Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The Lost Glory of Pakistani Media By Iftikhar Chaudri


Pakistan’s Media is in an embryonic state- this is the principal argument, which is being given,  in relation to Pakistani Media , when its demerits are under-discussion. How long this state can persist? In fact with the commercialization of the Media, many factors are stitched to the wayward growth of it. The reader and viewers are being devoid of ‘journalism of news content’ and commercial colors become dominant feature of present Media Realm.

 It is exactly what happened to the classical and neo-classical mega hits, which transform into another ‘genre’, by remixing with rap or ‘jhankar’ music.  I do agree that journalism in modern era is more or less, commercialized.  What we identify in the present circumstances is'" the conduct of a journalist in the factual reporting and tailored/influenced reporting" .

With the passage of time, the mushroom growth of TV Channels, not only opened the Media market but also a Media or Information Industry gets roots. Since the Mushraf Era, the media house owners realized , the importance of its role in the power structure of Pakistan, they started manipulating the things in accordance to their own whims. The restoration campaign of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary , by the civil society and Lawyers community is an eye-opener for the owners of the media houses. The ‘ball-to-ball’ commentary of “the Restoration Campaign”  , on TV channels shocked the military dictator General Musharaf , who was forced to quit the power, later ‘honorably escaped’ to UK.    

Pakistan’s political set up , at the surface, is corrupt and it becomes a lucrative business to invest (mostly black money) in the elections and then earn through the power as a parliamentarian. As witnessed, the Media owners have also started minting money by exploiting corrupt politicians, anti-people Civil Establishment, to the extent, exposing the sacred Cow- the Military Establishment.
 In this game of power and money, the media owners start influencing, directly or indirectly each and every news item, being telecasted. Certainly, they have adopted a role of ‘power broker’.
To achieve their lusty pursuits, the media owner first destroyed the institution of ‘Editor’, ‘News Editor’ and start dictating the terms to their own anchors and journalists, through their ‘ kitchen cabinet’ or team of new manipulators. 

Whatever, an employee journalist writes column, article or posts news items , is mostly cleared from the’ HQ, under the new strategy ’. SO the role of an independent journalist is drastically reduced. The sudden surge in salaries and rapid shuffle or reshuffle of ‘Talk Shows’ anchors, personify the flow of immense wealth, through the power of broker-ship. Almost every anchor acts on behalf of their owners--- rightly and sarcastically termed these anchors as “ Siayasi Adaakar” by Asif Zardari. The corrupt political set-up, gave a stir to media, to play their role in the mainstream political scenario. 

The power ‘Qalam’ and ‘ Camera’ , has been purchased. The journalists who react to the ‘violation of the principles of journalism’ are either sidelined or sacked. The power of money and perks overshadowed, what is called “Professionalism”.  In this whole game of power, a professional working journalist is ‘the most affected individual’, whose job is insecure and can be kicked out, whatever stature he or she holds.   

Today, prominent news channels have rather dangerously attained the ability to sway public opinion (with their sometimes heavily opinionated broadcasting). From airing uncensored violence, showing political ‘cat fights’ to calling government functionaries the ‘mafia’, media ethics have often been kept at bay with the excuse of freedom of expression. While media freedom is still much celebrated in Pakistan and acts as the self-proclaimed savior of the Pakistani people, a combination of unprofessional news channels, political debates-cum-public-bashing-of-politicians and public brainwashing through airing loaded caricatures that call for moral righteousness, all point to the fact that the media industry in Pakistan is still very juvenile. Perhaps eight years is not long enough to attain maturity and professionalism. The media in Pakistan is fast turning into a self-serving (rather than public-serving) industry an industry that glorifies itself, is self-righteous and, most discomforting of all, and has a huge persecution complex.  

