Pay your respects to BB – Kill and Destroy

Gathering statistics from various news channels, I have managed to find the newer and darker side of our population.

Yesterday was another bloody day in the history of Pakistan. Almost 760 shops, 300+ cars, 170+ bank branches, 35+ petrol stations, 15+ train stations, 10+ trains and 1 factory with 7 women and children were lost due to our unique style of paying respects to the dead.

What is the motive for all this destruction? Why do they do it? why violence has esclated in the recent past? I tried to search answers for these questions here are some:

Unwillingness of Law-Enforcers
People do get carried away with the situation and may be encouraged to increase violence if they are not stopped. This is one of the many reasons why the intensity of riots has increased since the past events. Law enforcement agencies, on 12th May and now 27th Dec, were unwilling to confront “protesters”. Police and rangers went into hiding during the climax of the events and came out to “take charge” when situation became suitable for them.

Poverty
Relationship between poverty and riots is well documented.

Social discontent and frustration with living conditions can act as triggers of conflict. In Ted Gurr’s words: the “primary causal sequence in political violence is first the development of discontent, second the politicization of the discontent, and finally its actualization in violent action against political objects and actors. Discontent arising from the perception of relative deprivation is the basic, instigating condition for participants in collective violence” (Gurr, 1970, p. 13). This can be a powerful mechanism when forms of discontent coincide with ethnic, religious or regional divides measured by the degree of ethnic fragmentation (Easterly and Levine, 1997; Wilkinson, 2004), horizontal inequality (Stewart, 2000; Langer, 2004; Mancini, 2005), categorical inequalities (Tilly, 1998) or increased levels of social polarisation (Esteban and Ray, 1991, 1994, 1999; Boix, 2004).

Source

To sum up, when people see no hope of getting out of cycle of poverty, they take on opportunities to vent their frustration. It is not fault of a person that he is born in a poor family, combine that with inadequate government support to help him get out and you find generations living in poverty.

Lack of prudent policies and deterioration of judicial system end gives way to array of injustices. Inflation, harrasment and social inequality just contribute to this outburst which often takes violent forms. Case : France riots of 2005

Youth factor
Since 53% of the population is under age of 20, while lowest 10% of the population earns 4% of the total Household income and highest 10% earn 26.3% (2002). It takes no scientist to figure out that young-blood, peer-pressure, poverty and anger do not mix well.

It should be noted that since this age bracket is more susceptable to change degeneration of morals at this stage do not paint a good picture of the future when they come to lead the country. Also persistent economic suppression may lead to frustrations that may develop obsession for money in later life (something I remember from social psychology).

Opportunists
Since the riots and destruction ended in 2 days, it can be that opportunits decided to take advantage of the fear and uncertainity to gather booty. Again we will refer to France riots of 2005 which lasted 3 months and were fueled by social injustice and unemployment problems. However, it maybe too early to say that.

Planned Destruction
It should also be noted that numerous trains and tracks at crucial sections have been damaged. Supply of neccesities has come to a halt as Sindh has been cut off from the rest of the country. Numerous engines have also been burnt, while the important highways to Karachi have been blocked. Pakistan Railway is said to have suffered worst damage to its network. This certainly is not an act of God nor is it an act of random arsonists

We must learn from these events and take preventive measures so that future losses are avoided

Image Credits: Mudsi

Pay your respects to BB – Kill and Destroy

Gathering statistics from various news channels, I have managed to find the newer and darker side of our population.

Yesterday was another bloody day in the history of Pakistan. Almost 760 shops, 300+ cars, 170+ bank branches, 35+ petrol stations, 15+ train stations, 10+ trains and 1 factory with 7 women and children were lost due to our unique style of paying respects to the dead.

What is the motive for all this destruction? Why do they do it? why violence has esclated in the recent past? I tried to search answers for these questions here are some:

Unwillingness of Law-Enforcers
People do get carried away with the situation and may be encouraged to increase violence if they are not stopped. This is one of the many reasons why the intensity of riots has increased since the past events. Law enforcement agencies, on 12th May and now 27th Dec, were unwilling to confront “protesters”. Police and rangers went into hiding during the climax of the events and came out to “take charge” when situation became suitable for them.

