Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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:salam:

Ladies and gentlemen, we have Shamraz Khan with us for the 3rd episode of **Unplugged With Guppies. ****Shamraz **is a senior member of GS and a former moderator of PA.

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Unplugged With Shamraz Khan

**4: What is your political orientation?
**I’d say center left liberal on most issues.

**5: Which political party do you support and why? Please explain the reasons in case if you do not support any party.
**I don’t really support any political groups per se, but I think compare to other parties PPP is still the best option (mainly because of it’s a secular national party).

6: Have you ever read complete manifesto of your party? Does it matter to you at all?
No, I haven’t.

7: Do you believe that your party has a good team to run the country and tackle issues like governance, corruption, loadshedding, security?
I think it is easy to blame political parties, but people should not be always looking toward government to solve all of their problems. Often, governments are the problem, but having said that, many of those problems can’t be solve by one party or a person.

8: Has your party ever been in power in the Centre or in provinces? If yes, how did it perform?
PPP has been in power few times & performance hasn’t been stellar.

9: Are you satisfied with the policies of your party? Also, do you believe your party is heading in the right direction?
Skipped

10: Are you satisfied with the role of your party in country’s political, socio-economic, defense and law & order fields, even if it has never been in power?
Skipped

**11: In your opinion, what are the top-most plus and top-most minus points of your party?

**Skipped
**12: What do you think of presidential form of government?
**I like presidential form of government. I find parliamentary system of government really messy, unstable & confusing.

13: Your take on judicial activitism?
As lawyer, I oppose judicial activism. I think judges should interpret the law as written by the people’s representatives & should not be making laws from bench b/c it can have harmful effects on governing institutions. In Pakistan’s case, the judiciary has gone haywire & judges have seriously undermined the credibility of the judicial system by appearing blatantly partisans when dealing with government. Politicians are suppose to be partisan & populist; judges are suppose to judicious and should not play popular politic or fight for spot light on national airwaves.

**14: Are you satisfied with the role of the Senate in the country?
No, I think senators should be elected directly & the Senate should have more powers when it comes to decision/policy making. Also…
1) I think current terms of assemblies should be cut from 5 years to 4 years, including the senate.
2) President & senators should be elected directly by popular vote.
3) Members of the Parliament should not be allowed contest on more than one seat & they must reside in the constituency they represent.
**
15: Are you okay with officially-approved electioneering budgets for provincial and national assemblies? (Rs5m for NA and Rs30m for PA)
Skipped

16: To govern a vast country of over 18 million population, the bigger the cabinet, the better?
No, bigger is not always better.

17: Do you think that some key ministries should be managed only by technocrats, or it must be an elected representative of people to handle any department?
Yes. I think people running the ministries should know what they are doing & elected members of the parliament should be bared from having 2 titles minister/mp/senator, etc. If they want to be ministers they should resigned from the Parliament.

18: Who is your favourite politician outside your favourite political party?
Skipped

19: Who is your favourite politician who appears in TV shows?
Skipped

20: What is your favorite current affairs show (national or international)?
Skipped

Thank you Shamraz for your time :slight_smile:

[note]Members are welcome to pose further questions to Shamraz or debate any part of his interview. Please follow interview etiquettes while you interact with the interviewee. Thank you.[/note]

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

Oh wow! This is one survey I would never like to take!

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

I want his opinion on IK and Altaf Hussain

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

Bhai qasr-e-nafsi sey kaam lay rahay hain.

Looking at answers of the next three questions and situation on the ground, 'Hasn't been stellar' is a little understatement, no?

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

This is unfair to PPP, they did pretty well, and would have done extremely well if they have not done few things and would have done few other things... now please do not ask what few things they shouldn't have done and what few thing they should have done

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

You said you "don’t really support any political groups per se," but "compare to other parties PPP is still the best option." Do you think PPP has a good cadre of specialists to run the country?

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

I think AH is terrorist who has killed many people & MQM would be better of w/o him. I think w/o him MQM could really branch out through out the country and maybe even end dynastical/feudal politics in the country. Sadly, it seems, AH's survival & luxurious life that enjoys depends on current system.

