Meaning of ‘mullah’Writing in the Jang, Ataul Haq Qasimi commented on an interview of Aitzaz Ahsan in the Nawa-e-Waqt magazine, saying that mullaiyat (mullahism) was not proving itself capable of tolerating other people’s point of view and not taking a no for an answer to one’s own. Qasimi totally agreed with the opinion and said that in Pakistan, people held strong views and were intolerant of others’ views. In his experience leftwing persons never had the patience to hear him out and were true to Aitzaz Ahsan’s yardstick.
Shaukat Aziz will go after the budget!
Talking to the Nawa-e-Waqt, PMLN leader Javed Hashmi said from jail that after the 2005-06 budget, Musharraf would get rid of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, after which the National Assembly would be dissolved and Musharraf would rule for one year as a dictator on permission of the Supreme Court. Musharraf will head a national government, he said.
Expatriate Pakistanis don’t want culture
According to the Nawa-e-Waqt, Pakistanis in Dubai asked religion minister Ijazul Haq to put a ban on cultural troupes going to the Gulf area. The federal religion minister was inaugurating a mosque there. They said such cultural delegations were spreading immoral activities in the Gulf. The minister promised that there would no such cultural troupes in the future. He praised the Pakistanis for building such a grand mosque with their hard earned money.
Benazir will rule again!
Quoted in Khabrain, famous astrologer Yaseen Wattoo stated that new elections would be held before April 2006 after which Benazir Bhutto will rule as prime minister while Nawaz Sharif would be the opposition leader. However, his brother Shehbaz Sharif would be the chief minister of the Punjab once again. The future of PMLQ was bleak and it will suffer its worst fate. Majlis Amal (MMA) will go into decline and Rao Sikandar will go back to the PPP. He said Imran Khan will be nowhere near power while Ijazul Haq and Manzur Wattoo will also be nowhere. There will be an Indo-Pak war before 2012 and the Kashmir dispute will never be resolved.
Masked examinees not allowed
According to the Nawa-e-Waqt, several masked (naqab posh) women candidates taking MA exams at the Punjab University, Lahore, were not allowed into the exam hall by the administrators. The masked ladies raised slogans outside the exam hall and rang up the governor in protest.
General Zia was best
Quoted in the Jang, a son of General Zia, Anwarul Haq, said that General Zia was the best ruler of Pakistan. Zia warded off the domination of Christians (Nusrani) and Jews (Yuhud) and was the liberator of Afghanistan and Kashmir. He asked the critics to talk to the Afghans and the Kashmiris for a proper opinion about Zia. He said the Friend of Pakistan (Mohsin-e-Pakistan), Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was patronised by Zia, which made Pakistan impregnable. He said if the state institutions had broken down, Zia was not to blame for it. According to the Khabrain, Anwarul Haq said that Zia breathed new life into the dead horse of the Muslim League. Later many politicians rode this horse to power a number of times and killed it.
Quranic verses taken off from Mall Road
According to the Nawa-e-Waqt, Maulana Muhammad Islam Saeedi of Majlis Ulema Nizamiya condemned the government’s measure of taking off the Quranic verses hung earlier on the trees and poles on Lahore’s central road, the Mall Road. He said it was a question for the entire Muslim community in the world. He said it was an insult to their faith. The ulema gathered at the Press Club and raised angry slogans against America.
A secret pact about Nawaz Sharif
Writing in the Jang, Nazeer Naji stated that in recent statements, it had finally come to light that a secret pact existed about Nawaz Sharif but it was between the Musharraf government and Saudi Arabia. According to this pact, Nawaz Sharif and family would have to stay in Saudi Arabia till 2010.