Poverty
Relationship between poverty and riots is well documented.

Social discontent and frustration with living conditions can act as triggers of conflict. In Ted Gurr’s words: the “primary causal sequence in political violence is first the development of discontent, second the politicization of the discontent, and finally its actualization in violent action against political objects and actors. Discontent arising from the perception of relative deprivation is the basic, instigating condition for participants in collective violence” (Gurr, 1970, p. 13). This can be a powerful mechanism when forms of discontent coincide with ethnic, religious or regional divides measured by the degree of ethnic fragmentation (Easterly and Levine, 1997; Wilkinson, 2004), horizontal inequality (Stewart, 2000; Langer, 2004; Mancini, 2005), categorical inequalities (Tilly, 1998) or increased levels of social polarisation (Esteban and Ray, 1991, 1994, 1999; Boix, 2004).

Source

To sum up, when people see no hope of getting out of cycle of poverty, they take on opportunities to vent their frustration. It is not fault of a person that he is born in a poor family, combine that with inadequate government support to help him get out and you find generations living in poverty.

Lack of prudent policies and deterioration of judicial system end gives way to array of injustices. Inflation, harrasment and social inequality just contribute to this outburst which often takes violent forms. Case : France riots of 2005

Youth factor
Since 53% of the population is under age of 20, while lowest 10% of the population earns 4% of the total Household income and highest 10% earn 26.3% (2002). It takes no scientist to figure out that young-blood, peer-pressure, poverty and anger do not mix well.

It should be noted that since this age bracket is more susceptable to change degeneration of morals at this stage do not paint a good picture of the future when they come to lead the country. Also persistent economic suppression may lead to frustrations that may develop obsession for money in later life (something I remember from social psychology).

Opportunists
Since the riots and destruction ended in 2 days, it can be that opportunits decided to take advantage of the fear and uncertainity to gather booty. Again we will refer to France riots of 2005 which lasted 3 months and were fueled by social injustice and unemployment problems. However, it maybe too early to say that.

Planned Destruction
It should also be noted that numerous trains and tracks at crucial sections have been damaged. Supply of neccesities has come to a halt as Sindh has been cut off from the rest of the country. Numerous engines have also been burnt, while the important highways to Karachi have been blocked. Pakistan Railway is said to have suffered worst damage to its network. This certainly is not an act of God nor is it an act of random arsonists

We must learn from these events and take preventive measures so that future losses are avoided

Image Credits: Mudsi

Bitch Fights IV – The end of BB

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (CNN) — Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday in the wake of a suicide bombing that killed at least 14 of her supporters, doctors, a spokesman for her party and other officials said.

CNN

So once again we are surrounded by chaos and uncertainty. Gun shots and destruction mark the death of BB, the “daughter of the east”, with $4bn in wealth and mansions of no use to her. Rest in Peace

P.S: She took 30 along with her

Bitch Fights IV – The end of BB

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (CNN) — Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday in the wake of a suicide bombing that killed at least 14 of her supporters, doctors, a spokesman for her party and other officials said.

CNN

So once again we are surrounded by chaos and uncertainty. Gun shots and destruction mark the death of BB, the “daughter of the east”, with $4bn in wealth and mansions of no use to her. Rest in Peace

P.S: She took 30 along with her

The Greater Conspiracy

Introduction

Oct. 18th blasts were indeed tragic. Total of 140 have been declared dead, with 500+ injured. Several bodies have been also reported missing or not have been bought to Edhi. However, when looking at the situation we find that something was not right about it. There were many “co-incidences” happening at the sametime. Below is the compilation of these “co-incidences” on international and domestic level.

The list

Here is an excerpt from the video:

“We’ve got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel. So I’ve told people, that if you’re interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.”

American leadership has been a nutcase lately. They take their “initiative” based on cooked up reports and kill millions of civilians. To date 1,087,731 are killed in Iraq alone (Wikipedia also has details of various estimates). America however has lost 3000+ troops only.

