RE: Friday, 20 March 2009
Long March fails: Qazi Hussain Ahmed says
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BEFORE THE RESTORATION OF JUDICIARY PART – 1

Several participants in the National Coference e.g. Qazi Hussain Ahmed of Jamat-e-Islami [1] should order the webmaster of Jamat-e-Islami to at least remove the contents from their website against Mian Nawaz Sharif. Alas! our Mullahs Politicans have always been hypocrites. The paper on Jamat-e-Islami Website was written by Former Senator Khursheed Ahmed – JI against Nawaz Sharif. What kind of National Conference is this wherein a Party [Jamat-e-Islami] is supporting a Leaders [Nawaz Sharif – PML-N] against whom they carry very negative remarks on their very own website. May Allah help Restore the Judiciary Movement when the Movement have supporters like Jamat-e-Islami. Prof. Khurshid Ahmad of JI in his paper had basically attacked on Nawaz Sharif’s Integrity with the Country [in my humble opinion, Nawaz’s Integrity and Loyalty with Pakistan is beyond doubt] whereas the JI’s Deviant and Najis [Filthy] Founder Mawlana Mawdudi with Extreme Prejudice, was against Pakistan, its Ideology and its Founder i.e. Late. Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Do read what Qazi Hussain Ahmed has to say about Nawaz Sharif with whom he participated in The National Conference.

Qazi accuses Nawaz of trying to remove COAS

“LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmad on Thursday accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of trying to remove the army chief on the pretext of ‘Kargil failure’. “Nawaz is trying to get rid of the army chief after removing the previous army chief,” he told a gathering of party workers in Dhok Kasib, a remote village in Mandi Bahauddin. He claimed the rulers had sought the US help to fulfil their aims, and Shahbaz Sharif’s recent visit to the US was part of this effort. He added the rulers had assured the US that Pakistan would sign the CTBT in return for this help. The Jamaat chief also accused the rulers of seeking the US help against pro-Islamic forces in the country. But, he vowed, the US would not be able to save the rulers after the JI gave a call for a march on Islamabad. Qazi denied he ever wished to be the prime minister. “How come, anyone with integrity and self-respect opt for an office whose prestige has been lowered by Benazir and Nawaz,” he said. Qazi said that the people wanted accountability from the days of British Raj to-date under a transparent system and before the next elections. “People also want an electoral system, free of corruption and loopholes. The people voted for Nawaz in the 1997 elections, considering him as an honest and a patriot person who would support the Kashmir and nuclear cause. But soon they saw his real face as he exploited the poor for his own benefits” he said. He said only those who were striving to oust the present government should be provided the opportunity to form the next government. He said his party wanted an Islamic revolution to establish a system based on justice and peace. NNI adds: Qazi Hussain Ahmed has convened high level meetings of the central leadership in the second week of October to finalise strategy against the government, Jamaat sources said.”

“The Nawaz Sharif exile deal has been criticised by political and religious parties alike. The Mullahs (religious leaders) of Pakistan, who control the Jihadi outfits, are clearly outraged by the mysterious release of Nawaz Sharif. Jamaat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman termed the deal an insult of the entire nation, saying it has brought into question the justification for the National Accountability Bureau and the accountability courts. The Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan’s largest religious party, has been loudest and most persistent in attacking the Musharraf government for pardoning Nawaz Sharif. On 15 December 2000, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami, said Musharraf had shown that he could not be trusted when he let Nawaz Sharif escape a life sentence. “He has ignored public opinion, he has also ignored the laws, the constitution, the decisions of the court and he has not consulted anybody. He can do anything against the interests of the country and the nation. This is a security risk, he is a security risk,” Qazi Hussain said. The Jamaat chief demanded that the military government should step down and an interim government be set up. General Musharraf was forced to justify his decision publicly. On 19 December 2000, General Pervez Musharraf addressed the nation on state television. In his speech, the General lashed out at the two former Prime Ministers, Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, saying that the corrupt rule of these two leaders was responsible for Pakistan’s present economic crisis. “As a result of their power hunger, the national economy suffered and investment shied away due to inconsistency in policies. Two political leaders, Pakistan’s political stalwarts, who hated each other till yesterday, were shamelessly trying to join hands in an attempt to jointly loot the country, if anything had been left from looting,” he said. It was expected that Musharraf would divulge details of the Nawaz Sharif exile-deal but he did nothing of the sort. Musharraf claimed that there was some “confidentiality” involved in the deal which could not be disclosed keeping national interest in view. What this “confidential” information is, remains a mystery. His address to the nation also disappointed Pakistan’s political and religious parties. “While abusing the politicians, General Sahib must keep in mind that he is the biggest politician of the country in uniform,” Jamaat chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed said. This signals the end of General Pervez Musharraf’s political honeymoon. He justified the coup with the promise to end political hanky panky and cleanse the system. Now he is just another politician and the hanky panky perhaps is just beginning all over again.”

