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Adil Najam and other elitist liberals want to save Sherry Rehman from armed goons of PPP Lyari

posted by SK | November 3, 2010 | In Original Articles

Adil Najam has once again posted an article on his urban-elite website (All Things Pakistan ATP) which, as usual, speaks of his and the (fake) civil society’s political opacity, intellectual dishonesty and selective morality against the PPP in general and ethnic minority groups in particular.

In the article, posted by the ATP team, Najam writes in an ‘apparent support’ of Sherry Rehman, to save her from 300-350 armed terrorists (poor Baloch women, men and children of Lyari) belonging to the PPP:

“A wide array of civil society activists from different fields and different persuasion have released the following statement on the recent harassment of former Information Secretary of the PPP and former Federal Minister of Information, Sherry Rahman. ATP joins in the sentiment and spirit of the statement.”.

While the way this whole episode has been reported by Jang/Geo, Pak Tea House blog and now by Adil Najam, speaks of their professional dishonesty and selective morality, one wonders where was Adil Najam and his fake civil society when Kamran Shafi was attacked in Wah Cantt a few months ago by none other than whose apologist is Adil Najam on, i.e., the military establishment.

The list of signatories contains names of pro-establishment fake liberals such as Najam Sethi, Mohammad Malick, Hamid Mir, Adil Najam, Babar Sattar, Dr. Dushka Sayed, Nasim Zehra, Raza Rumi, Ahmar Bilal Sufi etc

I have excluded other more respectable names because I suspect they did note carefully read the entire statement nor did they realize that words such as armed goons will be used to malign sincere PPP Jiyalas and that the statement will be twisted and misrepresented by affiliates and apologists of the military establishment.

Also, I wonder where was Adil Najam and his team of pseudo-liberals when Pakistan’s media was harassing Salmaan Taseer by circulating private pictures of his family which were shamelessly published on numerous Pakistani blogs including Teeth, PkPolitics etc. No blog other than LUBP published a post against such harassment.

Where was this outpouring of sympathy for Sherry Rehman when she was being terrorized by none other than mullahs of Jamaat-e-Islami, JUI etc for her statements against the blasphemy laws in Pakistan.

Adil Najam (on behalf of his fake civil society) further writes:

“Sherry Rehman’s case is particularly disturbing. As former Information Secretary of the PPP, and former Federal Minister for Information, her services to democracy and press freedoms bear no repeating….On the heels of a show cause notice served on her by her party for speaking on a television channel that was ostensibly under a ban by the PPP, her house in Karachi was held under siege for hours. On October 22, 2010, about 300-350 armed goons, front-lined by women, protested outside her gates while local police stood and watched them block roads as well as lay siege to her house.”

Usually, Adil Najam and his ATP are quite good at posting relevant pictures. Wonder why he, and his affiliates in Geo TV/Jang Group (Hamid Mir, Najam Sethi etc), did not have a single picture of those 300-350 armed goons to display? Did such goons ever exist, or is that once again, part of typical civil society propaganda against the PPP’s “illiterate, poor, smelly supporters” from Lyari and other poor suburbs?

As a matter of principle, we consider the whole episode of Sherry Rehman and also Safdar Abbasi’s participation in Geo TV talks shows and the reaction by the PPP workers as an internal affair of the party.

Adil Najam and his ‘civil society’ further write:

“We not only condemn such resort to terror, but also demand that the President and the Prime Minister order an inquiry into the siege of Ms. Rehman’s house and take swift and appropriate action against those responsible for resorting to terror in the name of a protest. We demand that the Report of an Inquiry be made public within 7 working days from today. “

It is amusing to notice that Adil Najam and his pseudo-liberals term a mild political protest by supporters of the PPP as an act of terror, while the same pseudo-liberal goons fail to identify and condemn Takfiri Deobandis of Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba and their supporters (Jamaat-e-Islami, PTI, ISI) responsible for the most heinous crimes against the state and the people of Pakistan.