Americas interests in Iran are growing. Recently, President Putin issued a warning to Bush to back off.

IRAN basked in a diplomatic and propaganda coup last night as the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, used a historic visit to Tehran to warn the United States against taking military action to halt the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme.

His remarks were seemingly aimed at the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan. There has been speculation in the Russian media that the US may be trying to negotiate the right to use military facilities there for a possible strike on Iran. Azeri officials have denied any such plan.

“The Caspian Sea states (Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan) should unite rather than divide,” Mr Putin said. Source

Meanwhile, the terrorist who seemed to have threatened BB (Pinky), has said

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) – A well-known Pakistani Taliban commander, said to have issued assassination threats against Benazir Bhutto earlier this month, denied any involvement on Friday in an attack that killed 133 people in Karachi.

“I had nothing to do with it,” Baitullah Mehsud told Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location about the attack on Bhutto’s motorcade as it edged through hundreds of thousands of supporters gathered to welcome her from years of exile. Source

In other stories our Foreign Minister warns that

LAHORE: Foreign Minister Khusrhid Mehmood Kasuri said on Wednesday that the NATO troops of 37 countries present in Afghanistan would not stay silent if Pakistani troops were called back from Waziristan and the surrounding areas, Geo News reported. Source

While General Musharraf is planning an all out war on Waziristan

An all-out battle for control of Pakistan’s restive North and South Waziristan is about to commence between the Pakistani military and the Taliban and al-Qaeda adherents who have made these tribal areas their own.

According to a top Pakistani security official who spoke to Asia Times Online on condition of anonymity, the goal this time is to pacify the Waziristans once and for all. All previous military operations – usually spurred by intelligence provided by the Western coalition – have had limited objectives, aimed at specific bases or sanctuaries or blocking the cross-border movement of guerrillas. Now the military is going for broke to break the back of the Taliban and a-Qaeda in Pakistan and reclaim the entire area. Source

In other news, RDX a military grade explosive was used in BB blasts

Another high-ranking investigator told Dawn that RDX, which is widely used in military and industrial applications, was employed in the suicide attack on the PPP leader. Source

Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, also known as RDX, cyclonite, H-6, hexogen, and T4, is an explosive nitroamine widely used in military and industrial applications. Nomenclature variants include Cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine and Cyclotrimethylene Trinitramine. Source

It goes without saying that Pakistan is strategically located between Iran, China and India. We already “act” as a colony of the USA. Hence, we are integral to “World Peace”.

Bonus Updates

While viewing Dr. Shahid Masoods program today I came across many interesting facts:

1. The so-called suicide bomber was carrying 15Kg RDX explosive alongwith 2000 pellets which makes the total weight of the belt around 40-50kgs, which he was carrying around all day. Everybody failed to take notice of him.
2. The jammers were not working since the start of the procession. Makhdoom Amin Fahim can be seen talking on mobile phone.
3. Bomb blast occured just after BB went inside. She didn’t go inside since the start of the procession.
4. There were two blasts in close proximity, the first blast apparently didnot kill the suicide bomber while many did die from its impact.
5. BB’s assertion that street lights were turned off have been proven incorrect based on television footage.
6. BB is confident that these were suicide bombers from waziristan, even after being told that she has many enemies and possibility of a car bomb cannot be denied.
7. The blast did not affect any of the PPP leadership, but all the casulaties were of poor workers and supporters who were bought in by the party. The party assigned a target of 4 buses per UC. A commision of Rs. 2000 per bus was given to the nazim. Each bus carried around 100 people (Party sources).
8. There were no craters in the road that indicate suicide attacks.
9. Party does not demand an investigation, while government’s deadline of 48-hours assigned to investigators has passed.

The above could be a series of co-incidences or can be deeply connected. There seem to be some missing links due to which I cannot conclude anything right now until there is further information. However, it sure looks fishy.

