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?
@Aqil Sajjad
In view of your letter that appeared in The News today and your reply to my comments I wish to state that I think that restoration of judiciary would have been the ideal way of doing things but idealism can’t always be followed so the second best or the third best options have to be weighed and in that sense I think impeachment of Musharraf is of paramount importance.
As for giving him the safe exit and the evolution of institutions, I believe that once again the ideal solution would be to try him for treason under Article 6 of the constitution. But if that can’t be done then at least try to impeach him under whatever options are available and I believe that even this act would make future mis-adventures less probable. The reason being that previously the military dictators were never been impeached. So its a historical improvement over the past. Further historical improvement would come in the future when a head of the state or the government won’t just be impeached but punished for his/her crimes.
Historically Chengez Khan was never punished for his crimes but Radovan Karad
These days impeachment of Pres Mush is what everyone is talking – but who are demanding it? The top leaders of the two major political parties which themselves have a shady past of throwing out the sitting CJ from his office and making and “exporting” billions out of the country.
Let the first stone be thrown by the someone who hasnt committed a sin till date.
Ahmad R. Shahid:
I agree that change is a slow, evolutionary process. There is no magic wand that will imediately fix the problems. The judiciary’s restoration, however, would be an important step forward. Even more than the impeachment of Musharraf in fact, since institutions are more important than individuals.
Also, if he is given a safe exit, then the impeachment will not be of much significance in the long-run evolution of democracy.
…hmm.;
-just wondering if not I heard the “Prince of Denmark” /Hamlet just whispering something like ; “there is something rotten in the State of Denmark” . Nowadays it could be implemented on certain factors concerning a country called Pakistan.
Mush’s goose, as far as I can see, has been cooked good and proper. Let us see how well he fights his case. If I were his lawyer I will make the plea for his mental incapacity to save him from death by stoning or something like that. His just one remark yesterday is enough to prove his mental incapacity. He said: I have never violated the constitution of Pakistan. By the way lying is not a serious offence in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as it is in USA.