First time in the history of Pakistan, the accountability of journalists, is demanded by the civil society and  the intelligentsia. The Malik Riaz Saga, opened Pandora-box of journalists, got money, luxury cars, plots and foreign trips etc, to protect the interests of Land mafia and glorify the ‘deeds’. Many Media groups are utilizing their anchors to protect their financial interests viz a viz government of Pakistan. Reportedly, tax evasion by some groups and securing financial aid in any shape by these power-brokers, is openly in practice . These power-brokers , are masterly creating professional and commercial rivalries among journalists, it not only damaged the credibility of their competitors but also imposed a threat of vulnerability of employee journalists. In this whole game of power, media owners, spared themselves from direct criticism of the masses.  

The media managers of the government failed to justify the allocation of Secret Funds meant for journalists , in Supreme Court. The Apex Court freezed SS Fund of billions of rupees, with immediate effect. They tried to buy the professional sympathies through highest civil awards to some journalists , which is unprecedented , in the history of Pakistan. So far government is waiting the ‘positive outcome’ of the ‘temptation’. 

The News content in Media is reducing day by day, because of the very reason . Now the only threat to the owners of Print and electronic media is- the Social Media…. They are being exposed on this platform – Shaheen Sehbai syndrome, leakage of Malik Riaz / Mubasher Luqman off the Camera chat etc, and accountability for the corrupt journalists are being voiced at social Media.  Despite all the oddities, new TV channels are in the offing and many more new newspapers are appearing to grab or twist the public opinion for their vested interests, before and after the forthcoming General Elections.    

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Shia Target Killings- Is Solidarity of Pakistan Endangered- By Iftikhar Chaudri



The whole nation strongly condemned the  killings of  seven innocent Shia Muslims in two separate sectarian attacks by unidentified gunmen in Quetta, on 1st Sep 2012.. Journalists for International Peace also strongly criticized the barbaric act by anti-state elements who want to shatter the religious harmony and attempt to crate sectarian clashes .


The target killings of Shias , personifies, the complete failure of Pakistan's intelligence and Security agencies, besides shameful role of FC and police. Not even a single target killer of Hazara and Shia community has ever been nabbed by agencies, rather these agencies are allegedly held responsible for increasing " Missing Persons'  in the province . As a defense and strategic analyst, I have strong belief that foreign elements have penetrated into the folds and tiers of local disgruntled elements; that too the complete failure of State institutions; are being patronized by foreign hostile agencies... Our counter intelligence efforts are totally failed.. We didn't identify the agent handlers in Pakistan, so far..

 What is the duty of intelligence and law enforcing agencies???? They are being fed by the taxes of the people of Pakistan and they demonstrated worst performance in the recent days. We have top security brains, we have top strategists, we have brave sons of the soil who are sacrificing their lives for their homeland, then where lies the flaw and loopholes??? The most impotent Chief Minister Aslam Raisani  mostly stays in Islamabad - he has apparently no interest in the provincial matters of law and order...

The phenomenon of target killing of Shia community is not just confined to Balochistan, the buses and coaches are being stopped , mostly in Northern Areas and killers take out the people , get identification through the NIDs and through Kalima Recitations. We failed to identify those so-called religious institutions where this kind of fanatic breed is being prepared and under-nourishment. The role of religious leaders is so pathetic in this regard. Just few terrorists can destroy Pakistan’s top security circles , which even 1965 and 1971 wars didn’t witness. Instaed of considering all the Balochis as anti-state elements , our energies must be focused to nab the agent-handlers and breaking the networks of foreign trained terrorists and their masters, in Pakistan.

Unfortunately, media is receiving ' statements of Tehreek-e Taaliban and those statements are being published and telecasted. But we have miserably failed to locate and identify the  culprits, who issues press releases.. Earlier similar press releases are sent , allegedly by Osama Bin Laden and Aemin uz Zawahiri from unknown places? Our agencies could able to locate their ' unknown places'.   

Pakistan's so-called parliament has approved laws in hours which may suit to all the parliamentarians, rejecting Agriculture Tax,  approve third term for a PM, Head of the party can play havoc with the careers of political fellows,  who wont able to dance to their tunes... But nobody thinks to legislate the anti-terrorist laws in accordance with present wave of ' terror' , a war which is being waged in Pakistan to appease some other country or countries, for certain vested interests. The subject draft bill is playing now a ping pong  game within the parliamentary committee and the other stake holders.

