Nov 29, 1999
*** "DEMOCRACY FAILED in Pakistan because there is
illiteracy and poverty. Because they (the people) are poor, their votes can be bought, and
politics in Pakistan is a game of very rich people."
(Chief Executive, Gen Pervez Musharraf, as quoted by the BBC TV)
*** "IMF POLICYMAKERS should be charged with
‘genocide’ for causing deaths from hunger of thousands of children.’"
(Brazilian left-wing opposition leader, Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da
Silva, speaking at a conference organised by the Argentine Workers Congress in Buenos
Aires)
*** "DEFAULTERS IN Japan have offered to sell their
one eyeball and one kidney to be able to pay back their loans (BBC Television News
17.11.99). We hope this does not happen in Pakistan."
(A letter appearing in Daily Dawn Karachi)
*** "THE US is raising the banner of human rights only
to disgrace countries opposed to its policies, while it always finds justification for
flagrant human rights abuses in its friendly countries."
(Dr Abdullah al Nafisi, a prominent religious leader and political
science professor at the Kuwait University, calling on the Muslim world to arm itself to
confront the US-led Western hegemony)
*** "I’VE ALWAYS thought I’d like to become
America’s first black president. I’ve got a lot of other things I’ve got to
do first— but I think I’ll get round to it in about 10 years’ time."
(Hollywood superstar and rap singer, Will Smith, who is invited to
spend the Millenniem Eve with the Clintons at the White House)
*** ". . . the Constitution and the democratic
institutions in Pakistan had been raped by the previous prime ministers who had distorted
it beyond recognition and tethered [sic] it to suit their fascist desires and obsession
with absolute power."
(Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi speaking in New York to receive the
1999 International Press Freedom Award)
*** "IT IS BLATANT interference in Pakistan’s
internal affairs . . . That the statement comes amidst widespread human rights violations
in the valley of Kashmir makes it all the more reprehensible."
(Lahore based lawyer, M.D. Tahir, asking his Indian counterparts to
persuade prime minister Vajpayee to not to interfere in Pakistan’s judicial process
of the trial of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif)
*** "THE PAKISTANI nation condemns the complete apathy
and indifference towards the plight of the innocent Chechens who are being systematically
annihilated by the Russians . . . there is absolutely nothing the United Nations is
doing."
(Cricketer turned politician, Imran Khan leading a demonstration in
Islamabad against Russian brutalities against Chechens. He was accompanied by his wife
Jemima and two baby sons)
*** "WHO NOW foots the wasted expenditure? As the
poorest among the poor nations, Nepal has had to pay dearly for the stalled summit. On
what ground has India proposed the postponement."
(Nepal’s media criticising India’s stand to postpone the
SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit which was to be held in
Kathmandu from November 26-28. Most of the over $ 5 million set aside for the conference
was spent)
*** "NO MATTER how the data is sliced and diced, the
authoritarian countries appear to be out-performing the developing democracies when it
comes to selling goods— especially manufactured goods— to the United States and
to a lesser extent, to the world."
(Findings of a report titled ‘Dollars and Democracy’ by
Washington think-tank, the New Economy Information Service which said that US firms prefer
despots to democrats)
Edited by Syed M. Aslam