The Greater Conspiracy

Introduction

Oct. 18th blasts were indeed tragic. Total of 140 have been declared dead, with 500+ injured. Several bodies have been also reported missing or not have been bought to Edhi. However, when looking at the situation we find that something was not right about it. There were many “co-incidences” happening at the sametime. Below is the compilation of these “co-incidences” on international and domestic level.

The list

Here is an excerpt from the video:

“We’ve got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel. So I’ve told people, that if you’re interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.”

American leadership has been a nutcase lately. They take their “initiative” based on cooked up reports and kill millions of civilians. To date 1,087,731 are killed in Iraq alone (Wikipedia also has details of various estimates). America however has lost 3000+ troops only.

Americas interests in Iran are growing. Recently, President Putin issued a warning to Bush to back off.

IRAN basked in a diplomatic and propaganda coup last night as the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, used a historic visit to Tehran to warn the United States against taking military action to halt the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme.

His remarks were seemingly aimed at the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan. There has been speculation in the Russian media that the US may be trying to negotiate the right to use military facilities there for a possible strike on Iran. Azeri officials have denied any such plan.

“The Caspian Sea states (Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan) should unite rather than divide,” Mr Putin said. Source

Meanwhile, the terrorist who seemed to have threatened BB (Pinky), has said

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) – A well-known Pakistani Taliban commander, said to have issued assassination threats against Benazir Bhutto earlier this month, denied any involvement on Friday in an attack that killed 133 people in Karachi.

“I had nothing to do with it,” Baitullah Mehsud told Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location about the attack on Bhutto’s motorcade as it edged through hundreds of thousands of supporters gathered to welcome her from years of exile. Source

In other stories our Foreign Minister warns that

LAHORE: Foreign Minister Khusrhid Mehmood Kasuri said on Wednesday that the NATO troops of 37 countries present in Afghanistan would not stay silent if Pakistani troops were called back from Waziristan and the surrounding areas, Geo News reported. Source

While General Musharraf is planning an all out war on Waziristan

An all-out battle for control of Pakistan’s restive North and South Waziristan is about to commence between the Pakistani military and the Taliban and al-Qaeda adherents who have made these tribal areas their own.

According to a top Pakistani security official who spoke to Asia Times Online on condition of anonymity, the goal this time is to pacify the Waziristans once and for all. All previous military operations – usually spurred by intelligence provided by the Western coalition – have had limited objectives, aimed at specific bases or sanctuaries or blocking the cross-border movement of guerrillas. Now the military is going for broke to break the back of the Taliban and a-Qaeda in Pakistan and reclaim the entire area. Source

In other news, RDX a military grade explosive was used in BB blasts

Another high-ranking investigator told Dawn that RDX, which is widely used in military and industrial applications, was employed in the suicide attack on the PPP leader. Source

Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, also known as RDX, cyclonite, H-6, hexogen, and T4, is an explosive nitroamine widely used in military and industrial applications. Nomenclature variants include Cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine and Cyclotrimethylene Trinitramine. Source

It goes without saying that Pakistan is strategically located between Iran, China and India. We already “act” as a colony of the USA. Hence, we are integral to “World Peace”.

Bonus Updates

While viewing Dr. Shahid Masoods program today I came across many interesting facts:

1. The so-called suicide bomber was carrying 15Kg RDX explosive alongwith 2000 pellets which makes the total weight of the belt around 40-50kgs, which he was carrying around all day. Everybody failed to take notice of him.
2. The jammers were not working since the start of the procession. Makhdoom Amin Fahim can be seen talking on mobile phone.
3. Bomb blast occured just after BB went inside. She didn’t go inside since the start of the procession.
4. There were two blasts in close proximity, the first blast apparently didnot kill the suicide bomber while many did die from its impact.
5. BB’s assertion that street lights were turned off have been proven incorrect based on television footage.
6. BB is confident that these were suicide bombers from waziristan, even after being told that she has many enemies and possibility of a car bomb cannot be denied.
7. The blast did not affect any of the PPP leadership, but all the casulaties were of poor workers and supporters who were bought in by the party. The party assigned a target of 4 buses per UC. A commision of Rs. 2000 per bus was given to the nazim. Each bus carried around 100 people (Party sources).
8. There were no craters in the road that indicate suicide attacks.
9. Party does not demand an investigation, while government’s deadline of 48-hours assigned to investigators has passed.