Security  and Law Enforcing Agencies believe , as it is demonstrated in recent weeks , also pointed out by Chief Justice of Pakistan , in SC Registered Quetta, the use force, which proved to be counter- productive. Pakistan's intelligence agencies have to work alot to strengthen their legal department to make robust the gathering of valuable ' evidences' , which may fulfill all the legal requirements for severe punishments to terrorists . It is the institutional weakness of the security and law enforcing agencies that they keep the suspects in ' cells' for months and even failed to gather valuable ' evidences'. To just blame Supreme Court and lower courts for releasing the culprits is not justifiable in the present circumstances. as the Courts require bonafide evidence and witnesses as far as the present law of the land is concerned. 

The recent years also exposed the lack of intelligence ‘ Sources’ or less cultivation of “ valuable sources’ to get intelligence leads or access to the hostile elements. The security paradigm is drastically in the modern warfare, no doubt security agencies are well aware of the   rapid changes in gathering modern intelligence information system. Pakistan agencies needs to utlise their expertise in the field of practical technical surveillance system, which is totally  exposed in the OBL Case. The Mehran Base, GHQ Attack, Attacks on ISI offices, attack on Commando unit at Tarbela and so on, concluded with the analysis that some insiders might have assisted the terrorists, which shows that there is dire need to adopt nationalistic policies, not to succumb to the wishes of ‘foreign masters’ .   

Almost whole Balochistan Assembly is in Ministerial fold, then, why the people at the helm of all affairs failed to perform?? Despite all the reservations, We appeal to president Asif ali Zardari, PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, COAS General Kiyani , DG ISI Lt Gen Zaheer ul Islam-, DG MI and DG FC Balochistan- to undertake measures to identify the culprits and bring in front of Nation- Otherwise, God forbid, whole Pakistan will be put on fire of the sectarian clashes, which is  the principal motive of the hostile agencies and even those enemies who meet us in the garb of true friends. 

The very existence of Pakistan will be at stake , God forbid,  if civil and military brains don’t sit together, with equal national spirit to eradicate the wave of sectarian  terrorism and target- killings.

The writer is Defense and International Relations’ Analyst, President of Journalists for International Peace.


Saturday, July 7, 2012

An Open Letter of Journalists For International Peace to Ban Ki Moon- Genocide of Muslims in Myanmar



Mr  Ban Ki Moon
Secretary General
United Nations Organization
New York, USA
NO: HQ/Myanmar /A-2
Dated: 6 July 2012

Subject : Massacre of Muslim Community in Myanmar

Dear Secretary General ,

I hope that letter of mine will find you in the best of health and prosperity. I am pushed to write the pathetic condition of Muslims of Myanmar , with special reference to the present massacre.

Myanmar has a population 75 million with meager portion of 0.7 million of the Muslim population. The Burmese Muslims have been under this affliction after 1962 when the Army usurped the power in Burma. It all started on 3rd June 2012 when 11 innocent Muslims were killed by the Burmese Army and the Buddhist mobs after bringing them down from a bus. A vehement protest was carried out in the Muslim majority province of Arakan, but the Protestants fell victims to the tyranny of the mobs and the army.

Trying to elude capture and an imminent killing; Burmese Muslims thronged to the Bangladeshi border, but all they met was dismay. The Government of Bangladesh refused to offer them asylum. Whish is another painful story 

Over 500 Muslim villages have been incinerated hither-to. Thousands have been exterminated. The persecution of the Burmese Muslims at the hands of the Buddhist mobs is at its full swing. Yet all the human rights organizations have maintained a criminal silence up till now. Has the Muslim world become so callous that they remain undeterred by such genocide?

This is not a new thing or an unprecedented massacre. Muslims have been a subject to such hostility even before. If we go through the annals of history we come to the very tenable conclusion that Muslims were always on the suffering side. Islam is a religion of peace and harmony. It doesn’t allow its followers to lay-waste any other tenet. This leaves behind a big question mark. Why are the followers of such a peaceful religion being oppressed from time to time?

In the present circumstances, UNO has more responsibility than that of just sending aid teams in the respective areas, who are even denied access to the grief-stricken Muslims .



