General Musharraf prepared well-chalked out plan to sustain himself in power which is moving smoothly towards its successful eventuality. Chief Justice reinstated on the 20th of July and two other potential threats to his authority – Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif – formed ARD to dislodge him from his office. It was a precarious situation for him where he was caught in a no man’s land. Things were looking rosy for democratic powers in the country. Lawyers’ movement showed that it would be hunky-dory for Pakistan if that mood persists for any length of time. But as always, establishment came up with the plan that so far has solved most of the problems of Mr. President.
In my opinion, there are two acts of this drama. It all started when General went to Abu Dhabi suddenly and the nation heard that Pakistan Peoples Party’s Chairperson was having a dialogue with the insignia of military rule in Pakistan just to bargain few personal interests and some power sharing formula. It shell-shocked Pakistani people. Benazir Bhutto persistently said that this dialogue would not affect her overall standing in political arena but independent polls indicate that her popularity is coming down as rapidly as prices are going up in Pakistan. She was so excited about the whole deal package that she made herself isolated. Mian Nawaz Sharif publicly said that it was the breach of ARD to enter into any kind of dialogue with Army ruler and then he decided to form APDM with support of MMA and other smaller parties. But Benazir carried her march towards the attractive deal. She pinned all her hopes with the deal and few days back she came up empty-handed after proclaiming that PML-Q sabotaged her progress towards a deal which could have changed Pakistan’s future. And now after proving herself as the part of Musharraf’s boat she has created a situation for herself where majority of Pakistanis think PPP as pro-Musharraf than anti-Musharraf. This sentiment tarnished Benazir Bhutto to an extent that she may not get an overwhelming majority to form a government without coalition. So first part of the plan was to welcome Benazir in a dialogue and then leave her at the juncture where her popularity crashed and she remains helpless without much support of PML-Q to form any kind of government or sit in opposition. Plan-A accomplished successfully!
Now let us move towards second plan. When Mian Saheb shook hands with Benazir Bhutto to topple Musharraf government, he became another potential threat. Musharraf brought MMA his old allies into the play to strengthen his stay in power to execute his plan-B which he prepared for Nawaz Sharif. MMA and other smaller parties told Sharif family that you become a non-entity in ARD in presence of Benazir Bhutto and you are still a power in Pakistan politics to tackle Musharraf challenge alone right at the time when Musharraf opened a dialogue with Benazir in Abu Dhabi. They also assured him that petition against his exile in Supreme Court would be enough to get him back to his motherland. Timing was perfect. Mian Saheb felt cheated. Prevailing mood of SC and assurances of several parties made him over-confident to confront army ruler from the platform of APDM and he filed a petition against his exile. As expected, SC ordered in his favor. He was then left with no option except getting back to Pakistan. He booked a flight, tied his seat belt and landed at Islamabad Airport with the convoy.
Government already brought Saudi Arabia to help itself. Mian Saheb was exiled again with strict orders of not releasing any political statements against any political issues of Pakistan. So Nawaz Sharif episode is over now at least for three years.
Now General Musharraf is back on his foot. He has no one to challenge his stay in the power except MMA (secretively), MQM, and PML-Q (openly) and all of them are on his own side.
In midst of all of this, one real hope is Supreme Court which is also under immense pressure after few horrible incidents in Karachi court and with lawyers all over the country.
Photo Credits: Photos for this post are taken from the daily Dawn.
PS: ub kehnay ko kiyya bacha hai :)
Seems ATP is dumbfounded after the verdict…no comments so far…
Do not dishearten. The issue will be revisited by the “full court” some time soon.
She may have had a stroke, paralysis of the right side, but is not dead yet.
From these ashes a new verdict can still be hoped. There is no “rendition” still for dreaming an impossible dream.
It is with great sadness that we announce the demise of the supreme judiciary of Pakistan at about 3:30 PM local time on 9/28/2007.
Inna lillahi va inna ilayhi raji’Un
She finally succumbed in her battle against political expediency – after valiant attempts by the lawyers movement, to save her life, ended in failure. It will be recalled that her earlier resuscitation from deep coma on 7/20/2007 had given rise to euphoric optimism throughout the country.
Marhuma had a long and undistinguished career spanning 60 years. Her most notable accomplishment during this period was her role in the revival and ingenious use of the “doctrine of necessity”, starting in 1954.
Marhuma leaves behind two estranged sons, the hopes and dreams of the civil society of Pakistan, and the jihadi extremist movement of Pakistan.
Marhuma will be laid to rest, in a simple ceremony, tomorrow (9/29/2007) at the grounds of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The Qul ceremony for the departed soul will be held in the Parliament on 10/6/2007.
Long time ago when there was protest about slavery from the clergy in America, they devised a way to pacify the protest. They devised a scheme to ask all the big intellectual guns of the time to justify slavery. They came with the conclusion that to be human you have to have feelings and since slaves have no human feelings they can be kept slaves.
A similar argument has persisted in Pakistan for 60 years that to govern you have to wear Khaki. Pakistan was free for about a year and then the Khaki philosophy took over. Actually this army is the battalions raised in 1857 to undo the Sepoy Mutiny (read the history of Baloch Regiment). After Pakistan they continued their British tradition of Governing. Instead of Governor General or Voiceroy they took the titles of Field Marshal and COAS but never became a peoples army. Any talk of this theme was brutally supressed. And the intellectuals took an easy path……they became intellectual prostitutes and enjoyed the financial benefits. They lauded an army man as savior who had violated his own oath. Why should there be any further discussion before trying and hanging this man for violating the Law. It is our intellectual bankruptcy that we ignore the basic laws and keep clamouring for Democracy. Are we less than human that an army man should be allowed to steer our destiny with no questions asked? Why should a poor man serve time for petty theft while we spare a man who stole a country? There can be no compromise on principles.
You brake the law….you get the gallows even if you are in Khaki……when we follow that Mantra we will start breathing as free men. Otherwise Bhule Sahh says: Bhule naloon chula changa jedey utay taun charey.