IslamicLawBlog

By Ali Khan The Bhutto assassination might force Pakistani rulers to reconsider supporting the war on terror that has been forced upon the entire Muslim world. Just as Spain withdrew from the war in Iraq after the Madrid terrorist bombings, Pakistan too might use Bhutto's death to withdraw from the war in Afghanistan. For sure, Pakistan is no Spain. It will be much harder for corrupt Pakistani rulers to say no to billions of dollars coming from America. If Islamabad does not change its devious ways, however, the war on terror will consume and destroy Pakistan. Subservience and Subversion Since its birth in 1947, Pakistan has been a subservient but subversive ally of the United States. Lacking resources and strong political institutions, Pakistani rulers have played the role of makkar noker (cunning servant) who takes pleasure in servitude but nonetheless resents and subverts the wellbeing of the master. That duplicitous Pakistani officials can outsmart naïve American policymakers ...

Summoning Caesar to Trial in Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan Gaius Julius Caesar, a Roman military and political dictator, is the role model of the military generals of Pakistan. Every Pakistani Chief of the Army Staff, known as the COAS, daydreams of morphing into a Caesar. Since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, four Chiefs have successfully anointed themselves as Caesars. Pervez Musharraf has crowned himself twice to confirm and reconfirm that Caesar has "all powers" to suspend and amend the Constitution at will. The people of Pakistan are angry but quiescent. The politicians are contesting undemocratic elections to share the crumbs of power. However, the lawyers of Pakistan are not supporting Caesar's charkha, the spinning wheel of all powers. Caesar's Charkha Caesar's charkha spins to gather all powers. Before lifting emergency on December 15, Caesar, acting alone, using all powers he had previously bestowed on himself, made several amendments to the Constitution...