Adil Najam
UPDATE: The picture on the left, published in Daily Times, comes with the caption:
“Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri, PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain and MNAs react to an announcement by the Election Commissioner (unseen), at Parliament on Saturday. President Pervez Musharraf won a landslide victory in the election but the official results will be declared after the Supreme Court verdict on his eligibility.“
Maybe our readers can suggest what some of the people here are thinking as they clap. Suggestively, some, you will note, are making too much of an effort to clap, and others too little! The picture is also a good compliment to an earlier one we had posted here.
ORIGINAL POST: It is neither a surprise nor really news that Gen. Musharraf just got himself elected. It was always clear that he would get himself elected by hook or crook; eventually it took a bit of both. The way it had to be done is sad - pathetic really - and no one has come out of this mess looking good. Gen. Musharraf got the votes he needed, but neither he nor anyone else is a winner.
Gen. Musharraf lost whatever little credibility he might have had as someone interested in Pakistan’s development or people’s aspirations. He also lost the ability to make the claim that he was any different or any less p
ower-hungry than his political predecessors. He is now, clearly, one of them and has lost the one thing that had given him a support base. Benazir Bhutto lost the principles her party and father might once have stood for. PML(Q) had little to loose and yet lost big, they may even loose the government. Nawaz Sharif had already lost out some weeks ago. Maulana Fazlur Rehman had already lost all credibility but now they can’t even pretend to have any left. The Supreme Court lost at least some of the public goodwill they had gained as an institution with last minute shenanigans. America lost too because instead of backing one bad bet (Musharraf) they are now backing two (Musharraf + Benazir Bhutto).
But the biggest loser here may be the people of Pakistan who - once again - lost big time. But, then, I guess we are used to it.
Frankly, there is little need or point in commenting on the sham elections today. This was not a news event, this was a scripted stage drama. The real question remains what will happen next. There, it seems, that all of the losers - including Gen. Musharraf - may be confronted with some unexpected turn of events. There, one continues to hope, the people of Pakistan may yet emerge as winners eventually. Whenever ‘eventually’ comes!
Legally a government servant can hold a public office only after two years of his retirement. Soit doesn’t matter a bit whether he remains in uniform or not. Pig is ‘haram’ even if it is killed by zabiha and by someone reciting takbeer.
@Social Mistri
I don’t want to be personal with you, however would just return your argument asking you to eat your words of 2004 when he refused to doff uniform after promising to whole nation.
My comments are not based on love or hate for General they are based on logical analysis of situation and understanding of General’s ethics. He has a very base morality, I just shred whenever I recall his remarks about “getting raped and get canadian visa” and then his boosting about himself in a gathering on 16th August while he was drunk (BTW that was not a public gathering). So I know that he will refuse to doff uniform. He is sitting on a lion and as soon as he gets off , lion will eat him.
What should we say, I, atleast feel speechless. When are we going to learn from the past.
I think Musharraf has scored a big victory. Its not just the presidential re-election. After the debacle of the mistreatment of the CJ following the presidential referance, Mush has slowly and steadily been winning back his lost support. One by one he has been able to show the true faces of those who oppose him. At this juncture, Nawaz, BB, the maulvis all stand naked in front of the Pakistani collective. And they are an ugly sight.
As for the flame war on whether or not he doffs the khaki soon, I think he does.
Kruman, Pejamistri,
If you are wrong, I will remind you to eat your words. If I am wrong I will eat mine.
And I am 1000% sure I will not have to.
If you are wrong, the assumption of char-so-beesi you are ascribing to Musharraf will be proven wrong.
Let’s wait and see…
Pejamistri,
I agree with you there. Sher Afgan is the closest and most steadfast supporter of Mush. He said that the promise made to the judges to doff unifrom is not legally binding.
Raza Rumi Saheb,
Field Marshal announced on TV that he was not a candiate
to the elections and would step down as President
” relinquishing” what was left in logical favour of next in command Yahya (and Bhutto), I remember!!
I am not sure why most of the people commenting on this blog are thinking that General is going to remove his uniform November 2007, or anytime till he is the president. I am 100% sure that the General will never remove his uniform until he dies (like General Zia) or another General removes him from the top office.