President Pervez Musharraf .......... EXCURSIONIST PRESIDENT !!!!!

EXCURSIONIST PRESIDENT !!!!!
M WAQAR

Well the latest news is…..‘’During the past five years, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf traveled to around 40 countries costing the country's exchequer Rs 1.4 billion‘’, I am sure Uncle Sam can figure out now where his Aid money was being spent. I am sure Mush could win American Express frequent traveler points very easily. Lets not forget that Musharraf is the president of one of the poorest countries in the world, where people are compelled to auction their children for the sake of bread, sell their kidneys or to commit suicide, Innocent people getting killed by suicide bombers but president of this poor nation spend such a huge money on his world tours, this money could be spend on education, getting rid of load shedding and so many other projects and problems Pakistanis face every day .It is a fact that such heavy expenses from public exchequer were not spent by the heads of any other conutry like China, India, Russia, USA, Germany, Canada and UK, who are the richest countries of the world. There are over 40 million people in Pakistan who cant read or write,Rs.1.4 billions on foreign tours by Mush could built world class schools and colleges. It is really disgusting. I think Pakistanis deserve to know why such money was spend on useless so called diplomatic tours. Is there anyone in Pakistan who thinks and cares about poor people, people who are begging on streets, people who are committing suicides because of poverty, selling kids and their body parts. I don’t understand how Pakistanis president and other elite face leaders of developed countries, in those countries their leaders care about their nation, people. I don’t think Pakistan’s leaders have any self respect or ego. Musharraf claimed to save Pakistan from two scourge: corrupt, money-grubbing politicians and Islamic extremists but he failed because his intentions were not sincere. He is corrupt just like any other military dictator and politician of Pakistan. On these tours, Musharraf not only spent with an open heart and both hands but also took with him more than thousand people on these tours to show the world his generosity. According to the media reports, the Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi told National Assembly that, President Musharraf was on foreign tour every 50th day on average and spent a total of 201 days abroad during these five years. In these tours, Musharraf didn't’ reside at embassy or at the house of any ambassador, rather he selected the most plush and posh residence for him and for his entourage. Following are the countries President Musharraf visited during Jan 2003 - Jan 2008 with number of visits to each of the country:

Russian Federation (1); Malaysia (3); Saudi Arabia (8); US (6); UK (3); Germany (1); France (3); Tunisia (1); Algeria (1); Morocco (2); Canada (1); China (2); Korea (1); Turkey (4); Switzerland (3); Sweden (1); Finland (1); Azerbaijan (1); Netherlands (1); Italy (1); UAE (5); Afghanistan (3); Brazil (1); Argentina (1); Mexico (1); Kyrgyzstan (1); Uzbekistan (1); India (1); Indonesia (2); Philippines (1); Qatar (1); Australia (1); New Zealand (1); Kuwait (1); Yemen (1); Norway (1); Belgium (2); Cuba (1); Jordan (1); Syria (1); Egypt (1); Iran (1); Spain (1); Poland (1) and Bosnia (1).

Musharraf’s stay at a luxurious hotel opposite of Hyde Park(UK) had cost Rs. 2 Million or roughly £17,000 per night to Pakistani tax payers. I think this money could save some Pakistanis who were going to commit suicide because of poverty. This is Pakistan’s President who can not see the people hunger and poverty in his country. Wonderful, Mr. President wonderful!!! You abused, accused and insult the most honorable chief justice of Pakistan of negligence and corruption, but you abused your own self and insulted your colleagues. You have proved that misusing of power spending the govt. exchequer lavishly is a noble cause. Spending millions over night serves the best interest of Pakistani people rather summon the notorious and powerful agencies before the court is dirty job. Flour must be kept out of reach of the people, load shedding, killing and suicide bombing is a noble cause to serve poor Pakistanis. Mr. President, You rule a country, where people even don’t have clean drinki ng water, two-thirds of women and a third of men are illiterate; one in two have extremely hard lives; one in four live desperately below the poverty line. According to the CIA Fact Book on Pakistan, last year the per capita income was $600 ($33,940 in the UK). Eighteen percent of the Pakistani budget goes on the military, while a meager 1% is spent on health and 2% on education. What this means is that Pakistan has among the richest generals and politicians in the world. The army controls aviation, agriculture, housing, industry, every aspect of the economy, and it dispenses patronage in order to divide and rule the opposition. There is no sanitation; no roads; inferior hospitals; poor utilities; rotten water; few state schools. It is estimated that about 32% of Pakistan's population are below the food poverty line rising from a level of 26% in 1988 (GoP, 2002), and about 44% are below the poverty line on the human poverty index (UNDP, 2002). And Musharraf has the nerve, after eight years in power, to say, "I have the national interest foremost." By 2007, Pakistan was among the world’s most dangerous places. This transformation is the result of Musharraf’s long, incompetent rule. His long, highly extravagant foreign tours to publicize his book or beg for more aid are hardly helpful in fighting terrorism or poverty. Musharraf spent billions on image improvement through ‘Enlightened Moderation’, and people are still confused as to what end all that money went???

It is shame that Pakistan is becoming ‘’kidney bazaar’’ but Pakistan’s elite is not aware of this. The rich constitute a very small percentage of the total population but command most of the resources. They live in palatal houses, drive luxury cars, and are educated in elite institutions. Conversely, the poor make up a very large portion of the population but do not have access to basic amenities, such as health, education and safe drinking water.

In February 2000, Mr Shahid Javed Burki (one of Pakistan’s most respected economists and then working in the World Bank) predicted that by the year 2010 Pakistan’s population would reach 170 million of whom 80 million (47 per cent) would be living below the poverty line. I wonder what will be suicide rate because of poverty?

Although Musharraf is not the only one, there is a history of Pakistani elite and bourgeois who spend and stole nation’s money, but it is really disgusting to look at these figures spend on foreign tours by Pakistan’s elite but poor are committing suicides. I don’t have any faith in Pakistani politicians either and I am sure the new Govt officials will do the same thing. It is shame that in Pakistan a terrorist mullah can be released but a journalist like Rehmat Shah Afridi of FP stays in prison.