Adil Najam
Since yesterday the “I” word – impeachment – has begun to be thrown around a lot.
Some quarters seem to think that it just happen this time. Others suggest that it is more talk than action and the numbers needed to pull this are still not there.
Coming out of the “critical” Nawaz Sharif-Asif Zardari meetings one keeps wondering how much of this is an effort to keep the coalition going and how much is a real push to change the essential political equations of Pakistan. There are reports that Gen. Musharraf is taking this move seriously enough to cancel his trip to China (to attend the Olympics opening ceremony). On the other hand some of Gen. Musharraf’s supporters are claiming that no such cancellation has happened. We do know, however, that he is taking this challenge seriously and lining up his supporters.
All in all, there is too much noise to say what is happening. But something is clearly happening. Does the PPP-PML(N) have the numbers they need to go ahead? Does the President have the numbers he needs to stop it? And what of all the external actors and where they may lean, why and for what?
Interestingly, we had run a ATP Poll back in June asking you what you thought would have happened to Gen. Musharraf by October 2008? The majority (38%) had thought that he would be impeached by then. A significant number (31%) thought that by October 2008 we woudl be still muddling through as we are now.
We do not intend to open the Poll again, but it does seem that either of those two answers could turn out to be true again. Indeed, even our earlier Poll on the subject, from October 2007, may still be relevant in its results!
So, since we can’t make full sense of exactly what all of this adds up to, we thought we woudl ask our best source: You. What do you think? What is happening? What might happen? And why?
Musharraf has taken the back seat ever since the ruling coalition has come to power. It is the ruling coalition now that has to answer for all the problems that are being faced by Pakistan. The economy is in extreme turmoil, the situation in NWFP is still not under control. But despite all this, it is not President Musharraf who is required to be answerable for all this since he seems to have handed over the reins of power over to the elected government. Is that fair? Why should at this point the president, who is in part responsible for all the problems that we are facing today, be calmly enjoying his tenure as President. The move to impeach him is fair, however, whether he gets impeached or not is a totally different matter. He will fight it and he has a right to fight it. But, the question our leaders should be asking is this, will impeaching President Musharraf solve all the problems being faced by Pakistan? Is it fair to blame all the problems on him? I don’t see much change or even hope of change ever since the new government has taken over.
I THINK THAT WILLBE THE BAD IDEA OF GOVT OF PAKISTAN(PPP) THROUGHING OUT PRESEDENT MUSHARAF. I HOPE THEY WILL WORK IT OUT TOGETHER. ALLAH BLESS US ALL
SINDHPARAST SAMEE MANGI
@Roshan
The democratically elected government should resign if it fails to impeach the President but the President doesn’t need to resign when he commits all kinds of grand mistakes?
Hang musharraf from Minar-e-Pakistan, after impeachment.
I think Gen (R) Musharraf will use 58-2b as a last option but will attempt to crack 2/3 majority. The stage is set and the numbers game is very crucial as one requires 295 members to impeach President and ruling coalition assumes to have 309 including independents, FATA and Fazl u Rehman. There seems to have some players within the coalition which may ditch and it would be a great setback to new democratic setup. Principally, I believe, the government should resign if it fails to impeach President.
BTW, if Musharraf uses 58-2b, then it would be a similarity between Gilani and Junejo as both were in China when their government was dissolved.