According to our information the local Kachin groups have maintained  that the Burmese army is preventing UN aid agencies from transporting humanitarian supplies to 30 refugee camps sheltering thousands of Kachins who are now facing severe food shortages.

“The UN convoys were only permitted to transport aid to the five camps that are in the Mae Ja Yang area. There are 30 other sites still waiting for food and other supplies,” said Samang Kada Doi Pyi Sa, the chairman of the IDPs and Refugees Relief Committee, which is based in the town of Laiza along the Sino-Burmese border.

Laiza also hosts the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), which is engaged in an ongoing conflict with Burmese government forces in Burma’s restive northernmost region. In recent days, the Burmese army has reinforced its positions around the city where some 10,000 refugees or displaced persons are currently sheltering. Deprived of UN aid, refugees depend on supplies from the KIO. However, local groups say that the Kachin army is only able to provide the most basic rations such as rice, fish paste and salt.

“There are 1,500 schoolchildren who need education, but we do not have enough teachers or space for schools or classrooms. We can only cope with part-time classes,” said La Rip, the coordinator of the Laiza-based Relief Action Network for Refugees. He said that, typically, one teacher in Laiza managed about 100 students in one class. In other KIO-controlled areas, there are not enough schools to accommodate an estimated 21,000 children nor are there funds to build more schools. “The UN has a duty to help these refugees,” said Samang Kada Doi Pyi Sa, echoing the view from other local Kachin groups that the UN must find other ways to deliver its aid to those in need.

“The UN cannot just wait until the Burmese government gives them permission to enter,” he said. “They must take the initiative now—before it is too late.” Aid workers at camps have also voiced grave concerns over sanitary conditions, especially during this rainy season when tropical diseases can easily spread. Fighting in Kachin State broke out last June, ending a 17-year-old ceasefire between the KIO and government forces. Since then, about 70,000 villagers have been forced to flee their homes. The KIO says the Burmese government is fighting to gain control of the natural sources in Kachin State. Repeated attempts at negotiations and orders by Burmese President Thein Sein to find a ceasefire have so far failed to end military operations.

Dear Secretary General, in the case of powerful groups and countries and where the vested interests of ‘ super power’ are involved Security Council convened emergency meetings. Please tell me if similar genocide of Jews takes place  in Philistine or anywhere in the world? Would the UNO authorities refuse to opt military action?? I personally think the UNO is doing a irreversible mistake in the history of human civilization, by not dealing the situation with iron hand. Unfortunately, Even Nobel Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, does not consider Muslims as citizens. She is the lady , for whom Muslim youth have a very soft corner and launched campaigns in their respective countries during her arrest/ detention period.     
 
Unfortunately, the international Media personifies a highly objectionable behavior and keeps a criminal silence, besides all ‘International Champions’ of Human Rights in the European Union and USA.  The voice of Muslim leadership is also so feeble that they cannot hear it by their own ears. In the present circumstances I personally feel that UNO is the only hope which can play a positive role is stopping the Muslim genocide which may , God forbid another cause of the emanation of ‘Terrorists’ from that area as a reaction.

The fanaticism , extremism and terrorism have, at least one unanimous route-cause , that is the denial of civic rights to a particular group ( religious or ethnic) or party  and crush them or try to eliminate them by force.

I , as a President of Journalists For International Peace and my thousands of members around the globe appeal to you to take drastic steps to stop Muslim genocide in Myanmar . It is an historical moment where we can stop the birth of “terrorists’, which may become a permanent irk in the eyes of  ‘Human Rights Champions’ of the world. If the Muslims of Myanmar may take arms or some vested groups start equipping the Muslims, militarily , as alleged for the Muslim reactionary forces of Chechnya, the world will not be considered as safe “ according to the ‘ spirit’ of  the Charter of the UNO”.