Not in a very distant past the same Qazi Hussain Ahmed said very nasty things about Mian Nawaz Sharif and his PML-N Government:

Qazi accuses Nawaz of trying to remove COAS.

http://www.karachipage.com/news/Sep_99/092499.html

The Mysterious Nawaz Sharif Exile Deal. The former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif”s exile deal with the military government remains shrouded in mystery and has been criticised by political and religious parties alike. Author: Preetam Bora Date: 23 December 2000

http://www.subcontinent.com/sapra/regional/regional20001223a.html

Read the Jamat-e-Islami webstie on Mian Nawaz Sharif:

“QUOTE”

Isharat from ‘Tarjuman Al Quran’ April ’99 LAHORE DECLARATION by Prof. Khurshid Ahmad
http://www.jamaat.org/Isharat/1999/0499.html

On the other hand, Lahore Declaration neither reflects the aspirations of the Pakistani nation, nor it is accepted by the people. This is a declaration of Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee belonging to BJP, the advocate of Akhand Bharat. By signing the Declaration, Nawaz Sharif has only tried to please the US and India, at the cost of disappointing, rather infuriating, his own nation. By doing so, he has exposed the nation and the state to new threats.

The present government of Pakistan and, more particularly, the Prime Minister suffer from an intense longing to befriend India. They are following a path that leads only to destruction. To work for preventing such a catastrophe is the duty of every patriotic citizen. An objective analysis of the situation reveals that Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif think that if they are to stay in power they have to ensure:

Complete subjugation of all constitutional organs, political forces and administrative machinery to establish a centralized rule so that they may enjoy exclusive decision-making authority;

Running of state affairs on the criteria of personal loyalty considering it the secret for perpetuating their rule;

Full compliance with American agenda. See salvation and progress in being part of its global order and work according to its scheme;
Friendship with India, at all cost;

Decrease in defense budget, downsizing the army and engaging it in civil affairs to make its interest subservient to that of the political leadership; or else the army loses popular respect and credibility along with the political leadership.

This is their actual 5-point manifesto. The points are inter-related and mutually reinforcing. These trends are manifest through the policies and deeds of the government over the past two years.

The prime minister is himself issuing provocative statements:

I can take advice from the elders of Pakistan Movement, but why should I seek guidance of those who opposed the idea of Pakistan;

I am being opposed because I decided for nuclear explosion and made Pakistan a nuclear power;

I want economic progress in the country and am building the motorway but these people do not want to see the country making progress.

All this is a bundle of lies and nonsense and merely aims at deceiving the masses. When he says that he is ready to consult the elders of Pakistan Movement, he should name those whom he has consulted? The daily Nawa-i-Waqt wrote more than 20 editorials only in two months (February and March 1999), against his attempts to befriend India. Did he pay any heed? Mr. Nizami refused to open the gate of Ewan-e-Iqbal for Vajpayee and threatened to resign if compelled. Whom the PM looked for advice, then? He says that he will not consult those who opposed the Pakistan Movement. Where he places Awami National Party (ANP) then? Its leadership has given him a real tough time yet his cronies are desperate in seeking its support even today!

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Qazi Hussain Ahmed on Nawaz Sharif

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Pakistan’s economic crisis and the government’s failure By: Qazi Hussain Ahmed Ameer, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

http://www.jamaat.org/issues/econoletter.html

Anatomy of the Crisis

The foundations of the current crisis were laid by the previous Government of Mr. Nawaz Sharif when in April 1991, to ease the pressure from the Pressler Amendment restrictions, it allowed resident Pakistanis to open and maintain foreign currency accounts (FCAs), and floated a number of other expensive schemes for mobilization of foreign exchange resources. Through a crafty method, which required surrender of dollars to Government on the guarantee of exchange risk cover at nominal fee – which was significantly below the rate of devaluation – FCAs also became direct borrowings of the Government. Simultaneously, the Government also began contracting short and medium term commercial debt at high interest rates not only from foreign banks but also from international market, which were previously taboo in official finances.

The Benazir Government followed the tracks and did nothing to reverse this policy. Indeed, it was during her Government that still newer methods of short-term expensive borrowings were invented. The country heard for the first time that such precious resources as the earnings of PTC and PIA were to be pledged for seeking more loans. It was also during her tenure that for two consecutive years, 1995 and 1996, there was a run on foreign currency accounts, and the default was saved only after the IMF agreed to avert it and the country accepted tougher conditionalities.

