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Nuclear Safety and Zardari’s ‘Demented’ Mental Health

By Dr Shahid Qureshi
Thursday 26 November 2009

 President Zardari reportedly said in Washington, ‘he never considered India as a threat and would move troops from Indian border to  Afghan'.

Every profession or job in the world requires a certain level of credibility, physical and mental fitness apart from becoming President of Pakistan? Mr Zardari was formally diagnosed and treated for ‘dementia’ and mental health problems. He has got another tool (defence) up his sleeves ‘pleading insanity’ on the basis of his mental health. The Supreme Court of Pakistan and parliament should implement the constitution under which the mental capacity of the President and Commandant in Chief with his ‘finger of the nuclear button’ must be fully functioning beyond reasonable doubt? According to reports unfortunately, he is suffering from diabetes and dementia (shrinking of brain) which are both irreversible. His permanent grin is suggesting that, “I don’t suffer from insanity but enjoy every moment of it”.

President Asif Zardari is an example of selfish US policy towards Pakistan that it agreed to support a ‘demented, mentally ill and corrupt’ person who could do the ‘job’ for them and then forget quickly like them. Someone said, ‘advantage of having a bad memory is that one can enjoy same joke many times’.

As far as Mr Zardari's reported self certified psychiatric problems are concerned, one should be sympathetic with him. He should not be discriminated due to his mental health problems and mental capacity. His lawyers should submit his full risk assessment and psychiatric review to the Election Commission as evidence to prove his full recovery from mental illness. Unfortunately 'dementia' (shirking of brain) is irreversible and full recovery is almost impossible. Now if he has submitted fake medical certificates in the British Courts ‘he’ has committed a criminal offence. If the mental health and psychological assessments are correct and no new assessments are presented, is he suitable for the Presidential role? According to media reports Zardari adjourned his court case hearings in Pakistan approximately 256 times mostly on medical grounds by presenting medical certificates. Keeping in view the above he is not fit to be a ‘cinema ticket clerk’ let alone President of a nuclear state and Commandant in Chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces?

"His doctors have declared him medically fit to run for political office and free of any symptoms," said Wajid Shamsul Hassan, Pakistani high commissioner in London reported The Financial Times. Perhaps the High Commissioner is unaware that entry and exit points in the mental health treatment are sometimes years apart depending on the illness especially ‘dementia’? As Financial Times published on 26th August 2008, Mr. Zardari submitted his medical and psychiatric reports/certificates to British High Court claiming incapacity to stand trial and inability to attend hearings.

In March 2007, Stephen Reich, a New York state-based psychologist, diagnosed Mr Zardari with dementia, major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. He (Mr. Zardari) had difficulty focusing, concentrating and paying attention is persistently sad, chronically anxious and apprehensive. He (Mr Zardari) stated that he has had suicidal thoughts, but has not made any suicide gestures. Mr Reich re-examined Mr. Zardari in June 2007 and September 2007, each time reporting that he had made progress but still had problems that might make it impossible for him to test ify in court”. Another diagnosis in March 2007 by Philip Saltiel, a New York City based psychiatrist said, ‘emotional and neurological problems suffered by Mr. Zardari because of medical treatment and imprisonment had resulted in "emotional instability" and "deficits in memory and concentration". His risk assessments suggest, "I do not foresee any improvement in these issues for at least a year."  (Financial Times)

Amjad Malik a lawyer from United Kingdom says, “Mr. Zardari should not be penalised for his past illnesses, however if he commits a blunder whilst leading the pioneer atomic Islamic nation of 160 million souls as a head of the state, whilst  having constitutional  immunity from prosecution, he will also have a lawful defence on the basis of his past psychiatric profile and all liability will rest on security apparatus, election commission and hopeful contenders in his election who failed to challenge his smooth sailing in time, and the loss will be of the state, but surely, military rule will survive by default”,

Rehman Malik would have been ‘binned’ and Zardari would be a ‘house husband’ if Benazir Bhutto was alive today? Benazir Bhutto was a typical Muslim woman inside apart from her liberal views and past. She was very much aware with all kinds of corruptions of AZ and anxieties within the party. When a senior journalist based in Washington asked her consider divorcing him (Zardari) she said, “I cannot because (a) I have small children and don’t want them to lose their father (b) I am a politician and people might take advantage”. She brought up her kids very well and according to Zardari, ‘trained me’.

