justifications as to why the haloed one must be hailed. When the economy was growing at 5.7 % the nation was told that Pakistan was sinking and needed a savior. When the debt was $20 billions less than today, the nation was tol...

Syed Talat Hussain With the dismissal from service of Judge Arshad Malik whose court had declared ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif guilty in the famous Al-Azizia corruption case is justice well-served---but only half of it. The judge had thoroughly degraded himself through a series of leaked videos pertaining to his sexual exploits and his casual confessions of being pressurized to give the verdict that knocked out Mr. Sharif. The judge’s actions spoke to the low level of probity he maintained which left the senior members of the Lahore High Court with no option but to let the bad egg be sorted out. To the extent, the judge had disgraced himself and his profession he deserved this fate, but his lowliness is but just one part of the dirt-pool that was created in the name of accountability to drown the main opposition party PML-N’s leadership.  Other cases in other courts including the National Accountability’s own drive against corruption are totally tainted by the same slur of manipu...

Syed Talat Hussain The good news is that the Stock Exchange Attack was foiled from becoming a big catastrophe. Going by the preparation of terrorists, their arms, ammunition and the ready to eat meals (REMs) they looked set to make a longer stay in this financial nerve center of the country and extend the damage to the repute and image of the business and investment climate in Pakistan. Another good news is that the opposition in the assembly session on the budget roundly condemned the attack. You can ask what else can the Opposition do at any rate if not condemn it? Well, for a perspective, see this. Imran Khan’s usual take on terrorism during the previous government’s tenure used to be suggestions that such acts of terror were perhaps the handiwork of Nawaz Sharif’s alleged friends in India who wanted to help him in his times of political trouble. Beginning to wonder why whenever Nawaz Sharif is in trouble, there is increasing tension along Pakistan's borders and a rise i...

  Syed Talat Hussain   When the Pakistan Foreign Office was crafting a stern response to the State Department’s 2019 report on terrorism that devalued Pakistan’s efforts to fight the threat internally and globally, there was some debate on how Delhi might exploit both the unflattering report and Pakistan’s retort. No one had imagined, however, that the challenge to their stance would come not from Delhi and Washington, but from their own prime minister. But that is exactly what happened. There is every possibility that none of the 388-words of the foreign office press release that listed several steps the nation had taken in fighting terrorism, had passed Prime Minister Imran’s notice. And this wasn't because he was making a rare appearance in the parliament when the press release was issued and was busy. PM Imran has a hyperactive phone and reads the communication of his liking even in the middle of the night. But for serious documents, he does not have the time. So e...

Syed Talat Hussain Quietly, but emphatically organized terrorism is making a return to Pakistan. Two provinces, Balochistan and Khayber Pakhtunkhwa, bordering Afghanistan, and, traditionally, the starting point and target of induced violence, have witnessed a steady increase in terrorist activity in the past months. Sindh too has seen attacks in Ghotki, Karachi, and Larkana. In Balochistan Mand, Turbat, Bolan apart from other areas Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) combined with firing have taken precious lives of law enforcement forces. Across KP’s Waziristan area even more frequent terrorism has occurred. North Waziristan, the old stronghold of Haji Gul Bahadur and also support base of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement has been particularly violent. Gun-battles, targeted killings, encounters---the full range of terrorism has been on display with audacity and planning. Kohat and Peshawar are also on the radar for heightened terrorism concerns. A few things are obvious from these develo...

Syed Talat Hussain 1. What does Justice Faez Isa get out of the Supreme Court verdict? He gets redemption and endorsement of his plea that this reference was only aimed at destroying him as a judge was simply worthy of being trashed. Also, he becomes a symbol of resistance to the executive’s manipulation and engineering. 2. What does he not get out of it? He doesn’t get a full burial of the issue of “properties”, “money”, “trail” etc. With seven judges asking FBR to investigate his wife’s tax returns and send fresh notices, the matter is allowed to linger. Also involving Supreme Judicial Council in tax matters of Justice Faez’s wife who is an independent tax payer is bizarre, to say the least. This means the judge continues to be held to account for his wife’s assets. Seven judges on this side of the argument and one dismissing his petition while accepting others against the reference should tell Justice Faez about the real state of affairs of the brotherhood of the judges. He can ask:...