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Showing posts with the label Asif Ali Zardari

From Civil Service to Foreign Service

By Atta-ul-Haq Qasmi in his editorial column titled 'Rozn-e-Dewar Seh' According to a report, Pakistani president Zardari , during his recent visit to France, got to hear appreciation of a Pakistani Civil Servant from unofficial circles. In addition to that, French President Sarkozy also asked President Zardari about his whereabouts. Infact, Dr Jehanzeb served as the Commercial Councilor in Pakistani embassy in France for five years and it was heard that because of his performance and fluency in French language, he was widely known in the French economic, political and social circles. President Sarkozy was serving as a senior minister and hence knew about his work and performance. Asif Ali Zardari, after hearing about the good performance and reputation of the officer from various circles, on return inquired about the officer who had brought a good name for Pakistan . He came to know that the officer was serving in Grade 22 and belonged to the North West Fronti...

Pakistan's new ambassador to France

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Vous avez fait supérieur travail The first time I heard about Jehanzeb Khan was in 2006 in Paris. I had a businessman friend who worked with French companies, he took me to a dinner party. It was a gathering of Paris's Businessmen , which was being attended by the Chief Executives, Directors and General Managers of big French companies. During the dinner, a French businessman revealed that he went to Karachi a few months ago on a tour, during which, his opinion about Pakistan and Pakistanis changed. I asked him "In what connection did you visit Pakistan?" He told me "I was taken to Pakistan by Jehanzeb Khan". After the Dinner I asked Makhdoom Abbas "Who is this Jehanzeb Khan?" Makhdoom looked at me and In turn asked me "Don't you know Jehanzeb Khan?" I nodded my head to show my ignorance. Makhdoom then told me "Jehanzeb Khan is the Commercial councilor In Pakistan Embassy in Paris and is extremely reknowned in French Buisness a...

Stop dancing with dictators, Zardari tells the US

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By Anwar Iqbal Tuesday, 23 Jun, 2009 | 04:59 AM PST | WASHINGTON: In an unusually harsh article published in The Washington Post on Monday, President Asif Ali Zardari blamed the United States for the present mess in Pakistan, claiming that Washington used his country as a 'blunt instrument of the Cold War.' But in the same article, he urged his American allies to send 'immediate assistance' to help him save democracy. The tone and the content of the article surprised many in Washington, causing some to speculate if relations between the two governments were still as friendly as both say. 'The West, most notably the United States, has been all too willing to dance with dictators in pursuit of perceived short-term goals,' he wrote. 'The litany of these policies and their consequences clutter the earth, from the Marcos regime in the Philippines, to the Shah in Iran, to Mohammed Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan.' According to Mr Zardari, 'e...

Frost Over the World

Musharraf Zardari

Partnering With Pakistan

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan looks forward to a new beginning in its bilateral relationship with the United States. First, we congratulate Barack Obama and the country that had the character to elect him, and we welcome his decision to name a special envoy to Southwest Asia. Appointing the seasoned diplomat Richard Holbrooke says much about the president's worldview and his understanding of the complexities of peace and stability and the threats of extremism and terrorism. Simply put, we must move beyond rhetoric and tackle the hard problems. Pakistan has repeatedly been identified as the most critical external problem facing the new administration. The situation in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India is indeed critical, but its severity actually presents an opportunity for aggressive and innovative action. Since the end of the Musharraf dictatorship, Pakistan has worked to confront the challenges of a young democracy facing an active insurgency, within the context of an international economi...

How Citibank Laundered Asif Zardari’s Money

Posted by Teeth Maestro May 18, 2008 | I just came across this write up found on Chowk published on November 7th 2007, its definitely worth reading. In addition to Mr. Shaukat Aziz, current Prime Minister of Pakistan, numerous former Citibankers occupy highly influential positions in the government and the private sector in Pakistan. Citibank is one of the largest banks, and operates one of the largest private banks in the US and globally. Of the 40 private banks reviewed by the Federal Reserve during its industry wide examination of private banking in the 1990s, only one — Citibank — was reviewed in detail by Federal Reserve examiners three years in a row. It is a private bank that has struggled with a wide range of anti-money laundering issues. Although Citibank, under Shaukat Aziz's leadership (from May 1997 to October 1999) and his successors' has done much to tighten controls, it was beset by numerous scandals during the 1990s. A 1999 US Congress investigation (exac...