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.
Your article in The News was right on money and excellent analysis. Please place here also.
Deal or no deal, Pakistan is going to stead the same path, which has been un-intentionally set by the re-instated Chief Justice, to say no and fight back.
People have made it their habit in Pakistan to see too much into the meetings of the giants, while ignoring the huge mass of masses, which has ultimately the biggest say in any thing.
Musharraf survived for that long because people welcomed him with open arms on the fateful day of Oct. 12, 1999. Had they not he would not have survived.
Benazir has survived because people voted for the PPP, for the same reason that Nawaz Sharif has survived. And now Musharraf has no other option but to revert to BB and NS.
Chief Justice has been restored because the people sided with him, for the same reason in 1953 the most in-famous “Law of the Necessity” was incorporated into our legal jargon because people wanted Army to “clean up the mess”.
What ever is bound to happen in the future can only happen if people want it. One can’t just wish away the 160 million people.
@AUK
Actually, as Nusrat Javed and Mushtaq Minhas remarked on Aaj TV, the biggest General needs the support of PPP for a constitutional amendment to drop the requirement for a 2 year hiatus, following the doffing of the uniform, before being eligible to run for a political office. There was even mention of a rumor to the effect that a meeting of the national assembly has already been called for Monday by the Speaker and Acting President, Ch. Amir Hussain for this purpose.
@Shafique
There is no cause for despondency. The people of Pakistan have just braved a glorious struggle. Their sacrifices have borne fruit and, alHamdulillah, we now have an “Independent” judiciary. Now me, you, Imran Khan and the biggest General get to decide who will be tried in courts
and who can have court cases and charges against them dropped. While I don’t claim other three of you, my vote is to absolve leaders who “were born with a silver spoon in their mouth”. AFAIK, there is only one leader who qualifies, based on self-claims made some years ago in connection with the acquisition of certain properties in Europe.
I am thrilled that our dardmand leaders have put aside their differences, egos, and self interests, and have met to negotiate how power can be transferred to PPP in a “free, fair, and completely transparent” election. I don’t know about you, but I am certainly proud of them; and grateful as well for sparing us the needless, endless, anguish until ballots are cast and counted . Frankly, this approach seems far more civilized to me; and very cost-effective too. My one complaint is against the pouting brothers Sharifov who have refused to meet with the biggest General, and are bent upon spoiling the party in this moment of grave national crisis.
May Allah(SWT) Keep us under the sAya’e Atifat of the biggest retired General and the new mAdar (I mean dukhtar)- millat for a long long time. Ameen (in case you are not up to joing me in prayers this time around).
“Ankh jo kuch dEkhtI hae lab pe Aa saktA nahIN
mehv-e haerat hUN ke dunyA kyA se kyA ho jA’e gI”
All talk of “a graceful exit” was a ploy to divert the attention of people. Anyone who is thinking of leaving won’t be doing a behind the scenes deal with one of his worst enemies. I was thinking that Musharraf wouldn’t need any further support to stay in power. However that isn’t true as he once again needs a two thirds electorate to confirm the further amendments to the constitution that he needs to stay in power beyond this year. The amendments are needed because otherwise his stay in uniform and as head of state will be quashed by the SC. Now he can stay in power and it can’t be challenged in the courts because it will have the legal cover that he will be getting as a consequence of this deal. In return he will give Benazir the premiership that she is dying for.
So what is so strange about all this. Few things; Benazir’s is only the 3rd major party in the country’s parliaments, behind the Qaaf league and MMA. While Mush won’t need MMA if he gets the support of BB, what will happen to the Qaaf league and its many stakeholders. How would they react to handing over the control to Benazir? Are they as quiescent as they appear, just being happy to serve as Mush’s front, or would the Chaudaries have something to say about this deal. Also Pakis have yet to cast their votes, and would it matter in such a situation where their leaders would be picked for them by powers outside their control. Elections in such an atmosphere would just be a farce to give cover to the plot that has already been played out.
Where is the deal? I don