Adil Najam
UPDATE (Sept 28, 2007): In a split decision (6-3), the Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that Gen. Musharraf can contest the Presidential Elections in uniform. Earlier, on September 20, Justice Javed Iqbal had remarked that the 17th Constitutional Amendment provided crutches to President Musharraf, not by the Supreme Court.
According to The News:
The nine-member larger Bench hearing the identical constitutional petitions comprised of Justice Rana Bhagwan Das, Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokar, Justice Falak Sher, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan and Justice M Javed Buttar…. Six of the nine-judge larger bench gave verdict in favour of dismissing the petitions while other three judges, Justice Rana Bhagwandas, Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan and Justice Shakirullah Jan differed.
ORIGINAL POST: The main headline in The News today (Sept. 21, 2007) is revealing. It reads:
Oct. 6 set to “re-elect Musharraf.”
News reports in major newspapers do not usually use headlines with such obvious sarcasm. In fact, more than sarcasm there is desperation in the headline. It seems that like much of the nation, The News has also, finally, given up on the sham Presidential elections which are making a mockery of the Constitution, of the courts and, frankly, of the nation. The inverted commas in the headline say it all. The General wants to remain in power for his personal reasons, and he will do so no matter what, and no matter how. As the old Fifty-Fifty skit used to say: “karr lo jo karna hai”!
In a country where we change, amend, abuse, and concoct Constitutions at whims, it has always surprised me why we take Constitutional provisions so very seriously when it comes time to manipulate it. The spirit of the Constitution died long ago, what does it matter now whether the letter is followed or not?
Frankly, like The News, I am also disgusted with the process – and with everyone in it. While Gen. Musharraf has now lost all shred of process and is hell bent on keeping the Presidency by hook or by crook (and most likely by crook), the politicians and the media do not come across as much better either. The judiciary has fared better for now, but one wonders for how long.
What bugs me is the manipulation games everyone is playing with the Constitution. The media discussions are particularly depressing and people debate clauses but disregard the concepts behind the clauses. Everyone seems to relish the jorr torr, and no one wants to step back and say what does all of this mean for Pakistan.
There is absolutely no sense of what is “right” or “wrong”. Only, a discussion of what is ‘possible’ or ‘not possible.’ Politics may well be the ‘art of the possible’, but there is only that much abuse that even politics can take. Frankly, we have abused it enough.
Musharraf with his machinations to hold on to his kursi, the Chaudhries with their manipulations, the MMA with their fueling of fires, the MQM with its strongarm tactics, Benazir with her deals that seem really to center around getting the cases against her removed, even Nawaz Sharif with his less than convincing convictions …. None seems inspiring and none seems ready to rise to the moment.
Even the media seems to have lost its luster and relishes the minutia of dancing over a polity dying and being killed before its eyes. Engrossed in the sensationalism of the moment (whether it be a Presidential order, a Court adjournment, an Election Commission parchment, or merely the latest inanity from Sher Afghan) it seems to have no interest in the larger questions confronting the nation. The questions of democracy, the questions of extremism, the questions of civil war, the questions of economic disparity, the questions of civic disengagement, the questions of national lethargy in the face of all these questions.
I fear that I sound depressed. It is because I am. I have been in Pakistan the last three weeks, and personal reasons have kept me from writing much, or even visiting ATP much (thanks, Owais, for doing such a fine job managing the site), but I have thought often of writing about the daily political developments in this topi drama. I have not done so partly because I had even more pressing crises on my mind, but also because it has become increasingly difficult to look at all of this as anything except a political circus. But a very sad and depressing circus at that. This is not just playing poker with the fate of the nation, this is more like playing Russian roulette!
I made arrangements to be able to visit the Supreme Court during its current interesting cases. I decided not to go. Same reason. Its way too depressing. I am sorry, readers, to dump this on you, but its just one of those times. May these times end soon and may the sun shine again! Ameen! I have very little faith left in any of the major actors anymore, but I do have faith in the democratic spirit of ordinary Pakistanis. It will eventually triumph.
They say that democracy can sometimes lead to dirty politics. Yes, it can. But what we have just proved in Pakistan is that the lack of democracy leads to even dirtier politics.
Tarrar, you are right that it is not the medias job to bring revolutions. But what it is their job to ask questions on bigger issue, and they are not doing that. There is really too much sensationalism, tabloid like. The print media I think is doing a better job. columns by people like Ayaz Amir and Adil najam and others. But too much on TV is really led by politicians calling the tunes with cute comments. Sheikh Rashid and Afghan Niazi have become masters of that and they are rteally forcing the medias agenda. A few people, like Talat Hussain, are the exception….. Shahid Masood is a joke!
it is absurd to blame the media. the media can only report on the topi drama going on and try to raise awareness. it is not the media’s job to come out on the street and fight for democracy – that is your job and mine. if we don’t do our part, then let us not blame the media which has been on par with the judiciary in terms of safeguarding (or at least trying to safeguard) the interests of the Pakistani people.
Pakistani media has been of one of the shining stars of the Pakistani people. as a Pakistani, I am extremely thankful to men like Talat Hussain, Ansar Abbasi, Kashif Abbasi, Shahid Masood, the Bolta Pakistan team and the many other TV news show hosts and countless journalists who continue to report on how the fate of Pakistani people is being decided in the GHQ on the instructions of Washington.
I do feel depressed too, it seems that the supreme court is also ready to pass the buck, parliament has been a disappointment and ordinary Pakistani, it is going to put a damper on that too as the ordinary Pakistanis took to the street delivered you the Court but what happens then ,
I think Musharraf had (maybe still has) good intentions and a resolve to do what is good for Pakistan, but he has gone down the path that every Pakistani leader (elected or not) has gone down: To use any means necessary to achieve his goals.
When I look back and see the good things he has done for the country (bolstered the economy, opened up the media, and most of all, steered the country away from utter disaster in the wake of 9/11 when we could easily have become a complete pariah nation), it saddens me to see the current situation. I am convinced that given the way politics work in Pakistan, nothing good will come out of any election, no matter who is elected.
The only way to change things is to change the way we think, and the way we judge our leaders and hold them accountable. We cannot turn a blind eye to our leaders’ short comings. But this has to start with ourselves. If we personally do not have integrity then we have no right to expect integrity from our leaders.
So let’s pay our taxes; get our driver’s licence legally (and actually take a driving test); let’s not steal electricity; let’s actually stop at a red signal; let’s not listen to gossip and rumors, but learn to think for ourselves.
Let’s start with the small things, and let’s learn to listen and respect others’ opinions even if we don’t agree with them. If we do that, maybe we will have the moral courage to hold others accountable for their actions.
It is extremely hard ( almost impossible!!)for politicians to fight with the establishment, US, Faujis, ..It can only be possible if people of Pakistan would come out on the streets and bring the revolution.
Historically the only people who can come out on the streets and have potential to bring the revolution are people of Karachi, but as we all know, for the last 25-30 years, they have been hijacked by agencies bound MQM.