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?
Pehlwanane..
Siyasi Rustam NAKAAM….Mian Nawaz Sharif! (apnay chotay malsheeyay Shahbaz kay saath)
Siyasi sar-e-aam BADNAAM…..Asif Ali Zardari!
ka DANGAAL-E-MOAKHIZAA bil mokabil
Janab SADR PAKISTAN….Pervaiz Musharraf
kay saath phir say tay paya hai!
Hoshiyaar aur Khabardaar!
Pehalwaan k naray shoru ho chukay hain!
(Maafi kay saath, DANGAL kisi bhi waqt Pehlwaanon ki phook nikal janay ki vaja say cancel bhi ho sakta hai, lihaza apna ticket sooch samajh k khridina!)
Its more like a joke…
If Musharraf gets impeached, who will take his place? zardari? one of the sharif brothers? can the country really put its fate in the hands of those who have already done more than enough to run in to the ground? zardari is a chairman of a political party yet he talks and makes decisions like the owns the entire country.. as for nawaz sharif..his one point agenda of impeachment just shows a person hungry for revenge. The major issues facing Pakistan are: inflation, food crisis, energy crisis and of course terrorism.. do any of these so called ‘leaders’ have plans to address these issues? does the reinstatement of the cheif justice or impeachment of musharaf really solve these issues? does the average pakistani man who tries to feed his children one meal a day really care abt chaudry iftikhar? NO! no one does! every one can see what a sham this government is. Not saying that under Musharraf’s rule everything was hunkie dorie, no there was many mistakes made under his govt as well. The leaders should be focusing on a multifaceted strategy to combat inflation, address the energy and food crisis immediately, improve the economy and the living standards of the PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN first and then think about other issues.
GUYS, DOING THIS IS NOT VERY EASY EVEN IF IT IS RIGHT. THIS IS WHAT IT WILL TAKE (FROM THE NEWS TODAY)
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ISLAMABAD: In order for the impeachment move against President Pervez Musharraf to succeed, it is necessary for the government to have the support of 295 members in a combined House of 442. The National Assembly has a total of 342 members and the Senate 100 members.
Eight clauses of Article 47 of the Constitution relate to the impeachment of the president. In order to table an impeachment motion, signatures of at least half the members of the National Assembly or the Senate must in practice be presented to either the Speaker of the National Assembly or the Chairman Senate. It is also necessary to ensure the presence of at least two-thirds of the members of the National Assembly and the Senate at the time of voting.
The number of members required to gain a two-thirds majority in both houses is 295. If an impeachment motion is presented against the president, the signatures of at least 172 members of the National Assembly
I dont think that the formal impeachment will happen at all. But all this pressure will force Musharraf to leave or o be told by teh Army to leave. That will be the best solution.