Thanking you in anticipation

Yours Truly

Iftikhar Chaudri
President
Journalists For International Peace
Islamabad Pakistan

Saturday, April 14, 2012

A Choice of Country by a Daughter of The Nation By Iftikhar Chaudri


Being a journalist it was always a challenging question for me that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s only child, his daughter Dina Jinnah took right decision to leave Pakistan and got married with a Parsi business tycoon Neville Wadia, or otherwise? Dina's relationship with her father Quaid-e- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah became strained when Dina Jinnah expressed her desire to marry a Parsi-born Indian Neville Wadia. Quaid , a Muslim, tried to dissuade her, but failed. Mahommedali Currim Chagla, who was Jinnah's assistant at the time, recalls: "Jinnah, in his usual imperious manner, told her that there were millions of Muslim boys in India, and she could have anyone she chose. Reminding her father that his wife (Dina's mother Rattanbai), had also been a non-Muslim, a Parsi also coincidently, the young lady replied: 'Father, there were millions of Muslim girls in India. Why did you not marry one of them?' And he replied that, 'she became a Muslim'".

It is said (by Jinnah's associate M C Chagla in " Roses in December") that when Dina married Neville, Jinnah said to her that she was not his daughter any more.It has not been corroborated by any other source. Jinnah allegedly disowned her and the father-daughter relationship became extremely formal after she married.But the legal notice of disowning never came which is essential for legal purposes. They did correspond, but he addressed her formally as 'Mrs. Wadia'. Dina and Neville lived in Mumbai and had two children, a boy and a girl. Dina's son Nusli Wadia became a Christian, but converted back to Zoroastrianism and settled in the industrially wealthy Parsi community of Mumbai. Dina did not travel to Pakistan until her father's funeral in Karachi in September 1948. Their relationship is a matter of legal conjecture and hair splitting as Pakistani laws allow for a person to be disinherited for leaving Islam (hence no claim on Pakistani properties of Jinnah) and Indian laws recognizing religion's traditional succession rules to operate.

Dina Jinnah born in London on 15 August 1919 , she is 92 plus years old lady . After leaving Muhammad Ali Jinnah She got married a struggling businessman, Neville Ness Wadia (22 August 1911 – 31 July 1996)who was an English businessman, philanthropist and a member of the Wadia family, an old Parsi family which, by the 1840s, was one of the leading forces in the Indian shipbuilding industry, having built over a hundred warships for the British and having established trading networks around the world. Born in Liverpool, Neville Wadia was educated at Malvern College and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Although he was born a Parsi, his father renounced the Zoroastrian faith and converted to Christianity. Wadia converted from Christianity to Zoroastrianism later in life.
During the late 19th century, his father, Sir Ness Wadia, played an important role in turning the city of Bombay into one of the world's largest cotton trading centres. In 1952, Neville Wadia succeeded his father as chairman of Bombay Dyeing and under his leadership the company became one of India's most successful and quality-conscious textile concerns. He was also heavily involved in the real estate business in Mumbai and he contributed to building new wings and upgrading several hospitals in Bombay founded by his family, he established a business school in Pune and a host of charitable trusts for Parsees.

After his retirement as chairman of Bombay Dyeing in 1977, he was succeeded by his son, Nusli Wadia. Neville Wadia died in Mumbai three weeks before his 85th birthday.

Nusli Wadia is the son of Dina Wadia , chairman and majority owner of Bombay Dyeing, chairman of the Rs. 6,157 crore Wadia group, is one of the savviest businessmen of India. He is creating a new identity for his group with forays into real estate and retail. One of the richest businessman of India a well-established entrepreneur, a textile magnate and an important person in the real-estate business. The Economic Times once described Nusli Wadia as "the epitome of South Bombay's old money and genteel respectability". He was described as being the only man who could walk in and out of the residences of Lal Krishna Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, when the BJPwas in power, and talk frankly to both of them .