Day in and day out, fake liberals are proving that their traits of selective morality and twisted analyses are no different from similar traits shown by Ansar Abbasi, Ahmed Noorani, Shaheen Sehbai, Kamran Khan and Dr Shahid Masood.

We condemn pro-establishment fake-liberals and right-wing Islamists’ conspiracies against the people of Pakistan.

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SK

Latest Comments
  1. Sarah Khan

    LUBP archive on Adil Najam:

    http://criticalppp.com/archives/tag/adil-najam

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  2. Sheen Alif

    Why did Adial Najam not take notice of Geo and Jang goons firing outside the house of Cable Operators association chairman Khalid Arain, after he hold a press conference against the black mailing tactics of the said media group.
    Why did he not write a single word against the tax evaders in the media groups,
    Why did he not write against the bulk of Stay Orders issued by higher Judiciary to prevent and protect the media owners as well as Punjab Chief Servant, Shahbaz whose whole Govt/Caliphate/Monarchy stands on the Stay Order put by Lahore High Court in his disqualification Case.
    These double discourses will not work further…

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  3. Khalid Shamsi

    Seriously, I have not seen a single picture or video clip of the attack on her house. She claims that her house was besieged for 4 hours. 4 Hours in front of Mohatta Palace is a good enough time for 350-400 people to be photographed and video made.

    everyone claims to have made a lot of sacrifices for the party. Some of the people like Absaar Alam, Nusrat Javed, Hamid Mir etc have a particular fondness for Sherry. Maybe that her name is quite similar to an alcoholic drink …..

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  4. Sarah Khan

    @NadeemfParacha: Everyone knew about PPP’s boycott of Geo except Sherry Rehman. Very informed, indeed, is our former Information Minister

    http://twitter.com/#!/Umerr/status/28577252092

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  5. Abdul Nishapuri

    I saw a brief video clip on ARY News the other day. I think the majority of those protesting were poor women from Lyari who ere carrying banners inscribed with slogans against Sherry Rehman. They demanded strict action against her, calling her a party traitor.

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  6. Abdul Nishapuri

    A group of women from the PPP stronghold of Lyari protested outside Rehman’s residence and burnt her effigy on Saturday. The women claimed they were PPP workers but the party distanced itself from the protest.

    “As it stands, I had no official communication from the party about any ban on any channel, because I had heard several different (PPP leaders) speaking on all channels, but bizarrely, I am being targeted.

    “In the absence of any communication, I followed the Prime Minister’s and the President’s announcements that we have no war with any media channel,” Rehman said.

    http://www.hindustantimes.com/PPP-acts-against-Rehman-Abbasi-for-appearing-on-Geo-News/Article1-617235.aspx

    btw lol@ NFP’ tweet.

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  7. Dr. Altaf ul Hassan

    Sherry Rehman must not forget and ridicule the sacrifices of these committed workers,voters and supporters of PPP who staged a protest out side her home for hurting their sentiments by voilating the party policy to boycott the Geo TV.Rather she must apologize to them for doing so.

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  8. Bukhari

    i have seen that ARY video too. all of them were women from Liyari, with banners in their hands. Not a single danda-bardar as reported by GEO/JANG group.

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  9. Mai Kolachi

    The media of Pakistan and their civil society torch bearers will continue to kiss the boots of military dictators and Islamofascist ideologues. For them, the few women from Lyari are more dangerous than murdering Taliban and Sipah Sahaba who their sons and daughters romantisize about…

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  10. humza ikram

    will he protest against hate campaign that calls Asma Jehanghir an Qadyani, pro-American and pro-Indian .

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  11. Laila Ebadi

    will some “liberal” pakistanis please take up the issue of the blockade of people of kurram by the state and its “good taliban”:

    http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\11\04\story_4-11-2010_pg3_2

    “The establishment’s strategy over the last month has been to impose the Haqqani network as the ‘mediators’ over the Kurram Agency to help resolve the ‘sectarian’ conflict there. They had coerced and co-opted three leaders from Kurram, Aun Ali, Zamin Hussain and the MNA Sajid Turi, to meet Ibrahim and Khalil Haqqani, sons of the network’s ailing chief Jalaluddin. The three Pakistani men, however, did not have the waak — a customary power of attorney or designation — to conduct a jirga or negotiation or seek nanawatai (sanctuary) on behalf of the Kurram people and therefore were not able to guarantee that Kurram would not resist the new Taliban-Haqqani network incursion there.

