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!
Viqar, Brilliant analysis. Congratulations for being the first one to have seen through the General’s alternate plan.
I see a few impediments to this being needed.
First the SC with some coaxing & cajouling, and a fair mix of threats should return the verdict expected of them. The government only needs 6 judges on its side. 5 are already known to be with them. It should be easy to get a 6th one to agree. However like all good military planners, the general is prepared in case of any eventuality.
2nd, news from Capitol Hill is that the leading lawmakers are getting antsy with the General as according to them he is not doing enough. This is a signal that they are ready for a transition to “moderate democratic setup”. I think that the Republicans are still on his side. It is the democrats who have been wowed by BB, and they are increasingly making noises for her (yesterday’s House Armed Services meeting discussed Pakistan’s prevailing situation). I think that the current leadership did a poor job of engaging with Nanci Pelosi (when she visited Pakistan last year after her win), and BB jumped on the opportunity.
Last, we should not forget that the General is only a phone call away from going 180 on any previous policy decision.
So I am sticking to my previous thesis, that Q Leaguers are going to be the losers in all this, the General will stay on, and BB will get on with the job of turning the country upside down once again.
Viqar,
Sorry, your song misled me. I graduated much later but I had flunked a lot.
MQ,
Suppose the bucket, represent the Establishment itself. And if it cannot “hold” the water of the word – this bucket (er.. the Establishment) must definitely have a hole in it. If a nation is to change, the Establishment must first change, or better yet time for a change to a new bucket (i.e. a new breed of politicians and leaders).
Just a thought ….
People talk about the bad things happening in Pakistan, but I would like to paint the horrible future that I can foresee happening to Pakistan if not sooner than later.
Back in 2001 when I was in California, even the general public in US (who are usually ignorant of the world politics and usually don’t care), was more skeptic about Pakistan then Iran or even Afghanistan, there was a general consensus (which I believe is still there) , that Pakistan Army is part of the problem (perhaps the problem itself) not the part of the solution.
I recall several of those documentaries on PBS which showed what Pakistan Army is. Though at the moment Bush has convinced large part of his associates that Mush with his army generals can be part of the solution, however as US has not been successful in getting Afghanistan back to normal and get rid of Taliban there, and as is apparent that the Pakistan Afghan border is still a “safe haven” for the so-call Alqaeda , proves that Pakistan Army is still the biggest the problem. General knows it clearly that is why in each of his interview he would try to refute vigorously the term “safe haven”.
Now coming back to future of Pakistan, I believe that sooner or later only option left with US will be to attack Pakistan , that is what Rice suggested in 2001. (I would just smile if somebody says Pakistan is nuclear power and so and so…). And then the real future is what the present of Iraq is. Iraq army including Saddam Hussein were as blue eyed to US in 80’s as our General and army is. But then there was Abu Ghraib for them.
There is somehow another coincidence between Iraq and Pakistan , long time ago Saddam Hussien ordered his chemical Ali killing of Shia at the time when Iran was sounding the “Marg ber US” and Shias were greatest enemy of US and then he was sentenced to be hanged till death for the same crime, chemical Ali along with him.
And just recently our General ordered his chemical Tariq killing of so-called Taliban in the capital. I am just wondering what will happen to them in 2011.
MQ,
Nice song. Its good to meet someone who went to school earlier than I did. When would that be?
I matriculated in 1960.