The Second Nawaz Government has only added fuel to the fire. Far from breaking it the begging bowl was laid wide. It was seeking foreign loans even on the pledge of remittances. To appease IMF and obtain its funding, it massively reduced tariffs and gave huge concessions to big businesses, all in the grab of economic revival. A year later in 1997-98, rather than getting more revenues, it could barely collect as much as collected in 1996-97, which was the worst year of economic performance in country’s history.

At the end of June 1998, the total deposits under the FCAs were estimated at more than $ 12 billion, of which about 70% ($8.4 billion) were those of the residents, all mobilized between the period 1991 to June 1998, i.e. in just seven years. This means the Government has been using more than a $ 1 billion of residents’ deposits alone for meeting its foreign currency requirements. On the other hand, except for a brief period in 1994-95, at no point in time, the reserves of the country have risen above $2 billion (mostly hovering around $1 billion), indicating that the government has been using these deposits with out caring as to how it would meet a sudden in demand for withdrawals.

Besides the FCAs, there are obligations in the form of short term commercial debt and other foreign currency denominated bonds, such as FCBCs, DBCs and FEBCs. By the end of June 1998, these obligations are estimated at around $7 billion. Then there is the official long term debt owed to donor countries and multilateral agencies which is estimated by the end of June 1998 at about $25 billion. This is the debt, which was traditionally contracted by Pakistan until 1990. If we exclude FCAs for a moment, our debt come to $32 billion, of which the short-term debt is more than 20%, all added in the last 7 years.

The comparison becomes far more alarming when the FCAs liabilities are also added. The total short term debt then is nearly 42% of total debt, or 72% of long term debt. Finally, let us point out that the long term official debt in June 1990 was merely $ 15 billion and outstanding amount in FCAs (which were restricted until then to non-residents only) was only $2 billion. Thus is the last 8 years, the Government of Nawaz-Benazir combine have piled up additional foreign liabilities of $26 billion, averaging more than $3 billion annually. In 8 years they have added significantly more to country’s indebtedness than in the first 42 years.

The first Government of Nawaz and the second Government of Benazir were sacked on the ground that they had brought the country at the brink of default. Mr. Moeen Qureishi, in his address at the floor of the Senate, gave details of how the Nawaz Government had pushed the country towards bankruptcy by undertaking such economically unlivable schemes like the yellow cabs and the motorways. Similarly, Farooq Leghari also feared bankruptcy before he sacked the Benazir Government. Evidently, even at those occasions, the possibility of default was so real that they justified removal of the Government.

There has been no improvement since then. The SBP report of 1996-97 has clearly pointed out that short-term expensive loans are contracted to retire official loans, which were contracted, on extremely low cost. The present Finance Minster has no qualms when he pleads that Pakistan needs G-8 assistance only to repay their loans. He fails to notice that these very words contain the true state of Pakistan’s economy: it is already broke pending, at best, a formal announcement.

Nuclear Tests

Evidently, the economy was fast heading toward a breakdown. In our view, a window of opportunity was opened by country’s decisions to go nuclear. The nation solidly stood behind the Government and was prepared to make whatever sacrifices required to face the challenges the retaliatory response of the big powers would have posed. There was never a doubt in anybody’s mind that this act of ‘defiance’ will not be met with kindness. The nation’s resolved to test fully factored in the costs it had to incur for this act.

What the nation, however, did not expect was that the Government would rob it of its fundamental rights and foreign currency accounts in the grab of emergency. The euphoria of testing hardly lasted the night of the testing, as the nation woke up to discover that it was stripped of its precious political rights and life-time savings. This was followed by a series of confidence-shattering decisions – a budget that did not take into consideration that impact of impending sanctions, withdrawal of immunity on FCAs, a hoax call for defreezing of FCAs, mishandling of IPPs, panicky response to the threat of default, curbs on imports etc. – that sent the stock market into tailspin, wiping out nearly 30% of its capitalization, and forced the rupee to lose more ground in a month than it lost in the last 5 years.

Thus the opportunity, which had led some Cabinet Ministers to claim that Pakistan’s tests were uniting and India’s were divisive, was squandered mercilessly. The extremely short-lived euphoria has yielded to a state of despair. The national mood is despondent, it sees no light at the end of long and dark tunnel of Government’s follies.

The donor countries also believe that the crisis was not a result of nuclear testing. A State Department Spokesman, denying the rumors that the US was working on a bail out plan for Pakistan, remarked that the present crisis in Pakistan was not a result of suspension of G-8 funding, which in the first place did not go into effect for another 6 months. Rather, it was the result of polices pursued over the 18 months.