The above could be a series of co-incidences or can be deeply connected. There seem to be some missing links due to which I cannot conclude anything right now until there is further information. However, it sure looks fishy.

Bitch Fights – 3

Welcome to another edition of Bitch Fights!

Today is yet another recurring historic day that the masses have grown tired of. Right now 20,000 police personnel are waiting to welcome ex-prime minister BB.

As usual here in Karachi, we are witness a voluntary curfew by people due to the fear of thieves and vandals.

A bit about BB can be found here.

May God help us get rid of this menace as well as all the other monkeys. May Allah give us the brains to comprehend our world.

Update: 135 killed in a bomb blast which targeted the convoy of BB. Workers and Police personnel killed, BB and officials survive.

So yet another carnage, yet another bloody day.

Bitch Fights – 3

Welcome to another edition of Bitch Fights!

Today is yet another recurring historic day that the masses have grown tired of. Right now 20,000 police personnel are waiting to welcome ex-prime minister BB.

As usual here in Karachi, we are witness a voluntary curfew by people due to the fear of thieves and vandals.

A bit about BB can be found here.

May God help us get rid of this menace as well as all the other monkeys. May Allah give us the brains to comprehend our world.

Update: 135 killed in a bomb blast which targeted the convoy of BB. Workers and Police personnel killed, BB and officials survive.

So yet another carnage, yet another bloody day.

Musharraf and BB – Love affair now over

What will Musharraf do now?

That is the ultimate question on everybody’s mind. Certainly the unavoidable is about to happen.

With the ‘deal’ now in shambles and taliban now taunting musharraf, it appears musharraf is cornered. With events such as the pathetic Earthquake Relief Operations, Chief Justice sacking, Red Mosque blunder, Waziristan mayhem, Bugti Killing and now this section of Northern Bypass crumbling and a lot of blood on Musharrafs hands, times are testing.

From a citizen’s perspective, life has been tough here lately. We have suffered the worst days of our lives, in the horrible traffic jams of Karachi or without power with mercury levels touching 40+ C. Bad infrastructure is not only the worry, but corrupt government officials add to the misery.

So what are the prospects for Musharraf? Bright! Why?

The very reason being that he has incompetent opponents, who do not know how to run the country. Lets start with Benazir, her terms have seen widespread corrupt practices accounting for billions of dollars that largely came from “commisions” on business deals for Pakistan government. The most famous being the kickback on 32 Mirge Planes and the controversial thermal Independant Power Projects (we could have established hydro based projects which were sustainable and had low operating expense) the effects of which are seen to this day. During here tenure we saw lack of concrete economic policies to utilize the rich resource base of Pakistan.

Nawaz Sharif has been another thorn in Pakistan’s history. As usual he has been corrupt and inefficient. The much hyped “Karz utaro Mulk Sawaro” (Payoff Debt, Enervate the Country) called for the public to donate its money to help Pakistan pay-off its mounting debt. As usual our patriotic public gave loads of money which ended up paying for the decorated mansions of Raiwind (a place in Punjab) for Nawaz. Pakistan went through the worst economic crisis in his tenure as sanctions were imposed after we went Nuclear (This one glorious gift helped deflate India’s ever-growing ego). Kargil War added to the miseries, and eventually he was dethroned by Musharraf.

Musharraf siezed power in 1998 from Nawaz. A brilliant strategist or not, that I cannot conclude due to the lack of evidence. However, the experts believe that Kargil conflict “showed a shocking lack of strategy” on Musharraf’s part. Educated in Turkey, he has grown fond of Kemal Ataturk’s view of a secular nation. This is why we have been seeing a lot of “enlightened moderation” speeches lately. On the whole “our leader” likes to feed his ego. One good thing he did was revive the economy when it was in a state of neglect.

