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?
Mushahid Hussain Syed has made an excellent suggestion to President Musharraf;
RESTORE the Judges
ABOLISH the NRO
RESIGN
Viola…..hum tai dubay gay sanam parr tum ko bhi lay dubay gay!
This would be an excellent move to bring to the book the criminal likes of ZARDARI and NAWAZ SHARIF. They should not be allowed to escape their fate this time!
amber@
Musharaf may have been a good president, an excellent usurper, a bloody dictator and a mastermind manipulator but please let him leave the country’s presidency now. He has ruled for more than eight years and has done havoc with the country. Of course no one forgets his sentimental national address of 12th October, 1999 and tracing him to the present, musharaf has proved to be a magnificent liar who is bent upon sticking to the president’s seat no matter what.
I believe that musharaf has very special secrets in his bag against Zardari especially and Sharif Butt as well but creating a drama like that is not going to help. (making a laughing stalk in front of the world) and ofcourse he has to go.
Zardari and Sharif Butt are compulsive thieves, no complain from them. Both have their needs to fulfill. Zardari ofcourse mr. 10% and Sharif with no brains at all are in the political arena right now. I hate both of these as much as any one else but do we have a choice. NO
Zardari has his PPPP and Sharif his PML(N) both with a considerable majority in the parliament as well as in the provincial assemblies. Lets give them a chance. Good or bad this present assembly should complete its tenure to keep the wheel of democracy rolling.
Credit certainly goes to musharaf for holding the elections after five years and thus setting the stage for democracy in its true sense in Pakistan.
If the present assembly completes its five years then one can confidently say that Pakistan is on its way to restoration of democracy.
So lets all of us make it a point to email a message to musharaf to leave the president’s seat for his benefit and for the greater benefit of the country.
This address is his official address please tell him to go now.
P.S Yaro yeh na likhna “lagay raho munna bahi”
http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentM essage.aspx
I think talk of impeaching the President is linked with his power to use 58 2 (b). You have a scary President difficult to qualify. Nobody can begrudge him the seat of President. And so the young democracy is finiding it difficult to move forward with people from the past especially with Judiciary hanging in the balance.
Irrespective of what one would like to see happening, lets please focus on what is likely to happen here as the post asks. The signs from today’s newspaper are that Musharraf is in trouble and real trouble.
1. Army is sending signals that it will stay away from this impeachment and let things happen as they will.
2. Ch. Shujaat called meeting of 54 PML-Q parliament members to discuss strategy and only 20 show up. There is clearly an anti-Mush PML-Q faction emerging.
3. In Punjab Assembly vote, 39 PML-Q voted against Musharraf in the new resolution against him.
4. USA is sending signals that it will not intervene to save Musharraf this time. Partly bc they are losing patience with him and partly because they are distracted with Russia-Georgia sitiation.
Today was Pervez Musharraf’s birthday, but not a good day for him.
well every one wanted it & asked for it now they have it, a glorious 3rd term of probably 2 of the most corrupt individuals, one deceased to ever grace planet earth, i am speechless