He is a self-styled gladiator who has been in the corporate arena for nearly three decades. His arsenal is impressive — a conglomerate with origins stretching back to the mid-1700s, an easily provoked temper and, perhaps most importantly, an ironclad stomach for combat. Nusli Wadia, chairman of the Wadia group, has proved that for him, life is lived only when in the eye of a storm. For his legions of detractors and admirers, Nusli Wadia is one of the savviest businessmen in the corporate arena, where his financial acumen and legal expertise is much respected. Wadia is the quintessential workaholic whose sartorial selections and impressive personality belie his relatively simple lifestyle

Nusli Wadia is married to Maureen Wadia, a former air hostess, who heads Gladrags magazine and is one of the forces behind the Mrs India beauty pageant. They have two sons: Ness and Jehangir. Ness Wadia is managing director of Bombay Dyeing and co-owner of Kings XI Punjab team in the IPL, and Jehangir Wadia heads Go Air.

In March 2004, Dina came to Lahore, Pakistan to watch a cricket match between Pakistan and India. She considered "cricket diplomacy" to be an enthralling dimension that illustrated an entirely new phase in relations between India and Pakistan. But she and her son Nusli Wadia chose not to share their thoughts with the public on what was certainly a highly emotional encounter. Dina had not travelled to Pakistan since her father's funeral in September 1948. A great sense of drama was embedded in an old woman's visit, as a foreigner, to a country that was founded by her father.

Dina Wadia along with her son, Nusli Wadia and grandsons Ness Wadia and Jehangir Wadia visited the mausoleum of her father to pay homage. She also visited the museum located within the premises of the mausoleum and saw the articles used by her illustrious father. In the visitors' book, Dina wrote: "This has been very sad and wonderful for me. May his dream for Pakistan come true." This would appear to be a very appropriate summation of a life-experience that is essentially inexplicable. Reports said that she asked for copies of three pictures she saw in the mausoleum's antiquities room. In one picture, she is standing with her father and aunt, Fatima Jinnah.

Now , lets talk about the family of Quaid-e –Azam , who chose to stay in Pakistan , as this Pakistan is created under their father’s leadership. It was about the brutal murder of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnahs young great grandson at the hands of Pakistan Police back in 1998, when our beloved Mr. Nawaz Sharif was the Prime Minister of this great land. Sikandar Jinnah was picked up by the police when he went out to buy Parathas for Sehri on the 10th of Ramazan. He was tortured to a slow and painful death, which left his stomach in threads, his eyes bloody and the bones in his body crushed. And they were prompt about the murder too! The body was handed over the very next day to his parents, who live in the slum area of Golimar in Karachi.

What is incredibly sad about this is that most of us don’t even know about this. I didn’t know that Quaid-e-Azams only grandson – the last link in this family chain that we owe everything to – was murdered so brutally. There isn’t even a Wikipedia entry forSikandar Jinnah (Shaheed), except for a brief mention in the Quaid-e-Azam entry. The FIR for the murder was filed two years later, in year 2000, even that only with the help of a retired Brigadier. This is what Sikandar’s mother, Khursheed Begum had to say:

It was January 9, 1998 and 10th of Ramazan, when my only son, Sikandar Ali Jinnah, 17, went out to a nearby hotel to buy Paratha for ‘Sehri’ but did not return home. We searched for him everywhere that day but could not trace him. The very next day the police called us to Jamshed Quarter Police Station to hand over the body of Sikandar, who had been brutally tortured to death. His body bore marks of torture.” “We ran from pillar to post to seek justice but no one helped us, except Brig (retired) Shamsul Haq Qazi, a resident of Rawalpindi, who came to know about the brutal death of Sikandar through media reports and approached us.
And:
Now, we just wish that not a single citizen of the country experiences such brutalities at the hands of the police and there should be someone in the country, especially the reinstated chief justice, who should rein in the police and ensure that no one suffers at their hands.
The five policemen charged with the murder were sentenced to just five years of imprisonment! And soon enough, they were set free on bail and are now roaming free. They probably have been given promotions by now.
On the other hand, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's family barely survives in Quaid’s city, Karachi. The great grand son of Father of the Nation, Quaid-I-Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Mohammad Aslam Jinnah. Aslam is struggling with life in a city where his great grand father was born and buried. He makes no complaint as he commutes back and forth in public transport. This city has more than 1.5 million vehicles; there is none for the poor relatives of Quaid-I-Azam, who bestowed this nation with every luxury one can imagine. Aslam ‘s wife is suffering from cancer, she had surgery and she needs medicines worth many thousand every month.
He is self- respecting man; he can never ask for any favour. Hence quietly he lives on the edge with his family in a two room rented flat in North Nazimabad. The only man who helped this family without asking was Mohammad Mian Soomro, the Senate Chairman. He arranged for the operation of Aslam’s wife. Mohammad Aslam is poor and broken relative of Jinnah Family. Some rich fellows refuse to acknowledge their existence and challenge their claim of Jinnah’s kin. This is wholly unfair and unjustified.
Mohammad Aslam never wants any share in the property left over by Quaid-I-Azam, he just wants to show to the world he is after material things, and he is content with life. His resources are terribly meager; his family hardly survives on what he earns. He supplies homemade paper bags to scores of shopkeepers in the old city area, where his great grand father was born. His wife is sick while daughter is mentally deranged; his sister Khurshid Begum lives in Golimar neighbourhood. She lost her only son, Sikandar Jinnah, after he was tortured to death in Soldier Bazaar police station. That death perhaps shook the whole city. After almost 14 years passed, Khurshid Begum is still struggling to secure real justice and bring those policemen to the books ie the capital punishment, who allegedly murdered her son.
This is tragic and pathetic, every now and then, Jinnah’s family commutes to city court where they ponder on this case for hours, then another hearing is usually fixed. This happens almost in every hearing no judgement is expected in the near future. The family pays expenses for travel and stay at the court. They wait and wait and wait for the justice, which they hope to get in their lifetime.
The only favour, authorities have done to Aslam Jinnah is the provision of a car, which takes his family back and forth to Quaid’s mausoleum on the national days including 23rd March, 14rh August, 25th December and 11th September. This is usually an uphill task for Aslam. He goes to protocol department of Sindh Government, books car for the day and comes back while on his way back he buys flowers to lay on Quaid’s mausoleum. He was seen, going back to his house after buying flowers. On national days, Aslam usually wears black sherwani; this has become old and wrinkled like his face. He never minds atrocities of life. ‘I accept this as my fate. I have no regret. One thing is sure I will never ask for any favour from anybody.’ Aslam and his family members adorn front and back pages of national newspapers and news items on various TV channels. This is the only luxury this family enjoys, so far.
What can be done for Aslam and his sister Khurshid, who barely survive in this largely brutal and cruel Pakistan, where those who were deadly against the country minted money and got away with it. Even now the opponents of Pakistan Ideology thrives well while the Founder’s family suffers silently in agony and pain. The plight of Aslam Jinnah and his sister Khurshid Begum deserve real attention by all. They should not be left to suffer, mainly because they are poor and helpless. If they will get any justice is anybody’s guess.
It was a "matter of shame" for everyone that some family members of "the Quaid-e-Azam", or great leader, were living in miserable conditions, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan Niazi told the lower house of parliament. (August 15, 2007)
"We are indebted to Quaid-e-Azam and his family. It is because of him that we are sitting in the house today. The government has taken notice of their plight and will take every step to help them."
The family is living in a single-room house in a congested street of Baloch Para, one of the most neglected localities of Karachi. The single room (10x10) is being used as kitchen, drawing room as well as bedroom by its inhabitants. A 4x3 washroom is attached with the room that is also being used as toilet. When I entered the house it was being used as kitchen and some meal was being cooked at the stove placed at the corner of the room. Owing to the kitchen being inside the room, the temperature inside was very high and the environment was suffocating.
But the couple has been forced to live in such a deplorable condition for the last 26 years in the singe-room house due to abject poverty. The couple living under such circumstances is none other than the grand daughter of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the Pakistan, Khursheed Begum, and her spouse Mohammad Ali.
It is a matter of extreme shame for the whole nation especially for the government that the family of the father of the nation is leading a pathetic life. It is ironic that on one hand millions of rupees were being spent on the lavish expenses of an army of ministers, state ministers, federal secretaries and on president and prime minister’s houses, but on the other majority of the population of the country, including the family of the father of the nation, was forced to live under miserable conditions and below poverty line.
However, despite the directives of the president and federal government’s assurances on the floor of the house, none of the provincial government officials approached the family.
However, Khursheed Begum said, during a Eid, the Sindh governor visited them and also handed over a cheque of Rs500,000.Despite being in such abject poverty, the couple does not demand any financial assistance from the government. It is the responsibility of the government to provide its citizens the basic necessities. During an interview, the grand daughter of the Quaid said her strongest desire was that every Pakistani could get quick and cheap justice and no one suffered at the hands of the police as she and her family experienced. Narrating the ordeal through which the family had gone through for about nine years, she said her only son was brutally tortured to death in police custody at Jamshed Quarter Police Station in 1998.
It was January 9, 1998 and 10th of Ramazan, when my only son, Sikandar Ali Jinnah, 17, went out to a nearby hotel to buy Paratha for ‘Sehri’ but did not return home. We searched for him everywhere that day but could not trace him. The very next day the police called us to Jamshed Quarter Police Station to hand over the body of Sikandar, who had been brutally tortured to death. His body bore marks of torture.” “We ran from pillar to post to seek justice but no one helped us, except Brig (retired) Shamsul Haq Qazi, a resident of Rawalpindi, who came to know about the brutal death of Sikandar through media reports and approached us,” she remembered. She said Qazi proved to be an ‘angel’ for us and he approached everyone at the helm of affairs from top to bottom and even contacted the then prime minister. His ‘hectic’ efforts to get justice for us bore fruits when in 2000 an FIR of the custodial killing of Sikandar Ali Jinnah (great grandson of the Quaid-i-Azam) was registered against five police officials.
“After that Qazi Sahib helped us constantly and remained in touch with us. He is an ‘angel’ not a man and I deem him as my guardian,” Khursheed Begum said while praying for Qazi. “The cops responsible for the death of my only son were put on trial and consequently handed down five years imprisonment,” she said with tears running down her cheeks. However, she said, the convicts managed to come out on bail within no time after they were sentenced. We moved the high court against the release of the convicts on bail and the case is still being heard by the high court,” she said. She also praised Advocate Qadir Khan, who, she said, pleaded her case in the trial court and now in the high court free of cost.
During the nine-year long ordeal (from 1998 to 2007) not a single government official or minister bothered to inquire about us or help us in getting justice, she complained. “Now, we just wish that not a single citizen of the country experiences such brutalities at the hands of the police and there should be someone in the country, especially the reinstated chief justice, who should rein in the police and ensure that no one suffers at their hands,” she pleaded.
The five policemen charged with the murder were sentenced to just five years of imprisonment! And soon enough, they were set free on bail and are now roaming free. They probably have been given promotions by now.