At the time Musharraf took over the government, Pakistan was regarded as a failed state by many international experts, as it was close to bankrupt. Total foreign exchange reserves were less than one month’s import. Investor confidence was at an all-time low. – Wikipeda

The bottomline

Pakistan was in an economic mess before 1998. We saw decline in FDI, high debt levels, high unemployment etc. And now we are growing at 7% per annum.

It is unlikely that either BB or Nawaz take charge due to a strong opposition by business community and particularly by foreign investors, that now act as a natural hedge for a new five-year term for Musharraf. It is due to the billions of dollars invested here, “altruistic” Uncle Sam do not want us to get rid of the dictator. The fear of another “radical Islamist” (after Iran) rattling nukes makes the west wet their pants. So the dictator is not going anywhere, strap on and enjoy the ride.

Musharraf and BB – Love affair now over

What will Musharraf do now?

That is the ultimate question on everybody’s mind. Certainly the unavoidable is about to happen.

With the ‘deal’ now in shambles and taliban now taunting musharraf, it appears musharraf is cornered. With events such as the pathetic Earthquake Relief Operations, Chief Justice sacking, Red Mosque blunder, Waziristan mayhem, Bugti Killing and now this section of Northern Bypass crumbling and a lot of blood on Musharrafs hands, times are testing.

From a citizen’s perspective, life has been tough here lately. We have suffered the worst days of our lives, in the horrible traffic jams of Karachi or without power with mercury levels touching 40+ C. Bad infrastructure is not only the worry, but corrupt government officials add to the misery.

So what are the prospects for Musharraf? Bright! Why?

The very reason being that he has incompetent opponents, who do not know how to run the country. Lets start with Benazir, her terms have seen widespread corrupt practices accounting for billions of dollars that largely came from “commisions” on business deals for Pakistan government. The most famous being the kickback on 32 Mirge Planes and the controversial thermal Independant Power Projects (we could have established hydro based projects which were sustainable and had low operating expense) the effects of which are seen to this day. During here tenure we saw lack of concrete economic policies to utilize the rich resource base of Pakistan.

Nawaz Sharif has been another thorn in Pakistan’s history. As usual he has been corrupt and inefficient. The much hyped “Karz utaro Mulk Sawaro” (Payoff Debt, Enervate the Country) called for the public to donate its money to help Pakistan pay-off its mounting debt. As usual our patriotic public gave loads of money which ended up paying for the decorated mansions of Raiwind (a place in Punjab) for Nawaz. Pakistan went through the worst economic crisis in his tenure as sanctions were imposed after we went Nuclear (This one glorious gift helped deflate India’s ever-growing ego). Kargil War added to the miseries, and eventually he was dethroned by Musharraf.

Musharraf siezed power in 1998 from Nawaz. A brilliant strategist or not, that I cannot conclude due to the lack of evidence. However, the experts believe that Kargil conflict “showed a shocking lack of strategy” on Musharraf’s part. Educated in Turkey, he has grown fond of Kemal Ataturk’s view of a secular nation. This is why we have been seeing a lot of “enlightened moderation” speeches lately. On the whole “our leader” likes to feed his ego. One good thing he did was revive the economy when it was in a state of neglect.

At the time Musharraf took over the government, Pakistan was regarded as a failed state by many international experts, as it was close to bankrupt. Total foreign exchange reserves were less than one month’s import. Investor confidence was at an all-time low. – Wikipeda

The bottomline

Pakistan was in an economic mess before 1998. We saw decline in FDI, high debt levels, high unemployment etc. And now we are growing at 7% per annum.

It is unlikely that either BB or Nawaz take charge due to a strong opposition by business community and particularly by foreign investors, that now act as a natural hedge for a new five-year term for Musharraf. It is due to the billions of dollars invested here, “altruistic” Uncle Sam do not want us to get rid of the dictator. The fear of another “radical Islamist” (after Iran) rattling nukes makes the west wet their pants. So the dictator is not going anywhere, strap on and enjoy the ride.