    The flat out refusal of the Kurramis, who have lost over 1,200 souls since April 2007, to cede their territory and pride to the jihadists and their masters has thrown a wrench in the latter’s immediate plans. Having failed to dupe the citizenry, the establishment has elected to bring them to their knees by force. It announced last week that it is closing down the Parachinar-Gardez-Kabul route, trapping the people of Kurram in a pincer of twin blockades. Announcing the embargo, Colonel Tausif Akhtar of the Pakistani security forces claimed that they are closing down five border entry points to clamp down on sectarian violence. The people of Kurram, however, see this as the state opening the floodgates of oppression on them. But as long as the rest of Pakistan and the world at large do not take notice of the establishment’s tactics in Kurram, this forgotten part of FATA will be completely forsaken.”

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  12. Dil Dil Pakistan

    Who is this Adil Najam really?

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  13. Sarah Khan

    He is a much refined version of Shaikh Ayman Al-Zawahiri.

    He used to be a boot licker of General Zia-ul-Haq in olden days of the PTV.

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  14. Ahmed Iqbalabadi

    @Sarah, I think his rise is owed to the fact that he was brought up in Islamabad. He became a star under Aslam Azhar headed PTV.

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  15. Ali Arqam

    Now PTH also has published the same piece in solidarity with Sherry Rehman. It is posted by none other than our fellow writer Raza Rumi.
    And One of the PTH editors, YLH has criticized LUBP for calling party founders, voters and workers pro-ISI and pseudo-liberals.
    He also called LUBP a group of neo-jiyalas and new form of storm troopers.

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  16. Sarah Khan

    It is good to see Pak Tea House and Yasser Hamadani in their real mode:

    http://pakteahouse.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/attack-on-sherry-rehman-a-black-day-for-democracy/

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  17. Mufti Taqi Usmani

    Such shameless people! LOL…you people have no shame nor guilt…ppp everywhere is eaating Pakistan alive…supoorting terrrorism and Taliban and you are mocking journalists…lol…what a goddamn joke this is…you people shud suck zardaris balls and leave this drama of being party of the middleclass…

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  18. Sarah Khan

    وکی لیکس کے مطابق
    یہ انکشاف بھی ہوا ہے کہ صدر زرداری نے کہا کہ سابق وزیر ا طلاعات اور بے نظیر بھٹو کی قریبی ساتھی شیری رحمان ’سینٹ کی صدر بننے کے لیے مری جارہی تھیں‘ تاہم انھیں اس لیے نامزد نہیں کیا گیا کیونکہ جمعت العلمائے اسلام جس کی سینٹ میں تیس نشستیں ہیں، کسی خاتون کو
    ووٹ نہیں دے گی۔

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/2010/12/101201_wikileaks_sister_ms.shtml

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  19. Raza

    Civil Society Demands Immediate Inquiry Into Harassment of Sherry Rehman

    Posted on November 2, 2010

    ATP Team

    Editor’s Note: A wide array of civil society activists from different fields and different persuasion have released the following statement on the recent harassment of former Information Secretary of the PPP and former Federal Minister of Information, Sherry Rahman. ATP joins in the sentiment and spirit of the statement.

    We believe that freedom of speech which includes holding diverse opinion, is the fundamental right of every citizen and indeed forms the basis of every civilized and democratic society. In Pakistan we have fought long and hard to secure this right from dictators and democrats alike. We feel that we need to continue to be vigilant about growing attempts to muzzle free speech in the public domain. Most importantly, we must not allow our own inaction as citizens to lend sanction to the naked state-backed intimidation that we witnessed at the hands of a government that was once the proud standard-bearer of fundamental rights in Pakistan.