Coming back to the main point of discussion, Dina Wadia , who was allegedly expelled by Quaid-e-Azam from his life, though the only daughter, is a happy mother, grand mother and grand grand mother , the richest children of India, the country which she chose was , is an arch rival to Pakistan. Her son and grandsons were given all the opportunities to grow and transforms them as multi-billionaire. While the Pakistan killed the only male issue, Sikanker Ali Jinnah , like a dog , by gangster police mafia in Karachi . I think Nusli Wadia can feed this family of Jinnah with golden spoons , but the blood of Quaid runs in their veins, they prefer death over ‘ironic’ alms .
I still think if Dina Wadia , chose Pakistan to live and got married to a Pakistani ? what would be the fate of her and that of her husband?? Did she not witness the mysterious death of her aunt Fatima Jinnah by a dictator General Ayub Khan?? I have strong believe that either Nusli Wadia has been killed by political opponents since long or he or his kids were roaming in the streets of Karachi , like that of Jinnah Family? Or they could meet the fate of Sikander Ali Jinnah. I wept whole night to write this article and still think is it the Pakistan, which created by the Quaid ? Or Quaid’s mausoleum is meant for guard of honors by the disgraced leaders and dictators, misusing the thoughts of Quaid for the vested interests?? Endangered the national integrity and solidarity by institutionalizing the rampant corruption, forcing the common people to commit suicide .?

In my opinion the choice of Dinna Jinnah was absolutely correct as she is one of the happiest lady of India.