By Dr Shahid Qureshi –:
In March 2007 a New York state-based psychologist, Stephen Reich, 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 Zadrdari) stated that he has had suicidal thoughts, but has not made any suicide gestures.” When Mr. Zardari was unable to stand trial in the British High Court, on the grounds of his mental incapacity, how come election commission of Pakistan and contesting candidates Mushahid Hussain Syed and others not challenged it?
Same kind of medical maneuvering is reportedly done by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to flee from Pakistani jail, where he was serving his sentence? He is living in his same Avon Field Apartments about whom he could not submit money trails in the courts.
Zardari – Bhutto mafia deceived, fooled and lied to General Pervez Musharraf, the military establishment, the courts and election commission of Pakistan before becoming the president of Pakistan and running it for years. He could not become President of Pakistan on the grounds of his ‘mental health certificates which he himself submitted in the British courts, issued by his US consultants to avoid trials.
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. 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 Zadrdari) 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 testify 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 assessment suggests, “I do not foresee any improvement in these issues for at least a year.” (Financial Times)
Can a man be 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?
I wrote following article on 2nd September 2008 –
Quite 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 one’s character? We are taking his words and documents submitted by him on board. Mr. Zardari should consider if he is walking into a trap with false sense of security and paving the way for undemocratic forces?
Fake Education?
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. According to reports unfortunately he is suffering from diabetes and dementia (shrinking of brain) both are irreversible. Psychiatric illnesses can be improved with drugs and counseling.
“His doctors have declared him medically fit to run for political office and free of any symptoms,” said Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan’s high commissioner to London FT. Perhaps the high commissioner is unaware that entry and exit points in the mental health treatment are sometimes years apart depending on the illness. I am not sure if any medical clearance certificates were submitted at the Election Commission of Pakistan? May be Justice Faiz Essa should take a notice?
Well Pakistan and its democracy are being run by criminal mafias and rest is a joke.
(Dr Shahid Qureshi is senior analyst with BBC and chief editor of The London Post. He writes on security, terrorism and foreign policy. He also appears as analyst on Al-Jazeera, Press TV, MBC, Kazak TV (Kazakhstan), LBC Radio London. He was also international election observer for Azerbaijan 2018, 2020, Kazakhstan 2019, 2016 and 2015 and Pakistan 2002. He has written a famous book “War on Terror and Siege of Pakistan” published in 2009. He wrote his MA thesis on ‘Political Thought of Imam Khomeini’ and visited Tehran University. He is PhD in ‘Political Psychology’ also studied Law at a British University. He also speaks at Cambridge University and visiting professor in Hebe University in China)
Views expressed are not of The London Post.