    It is therefore our duty as watchful citizens to not allow political parties to unleash such blatant acts of harrasment and intimidation in a series of crude attempts to gag its own senior leadership through violent means.

    Sherry Rehman’s case is particularly disturbing. As former Information Secretary of the PPP, and former Federal Minister for Information, her services to democracy and press freedoms bear no repeating.

    On the heels of a show cause notice served on her by her party for speaking on a television channel that was ostensibly under a ban by the PPP, her house in Karachi was held under siege for hours. On October 22, 2010, about 300-350 armed goons, front-lined by women, protested outside her gates while local police stood and watched them block roads as well as lay siege to her house.

    While some sections of the party leadership maintain no knowledge of these activists, their reluctance to take punitive action against these “fringe elements” deployed with party symbols and flags continues.

    In a subsequent development that was even more shocking, a Sindh minister went on the television to say without hesitation that Sherry Rehman should have expected such inaction for speaking to a channel that was proscribed by the party.

    She was blatant in owning the fascist behavior of these new party shock troops in what she described as “emotional outbursts” by party workers the government or party could control. The silence and inaction of other leaders after several days of the incident now also points to a trail of complicity in dangerous violence.

    It should be noted by all that we strongly condemn this attack. The attack on a public representative’s house, where her undefended mother and daughter were held hostage for hours, was completely unwarranted and constitutes a serious violation of their fundamental rights.

    It was reliably reported that Rehman’s effigy was burnt in front of her besieged house, while traffic and roads leading to her house were blocked for several hours by shock troops from the PPP stronghold, Lyari. Her vilification was allowed to go unchecked even before this incident. Graffitti threatening her with physical decapitation if she “violated party discipline” was repeatedly sprayed outside her house. We not only condemn such resort to terror, but also demand that the President and the Prime Minister order an inquiry into the siege of Ms. Rehman’s house and take swift and appropriate action against those responsible for resorting to terror in the name of a protest.

    We demand that the Report of an Inquiry be made public within 7 working days from today.

    SIGNATORIES. Dr. Hassan Abbas, Tahira Abdullah, Dr. Meekal Ahmad, Amb. Shamshad Ahmad, Tasneem Ahmar, Ambreen Ajaib, Absaar Alam, Mukhtar Ahmad Ali, Miariann Babar, Justice Fakhruddin G. Ebraheem, Imtiaz Gul, Anis Haroon, Hameed Haroon, Ali Dayan Hasan, Dr. Parvez Hoodbhoy, Dr. Akmal Hussain, Irfan Hussain, Quatrina Hussain, Amb. Touqir Hussain, Prof. Ayesha Jalal, Nusrat Javed, Asma Jehangir, Amb. Shafqat Kakakhel, Ali Karamat, Haris Khalique, Aqsa Khan, Amb. Humayun Khan, Amb. Mazhar Khan, Samina Khan, Amb. Riaz Khokhar, Mohammad Malick, Amir Mateen, Fauzia Minallah, Hamid Mir, Khawar Mumtaz, Zubeida Mustapha, Kishwar Naheed, Dr. Adil Najam, Fawzia Naqwi, Shehzad Nawaz, Sameena Nazir, William Parvez, Omar Qureshi, Salman Akram Raja, Abbas Rasheed, Rashed Rehman, Dr. Tariq Rehman, Justice Majida Rizvi, Raza Rumi, Najma Sadeque, Babar Sattar, Dr. Dushka Sayed, Fareeda Shaeed, Zeenia Shaukat, Dr. Ayesha Siddiqua, Najam Sethi, Kamran Shafi, Ahmar Bilal Sufi, Mohammad Tahseen, Nasim Zehra, Mohammad Ziauddin

    http://pakistaniat.com/2010/11/02/civil-society-sherry-rahman/

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  20. Raza

    A new similar list for Hussain Haqqani

    Flatterers and Opportunists of Pakistani Elites
    http://pakistanblogzine.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/flatterers-and-opportunists-of-pakistani-elites/

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  21. Sarah Khan

    See who signed this letter in support of Sherry Rehman. Barring a few exceptions, are they PPP well wishers at all? Starting from CEM Fakhru Bhai and CM Najam Sethi etc.

