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Muslim Affairs Page.
Answer
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Name
Aamiri Tahssin
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Profession
Question
I think This is a start of a new Pakistan that will definitely know the way to democracy after it goes into a coming severe period of violence that will hit all the country's whereabouts and end up with a new reality. Do you think Bhutto's death will revive the hope of having a democratic system in Pakistan or the country will go deeper and deeper towards an abyss.
Answer
Yes, This is a start of a new Pakistan. There are a lot of challenges ahead and the country really needs to address those challenges in an articulate way. There is a hope that a new leadership would emerge after Benazir and would lead the country on the basis of their political merits rather than just family legacies.
Name
Hussein
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Profession
Question
Who do you think is behind this brutal act of assassination? . Do you think Pakistan is now heading to total chaos after Bhutto's killing?
Answer
Al-Qaeda is behind it. Pakistan would face serious problems after Benazir's murder but it would be controlled.
Name
Talal Sidiqi
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Profession
Question
Who will be the coming leader that will inherit the legacy of the Bhutto's family and the Pakistan People's Party. Do you think this party will get more supporters in Pakistan or it will decline after Bhutto.
Answer
Of course, Pakistan People's Party would suffer a lot after Ms Bhutto. There is nobody except of Ms Bhutto's niece and her rival Fatima Bhutto who could be the flag bearer of Bhutto's family. Nevertheless, she would be unable to emerge as a cohesive force to bind the party ranks.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
Who do you think is the first to blame for the killing of Bhutto? Second, who will get the most political benefits from her absence?
Answer
Al-Qaeda killed her. They admitted to media as well. They were obsessed to her killing because they considered it as an American precious asset against Al-Qaeda.
The most political beneficiary is Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan People's Party lacks any cohesive force after Ms Bhutto which would bind the party under one umbrella.
Nawaz Sharif provides the alternative to PPP workers and leaders and I think that most Party leaders would prefer to join Nawaz's Pakistan Muslim League rather than working under a very controversial Asif Zardari's leadership.
Name
Ahmed Ali
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Profession
Question
Salams. Do you think violence will continue to spread all over Pakistan the way we see on TV now? Will the Pakistanis go on ruining the state-owned facilities until they topple Musharraf , or this is a ruled out expectation? Thanks.
Answer
Salam. Pakistan has to work hard to correct the existing faultiness in the political system, otherwise neither Musharraf nor Nawaz Sharif, or any other person would be effective to handle the critical situation in the country.
Apparently, violence would intensify.
Name
Samir
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Profession
Question
What will the US, the Pakistan close ally, do for the coming period. Do you think Bush will pay no heed to Bhutto's death for the sake of his military ally Musharraf, or he will start a new policy of more pressures against Musharraf?
Answer
Benazir's death is a major blow to the US designs in the region. The entire scheme to place liberal democratic forces in the parliament aiming to provide popular and political support to US led war on Terror has greatly suffered.
At the same time, this event strengthens Musharraf's bargaining position with Washington. Washington did make a backup arrangement in army in the shape of General Kiyani in case something happens to Musharraf.
Ms Benazir Bhutto was a political alternative to Musharraf in case something happens to Musharraf, or as a tool to pressurize him. Since Ms Bhutto is no more, there is no political substitute available and this only gives Musharraf enough space to manipulate.
Name
Abdulmajeed
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Profession
Question
Salam Alikom, and thanks for this opportunity.
Do you expect the general elections to be postponed, or Musharraf will go on without considering the agitated situation after Bhuttp's assassination? What do you expect?
Answer
Elections would have to be postponed. Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League has already announced the boycott and it leaves no option for Pakistan People's Party but to boycott the elections. The events in the coming days would further confirm.
Name
Muhammad Asad
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Profession
CA Student
Question
Assalam o alaikum,
Don't you think that all happened for good, i.e. Benazirs assassination. As we know also previosuly that she looted from the national treasury into her personal account, and yet she wanted to come back to power once again for her personal agenda, of course in the name of democracy. How far do you agree? Thanks.
Answer
Nobody can support the assassination. If she did any crime, the court of law was the forum to decide not any individual. As journalists, we do assess that her killing was the result of her all out support to US agenda, but it was the people of Pakistan who were to refuse or accept her agenda through votes.
Killing should not be the answer.
Name
Yousuf
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Profession
Question
I see Al-Qaeda is now setting the agenda for Pakistan. Do you think the pro-Taliban groups in Pakistan are going to have a dominant influence over the country? Has Musharrf become no longer able to eliminate them?
Answer
Obviously Al-Qaeda is setting the agenda for Pakistan because of its major stakes. Taliban is acceptable to the government of Pakistan, but Al-Qaeda is not. If at any point Pakistan builds bridges with Taliban, Al-Qaeda would be isolated and shall not find any place in the world to move out.
Pakistan's military operations actually made Taliban popular in the tribal areas. There was no such thing as Pakistani Taliban till 2003. But in 2007, they are the major players.
Previously Taliban was just a Pashtun tribal phenomena but now it has a deep ideological coloring which has made difficult for Musharraf to eliminate them, as ideological movements cannot be eliminated.
Name
Khalid
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Profession
publisher - restoringthemind.com
Question
Pakistan was undergoing rapid development in the past 5 years or so, and improving and strengthening, this is clear. But now with the murder of Benazir this improving situation in Pakistan might come to an end. Who murdered Benazir? Who would benefit from this? Who would benefit from a decline in Pakistan's improving prospects?
Answer
If you reckon the progress in the foreign exchange reserves, better performance of the stock market and better export volume as a development you are right but these are only temporary indicators. Pakistan government did nothing to correct the social and political faultiness. Permanent progress achieves when the country is politically and socially stable.
Pakistan just followed the dotted lines in US-led War on Terror and created problems in the society. Pakistan never had the problems with tribal or with Islamists in the past, but by supporting US-led War on Terror, Pakistan has invited problem at home.
Name
Merazi
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Profession
Question
In your opinion, what will be the US new strategy in the battle against terrorism in Pakistan after losing its ally, Bhutto, that was previously prepared to assume this job? Will the US search for an alternative leader?
Answer
After Ms Bhutto, Washington has to find its alliance in smaller groups led by sub-nationalist Pashtun leader Asfandyar Wali, MQM's Altaf Hussain, Maulana Fazlur Rahman etc.
Retired General Pervez Musharraf is also the only choice Washington has to retain as its ally.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
The session has ended. We would like to thank Mr. Syed Saleem for taking the time to answer your questions, and all those who participated in the dialogue.
We apologize for not being able to answer all the questions due to time limitation.