It seems like PPP is hijacked by the criminal mafia and new motto seems: government of the Mafia, by the Mafia and for the Mafia criminals? What could be the reason of Zardari’ s happiness and constant grinning apart from shortage of none functioning and shrinking (demented) brain? Though Musharaf’s notorious NRO legislation bleached Zardari’s sins for the time being until he is President. He should not be given amnesty as ‘President’ for the crimes committed before taking of his office? Fatima Bhutto directly accuses him to be responsible for the murder of her father Murtaza Bhutto brother of Benazir Bhutto.

Zardari’s position becomes more suspicious after the targeted killing of Khalid Shenshah Hussain, Benazir Bhutto’s personal security officer who was making ‘cutting throat signs on camera while Ms Bhutto was delivering her last speech few hours before the murder’ (See YouTube) and targeted killing of police inspector Haq Nawaz Sial, main witness of Murtaza Bhutto’s murder. On both occasions Asif Zardari was in power!  Khalid Shenshah was reportedly a US Citizen and Zardari’s prison mate!! Why was he eliminated and what was he trying to tell?

Who in their right state of mind would say and do things what Zardari and his team members are doing? According to US media reports on 10the May 2009, President Zardari reportedly said in Washington , ‘he never considered India as a thre at and would move troops from Indian border to Afghan if necessary’.

There was a clear conflict of interest when Zardari’s own government withdrew cases against him and others, not to mention the benefits from NRO amnesty? Did those acquittals serve true sense of justice? In actual fact he lost Swiss Case of money laundering either way. He should tell the people of Pakistan how he managed to build more than $2 billion Empire and from where he got $60 million to deposit in Swiss account? He and late Ms Bhutto have been denying for years to the world that they have nothing to do with Rockwood Estate ‘S urrey Palace’ but then one day his lawyer ‘Farooq Naik’ claimed ownership.

When it comes to his academic qualifications first New York Times and then Dawn a leading English daily reported on 21st March 2008, “British officials responsible for maintaining record of all educational institutions in the country have failed to find any trace of the institution (London School of Economics and Business) in London from where Asif Ali Zardari is claimed to have received his graduation or equivalent qualification in 1976. In a written response PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said: “Mr Zardari studied business and economics in a school in London now called (the) London School of Economics and Business.” In a written response to questions about London School of Economics and Business, an Edubase official said: “In order to ascertain whether or not an institution exists, I conduct a search on three registers, Edubase, The Register of Education and Training Providers and the UK Register of Learning Providers. I have been unable to find evidence of this institution.”

So where and what is he graduated in? It is not an issue if he has graduated or not but why is he unable to prove the existence of institution he claimed to have been attending? Moreover, Mr Zardari should not be discriminated due to his mental health problems. He is lucky to have received support for his mental health and physical problems. Is he a credible President, who forgot about his £ millions palace in London for years, don’t remember which college he graduated from, don’t remember $3.6 million in his Swiss account which Swiss government confiscated and don’t know how he earned $60 million deposited in his Swiss accounts?

Bizarrely, “ US officials say they can work with Mr. Zardari despite the controversies of his past”, reported Financial Times. Well these are not controversies or mudslinging on any ones character? We are taking his words and documents submitted by him on board. Asif Zardari should consider quitting as his permanent grin, is taken as a result of ‘mental illness’ (weak face muscles) otherwise who could imagine smiling when their soldiers are dying every day in the name of a fraudulent war. There is no doubt that Zardari has been u nfair and unfaithful with the nation? One can give a message to suffering Pakistani’s in the words of Herman Hesse, “when dealing with insane, it is best to pretend to be sane”.

(Dr Shahid Qureshi is award winning journalist and writer on foreign policy & security based in London )

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