    Civil society speaks out for Sherry Rehman
    Published: November 9, 2010
    Share this articlePrint this page Email

    300 to 350 armed people, front-lined by women, protested outside Rehman’s house while the police looked on. PHOTO: TMN
    ISLAMABAD: Members of civil society have demanded a public inquiry into the harassment of former Federal Minister for Information Sherry Rehman, following a show cause notice served to her by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for speaking on a ‘boycotted’ television channel.
    According to a statement signed signed by various member of civil society and the media, 300 to 350 armed people, front-lined by women, protested outside Rehman’s house while the police looked on, as the protestors blocked roads and laid siege to her house on October 22.
    “The attack on a public representative’s house, where her undefended mother and daughter were held hostage for hours, was completely unwarranted and constitutes a serious violation of their fundamental rights,” the statement read.
    The statement also claimed that Rehman’s effigy was burnt in front of her house, while traffic and roads leading to the house were blocked for several hours by activists from PPP’s stronghold of Lyari.
    Graffiti threatening her with physical harm if she “violated party discipline” was sprayed on the walls of her, read the statement.
    “We not only condemn such resorts to terror, but also demand that the President and the Prime Minister order an inquiry into the siege of Ms Rehman’s house and take swift and appropriate action against those responsible,” the statement said.
    The statement also revealed that a Sindh minister said that Rehman should have expected such action for speaking to a channel that was proscribed by the party.
    “The silence and inaction of other leaders after several days of the incident now also points to a trail of complicity in dangerous violence,” it added.
    According to the statement, Rehman was blatant in owning the fascist behaviour of the new party shock troops, in what she described as “emotional outbursts” by party workers the government or party could control.
    The statement further added, “It is our duty as watchful citizens to not allow political parties to unleash such blatant acts of harassment and intimidation in a series of crude attempts to gag its own senior leadership through violent means.”
    SIGNATORIES
    Justice retired Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim; Tahira Abdullah( Human Rights activist); Hameed Haroon, CEO Dawn; Zubeida Mustapha, journalist; Najam Sethi, Editor Friday Times; Nusrat Javed, anchor and analyst; Kamran Shafi, columnist; Irfan Hussain, columnist; Dr Ayesha Jalal, historian and academician; Dr Meekal Ahmad, economist; Parvez Hoodbhoy, educationist; Dr Ayesha Siddiqua, author; Khawar Mumtaz, Shirkatgah; Shehzad Nawaz; Anis Haroon, Chairperson Commission on the Status of Women; Mohammad Malick, editor; Miariann Babar, journalist; Hamid Mir, anchor/columnist; Akmal Hussain, economist; Ahmar Bilal Sufi; Salman Akram Raja, lawyer; Samina Khan; Muhammad Ziauddin, Executive Editor, The Express Tribune; Amir Mateen, journalist; Imtiaz Gul, journalist; Fawzia Naqwi, Soros Foundation; Quatrina Hussain, anchor; Absar Alam, journalist; Omar Quraishi, op-ed editor; Nasim Zehra, journalist/anchor; Babar Sattar, lawyer; Ahmar Bilal Sufi, lawyer; Dr Dushka Sayed, Historian; Fareeda Shaeed, Shirkatgah; Abbas Rasheed, columnist; Najma Sadeque; Hassan Abbas, Columbia University; Zeenia Shaukat; Ali Karamat, PILER; Najma Sadeque; Haris Khalique, activist; Mukhtar Ahmad Ali, Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI); Fauzia Minallah, Human Rights Activist; Aqsa Khan; Riaz Khokhar; Humayun Khan; Shamshad Ahmad, Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, Raza Rumi columnist, , Tasneem Ahmar UKS, Ambreen Ajaib Bedari, William Parvez (Pattan), Mohammad Tahseen South Asian Partnership.

    http://tribune.com.pk/story/74705/civil-society-speaks-out-for-sherry-rehman/

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