Adil Najam
This seems to have suddenly become a news-heavy day. Lal Masjid blast on teh one hand and now Musharraf-Benazir meetings. The News reports on this:
The second round of meeting between President General Pervez Musharraf and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is underway here, the reliable sources said. The first round of the meeting lasted for about lasted for 55 minutes and it was a short a meeting. The ISI chief, some personalities of Arab countries and western diplomats also attended the meeting, the other sources said. Although the details of the meeting were not issued, however, the reports said that Musharraf and Benazir discussed important issues including current political situation in Pakistan.
“If Musharraf-Benazir meeting has been held it could be the final round of PPP-government talks and it is hoped that this meeting will have long-term positive impact on the politics of Pakistan, said Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed while commenting on the meeting. Meanwhile, the reports said that Musharraf will also hold meeting with former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab Shahabaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia during the second leg of Musharraf’s visit. However, the PML (N) sources have rejected the reports of Musharraf-Nawaz meeting.
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Things are still too much in flux and too complicated to comment meaningfully on this. Much coming from the insta-pundits is still either the restatement of their already known positions that they now churn out as spin, or is entirely speculative. So, we will wait to see how the dust settles. But it is quite clear that the dust has been kicked and things are in flux. Abb ount kis karwat baithay ga?
In order to get a sense of the pulse of ATP on this issue we are asking the same poll question about a BB-Musharraf deal we did back in April. Let us see what you have to say now.
Yet again the people of Pakistan lose……while those drooling for power win.
Aqil, good point. If the 14th amendment can be revoked by the court, why not the 17th and any followup amendments. That was what I was looking for. Now the legal minds have to come forward and decide how to stop these “dealmakers”.
Did anyone pay attention to the fact that BB hasn’t said a word about Aitezaz since the verdict came out. She tried to snub him by not even inviting him to the APC in London, when originally he was invited back in April. She can’t deal with anyone else taking over a sliver of the limelight from her (that is why the brother was also killed).
It would be really good to do a fresh poll on this, the results since so much has changed would be of great interest to everyone I think.
The deal could be a good thing depending on what the conditions are. If she could force Mush to forego his uniform, for example.
”The deal” will be good for Pakistan, as it will ”expose” more and more the ”dealers” to the Pakistani Awam.
The need to focus at this moment should however be on:
Who ‘’should” and not who ”would” the people of Pakistan be chosing, given the choice of a free and fair election.
Being this the ”only appropriate” question on the agenda everywhere, especially in the electronic media, a new realignment of the relatively clean ”off-white” instead of dark shades of ”grey” leaders would emerge.
Isn’t it time for ”The new deal” ?
Raza Rabbani threatens to quit Party if BB goes with Mush.
Here is a link for those looking for material on Benazir’s corruption
http://hsgac.senate.gov/110999_report.htm
It’s worth asking the jialas why their mommy BB does not sue the authors of the above for defamation if the allegations are false.
The amendment may itself be open to a challange in the courts on the grounds of being against the basic spirit of democracy if it allows Mush to stay in uniform.
Remember how the supreme court under Sajjad Ali Shah threw out the 14th amendment during the second term of NS?
Besides, I don’t think it will be possible for BB to convince her party to vote in favour of an amendment that does not clearly stipulate a time for Mush to shed his uniform this year. If he dishonours that agreement and still insists on keeping his second skin, then the courts will be in a position to rule against him.