Pakistan’s Big B

Several newspapers have portrayed a hopeful picture of Pakistan, now that Benazir Bhutto...

Several newspapers have portrayed a hopeful picture of Pakistan, now that Benazir Bhutto is back in the country. The bomb attack on her entourage has also been analysed. Rashtriya Sahara in its editorial on October 22 writes, “Pakistan masaail ke daldal mein” (Pakistan in a cesspool of problems). It says, “Benazir’s return has been possible because of pressure from the US. The US was finding it difficult to continue supporting the dictatorship of Pervez Musharraf. It couldn’t have found a better person to help the dictatorship don a democratic garb.” The paper maintains, “there is a group in the ISI too that is unhappy with Musharraf’s allegiance to the US.” On October 20, National Herald’s Qaumi Awaz writes that, “in spite of dangers and apprehensions, the people of Pakistan are hoping that Benazir’s return would lead to a democratic system and the present chaos will end.” The paper has taken note of the fact that “Benazir has not made use of the language of ‘crushing’ India, as in the past, nor issued any inflammatory statement on the Kashmir issue, even though any army leader uses hostility towards India on the Kashmir issue as a crutch for success.”

MP and editor Shahid Siddiqui’s weekly Nai Duniya on October 29 has a special issue on Benazir: ‘Pakistan ki khufiya agenciyon ko chahiye Benazir ka khoon.’ It says that the “most powerful and resourceful intelligence agencies, acting quietly, want to paint Pakistan red with the blood of Benazir.” Jamaat-e-Islami’s mouthpiece, the biweekly Daawat on October 25 writes, “the army should take people and opposition parties into confidence instead of applying force, using martial law or armed action in certain areas. The Pakistani government should know that nobody supports bomb blasts and everybody condemns it.” The paper openly says it is sure that “she has come after a certain deal with the Americans.”

Kolkata and Delhi daily, Akhbar-e-Mashriq, in an editorial on October 20 has praised Benazir “for coming out of a cesspool, but she will have to find a way between two centres of power, General Musharraf and the Army.”

Putin in Iran

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There has been a lot of comment on the Russian President’s visit to Tehran last week. Hyderabad’s Rehnuma-e-Deccan on October 19 says, “Iran has finally found influential friends among neighbours.” The paper welcomes the visit, “the first such, after Stalin and his statements there against attacks or domination of any country”. It concludes Russia has put brakes on US plans to crush Iran. Jadeed Khabar in an editorial on October 19 says, “Putin’s support to Iran is very meaningful at the present juncture. On one side, his experts are working in Iran’s nuclear reactors, and on the other hand, he is himself clarifying that Iran’s nuclear programme has open and peaceful objectives.”

Delhi’s Hindustan Express in an editorial on October 18, raised the question whether Russia “has decided to confront the US openly”. The paper feels that “while this may not be true, President Putin’s recent statements and actions, especially with regard to Iran have indicated a new alignment in world politics.” This, the paper adds, “has the potential to rein in the US.”

A ‘Muslim’ survey

Hindustan Express reports on October 23, that “the average Muslim says, hamari kismat mein commission hi commission, committee hi committee aur survey hi survey hai.” (Muslims just have surveys and committees on their plate). It writes that the 90 districts with significant Muslim population and backward characteristics are now being surveyed by the ICSSR, before the package is given to them. This is a follow-up apparently of the Sachar Report, and its implementation.

Inside Nari Niketan

A Nari Niketan in Saharanpur, UP, reported to the state government in writing that Muslim girls were not finding Muslim boys to marry. Hence, it wrote, Muslim girls had expressed a willingness to marry non-Muslims. But in response to a report to this effect in an Urdu paper, many Muslim young men have volunteered to marry the girls from there. It appears that after a virtual campaign by this newspaper, Hindustan Express, all the Muslim girls found suitable Muslim boys!

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In an editorial on October 20, the same paper congratulates “those young men who have owned up the poor daughters of the community…”