Loss of Confidence

Is there a way out of this morass? Can the Government steer the country from the brink of a financial collapse? These and similar questions are agitating the minds of every Pakistani. In our view, there are ways to retrieve the situation or at least to minimize the adverse consequences being felt and are likely to be faced in future. But the present Government would not be able to see us through this crisis. This is a considered view, based on the premise that the Government has lost the confidence of the market.

Indeed, the most pressing problem facing the country is the loss of confidence on Government’s ability to mange its economic affairs. Almost every single Government move on the economic front since its decision to go nuclear has acted as a bane for economic activities. This is not to suggest that each one of these decisions was bad. Only, that the market no longer trusts Government’s word, and is more likely to misperceived its moves than to see tem in their true perspective.

To be precise, the normal signaling mechanism between the Government and the market has broken. It is hard to find a method, which can repair and revive this mechanism. Confidence is not a tangible asset. It belongs to the realm of perceptions, formed over a long period of time and tested on the touchstone of predictability of actions and credibility of commitments. For 50 long years, despite earning a horrendous reputation in running the administration of the state, the successive Governments had somehow preserved the state’s reputation of fulfilling its financial obligations. That reputation has been remorselessly destroyed by the decision to freeze foreign currency accounts. And as is true of all matters of reputation and trust, it is not required that the breach be repeated several time before the confidence is lost. A single event may suffice.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what has happened with Pakistan. There is no hope that this Government would be able to retrieve the country from the economic morass in which its policies have led it. The only honorable way for the Government, which also precludes the possibility of complete chaos in the economy, would be to resign and let a new set of people manage the economy and restore the market confidence.

Indeed, Benazir and Nawaz Sharif have taken turns in bringing the country to the present state of economic collapse. There has been absolutely no difference in the economic management of the two governments. Both relied on foreign loans, indiscriminate privatization and depended heavily on the support and assistance of IMF /World Bank, which authored all major policy initiatives during this period. Their priorities were highly misplaced, such as yellow cabs, motorways, in the case of the NS, and excessive reliance on private power, in the case of BB. Besides enriching themselves, both promoted crony capitalism at the expense of the State.

Corruption, nepotism and politicization of economic decisions have been the distinguishing features of their rule. Both would be quick to ask sacrifices from the poor of the country, while they maintain a life of extravagance and profligacy. The nation sees little differences whether the PM House builds a polo ground or a cricket stadium; whether the palaces are maintained in Surrey or in Raiwind. They have finally began to appreciate what we have been calling for the last five years: Nawaz and Benazir are the two sides of the same coin.

We have no hesitation to suggest that the continuation of present Government may jeopardize its critical security interests as it seems keen to plead the super power to lift the sanctions. The manner in which the Government is holding talks on this subject as to what guarantees it may be willing to give to seek resumption of G-8’s funding. A weak and incompetent Government may be tempted to bargain country’s critical interests on CTBT, NPT, Nuclear Program and Kashmir.

“UNQUOTE”

Zardari worse than Musharraf: Nawaz By Muhammad Anis Thursday, March 05, 2009 [1]

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=20736

The national conference on long march, attended by top leadership of political parties, lawyers community and members of civil society, adopted a resolution to continue sit-in in Islamabad till restoration of November 02, 2007. Besides Nawaz Sharif, the conference was attended by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Jamiat Ahle Hadith chief Allama Sajid Mir, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and other leaders of lawyers community, regional political parties, traders community and representatives of civil society.[1]

Osama offered to buy votes for Nawaz: Qazi

http://www.dawn.com/2006/03/19/top10.htm

ISLAMABAD, March 18: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed has revealed that Osama bin Laden had offered to buy loyalties of legislators to see Mian Nawaz Sharif as prime minister. In an interview appearing in the magazine of an Urdu newspaper on
Sunday, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that Osama had visited the JI headquarters Mansoora and wanted to strike an agreement with the Jamaat but the suggestion was declined by him. Excerpts of the interview were published by the newspaper on Saturday. Qazi said he had met Osama several times in the past.

However, the JI on Saturday clarified that meetings between the JI amir and Osama in Peshawar and Lahore were held in days when the Al Qaeda leader was staying in Peshawar. Recalling political events that took place when Mr Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League and JI were components of the then Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, Qazi said Osama was a big supporter of IJI and Nawaz Sharif and wanted to see him Pakistan’s prime minister.

“Bin Laden was prepared to pay for buying parliamentarians’ votes to achieve this objective,” said Qazi Hussain Ahmed, who also heads the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. He said a delegation sent by Osama had visited him in Peshawar and conveyed that they wanted cooperation from JI but “we declined the request”. In a statement issued on Saturday, a JI spokesman said that excerpts from interview were published in the daily and presented on a private TV channel in such a manner that they were creating confusion in the minds of people.—PPI

http://www.dawn.com/2006/03/19/top10.htm