As for IK, I think he is a good sportsman & philanthropist, but bad politician. I really do no understand why someone like him would throw away everything that he has accomplished to be dragged through mud. I remember someone here suggesting that Abdul Sattar Edhi be made president...I was thinking why? I mean the man has done so much for the country's needy and destitute why must he be dragged into dirty world of politics at this age? And beside, just b/c you are good sportsman or a philanthropist doesn't mean you'd be a good leader.

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

The reason I skipped some of the questions was b/c I don't really know nitty gritty of how politics work in Pakistan. I have never voted in Pakistan & my answers were general in nature & more philosophical than ideological.

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

I think PPP is a national political party & it represents unity of the country, unlike other ethnic or religious parties. As for cadre of specialists, I think they have very feudal mindset, and from feudal system that is all you're going to get...feudal landlords. Unless you can change that, nothing will ever change in the country.

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

^ Do you think PPP would ever want the feudal system to weaken, as thats their strength. As soon as people get free from the shackles of feudals they will start holding the government responsible for their woes.

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

No, b/c as long as it benefits those in power, why would they change it? Btw, one of thing that Mushrraf did was to introduced local bodies system & I think that was a good system...where local needs/problems could be addressed at local level, and sadly that was undone by current govt.

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

To me, it shows his feelings for the country that despite having all that we cannot even dream of, he still decided to do something for the country and for the nation and gave up his comfort.

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

Shamraz what is your take on the reopening of the Nato supply routes?

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

Amal, as old adage goes beggars can't be choosers. None-withstanding, what PTI and religious parties think, Pakistan needs America more than America needs Pakistan. Had Pakistan refuse to open NATO supply routes, there could have been serious consequences for county & given precarious economic situation, Pakistan can ill afford all out confrontation with the US. So, I think Pakistan made its point...so its best that we move on.

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

I agree with you that the local body system was good, if there were flaws in it they could have been rectified but I dont know what the democratic governments are scared of.

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

I think one of the flaw was lack of financial independence. Give local authorities taxing power so they can support their own programs. So, no local bodies system can be viable unless it has power/means to control its own finances.

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

You have quite conviniently ignored the fact that MQM's militant structure is not making of AH alone its something that runs through the party.

Are you dismissing IK bcoz he is a good philanthropist and shud not enter dirty politics? And what do you mean by bad politician? Does he have to be a liar like Nawaz, Corrupt like Zardari or a killer like Altaf to be taken seriously?

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

Every party has its own militant structure & not just MQM. Karachi is good example of turf war between gangs from various groups, including PPP, MQM, ANP & other jihadi terrorists.

No, I'm dismissing IK b/c he plays JI type negative/protest politic & b/c of the fact that he is just a puppet whose strings are being pulled by power that to be. Oh, and he also supports Taliban. Few years back IK was more than willing to turn Swat into Taliban kingdom. He also supported or opposed, one time or another, NS, PPP/Zardari, JI & Mushrraf. It kind of makes me question his judgement & character...what does he really believes in?

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

You can't really claim that PPP, ANP, PML-N have militant structures. PPP and ANP have no miltants outside karachi and even in Karachi, its the gangs that have affiliated themselves for political gains with these parties unlike MQM which has organised its miltant wings from the beginning.

What about PPP/Zardari being puppets of powers to be. When it comes to issues of insurgency, Taliban, foreign policy, they don't have any policy nor they have any will to make one. They are happy to exercise their powers to loot and plunder. How are they any different from Imran?

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Re: Unplugged With Guppies — Shamraz Khan

If supporters of one party/group are attacking or killing rivals than how can you claim that they have no affiliation with that party or a group? Btw, read my original answer. I DID say that MQM operates like terrorist org.

[quote]
What about PPP/Zardari being puppets of powers to be. When it comes to issues of insurgency, Taliban, foreign policy, they don't have any policy nor they have any will to make one. They are happy to exercise their powers to loot and plunder. How are they any different from Imran?
[/QUOTE]

PPP doesn't need to be puppet b/c its the govt in center. So, yes, buck stops with them & that is for voters to decide how to reward/punish them. Btw, foreign policy is mostly dictated from GHO & not by the foreign office. As for how are they any diff, from IK...if there is no diff, as you're implying, than what is the point of PTI? Isn't that kind of make PTI redundant?