Adil Najam
Speaking of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani’s upcoming trip to USA and meeting with President George Bush a politically astute and well-connected friend in Pakistan said, “Its going to be a meeting of two lame ducks. George Bush is a lame duck because his tenure is about to end, and Yousuf Raza Gillani is a lame duck because his tenure never really started!”
For those who wish to see real democracy in Pakistan such comments instill a certain sadness. Yet, as a recent The News editorial highlighted, there is an increasing, palpable, and disturbing concern amongst Pakistanis about exactly who, if anyone, in in control of the government in Pakistan.
We thought maybe we should put exactly that question to our readers in this ATP Poll: Who do you think calls the shots? Who is really in-charge of Pakistan’s government today?
Of course, one could make this broader and more abstract by adding the Allah, Umreeka or Army responses. But our interest right now is on the daily governance of the country and who is calling the shots there.We woudl appreciate if the responses and comments also focus on that.
I was thinking tonight as to why all this turmoil, death and destruction in Pakistan. I feel it is because of the mass idol worshipping in this country, instead of worshipping of Allah. It is Allahs wrath upon us. During the period of Jahilia the idols like that of Laat and manaat were made of stone or for that matter the sun and the moon were worshipped but now they are human flesh. We are either worshipping zia or butto. Some of us are worshipping BB or sharif. Some of us are worshipping Imran or Altaf, Some of us are worshipping Musharraf or Osama. Some of us are worshipping chaudaries or the chaudaries. Some of us are worshipping qazi or Fazl. etc etc … We are asking for sustainance from all of these people instead from Allah. It is only Allah who is worthy of worship but in Pakistan personalities are worshipped who worship fame and at the end everybody worships money. So what else we should expect, we are committing henious crimes and we are paying the penalty.
Please Add de facto Prime Minster and killer of Benazir Rehman Malik in the choices. He controls Pakistan today and we all know it.
Regardless of the names and faces of the day, there are three power centers in Pakistan: The feudal zamindars, the military and the clergy. Usual two out of three combine to prevail on the third center of power at any given time. I invite you to read more about it at http://www.riazhaq.com/2007/11/centers-of-power-in -pakistan-feudals.html
and http://www.riazhaq.com/2007/12/who-owns-pakistan.h tml
Apocalypse is firmly in-charge of Pakistan. (1970-71 Repeat)
In reality USA is incharge. And unfortunately Government of USA is much smarter to leave any signs. We play with the phsycic of different Pakistani leaders. USA Government always find people whom they can manipulate with the name of Religion, democracy, hypocracy, modernism, money, duress, you name it.
Unfortunately we pakistani, even though every one is an American agent in one way or other, always blame our opponent as an American agent. We do every thing according to American agenda, could be plan c, d, e, or f.
I wish we really grow up and realize that we will all have different opinion, and learn to accomodate others.