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?
Just because someone doesn’t agree with your view point you you tell them they should stop giving lectures on
Actually the army is a better reflection of us than the 2%politicians. Atleast it includes people from all walks of life and not just the upper class. Atleast there was General who was a son of a subedar can you imagine a prime minister or president from a poor family. There is a saying if you are cruel then the ones who will rule you will be much worse in cruelty. At the end of the day it is us who have change.
And just another note, please don’t criticise the Army that much, even i have done it in the past but not everyone within the Army is at fault. People don’t join the army to put their lives on the lines so that in 30 odd years they will become a General or President, they do it for the Love of their country and to protect us citizens. They do much more than the so called Politicians who only loot the nation.
And if it wasn’t for the army Pakistan would be eaten up, if you are following all the external events out neighbours are sharpening their knives and what is our government doing? Some has to take control if not the Army then who?
Chemical weapons or no chemical weapons, wasn’t Musharraf mainly responsible for all the deaths? For sure not, as believed by the supporters of Musharraf who think human life means nothing. No wonder Mushy raised his hands in Islamabad and said that his supporters had shown their muscle when more than 50 people were killed in Karachi on May 12. But the Mushy supporters would never blame Musharraf for that since only their own lives matter to them not of ordinary people. Musharraf must be hanged for all those killings but only after he has been tortured ad-infinitum. And it has nothing to do with NS and AZ. If they have committed crimes they should be punished but Mushy should not be spared just because few of his “jiyalas” love him so much.
And we can blame the army as well, but the real blame is still with the politians.
These so called politicians have been given a golden oppurtunity to do some good, some thing to make Pakistan move in the right direction, and what are they doing? messing things up further, and making life more miserable. It’s because they are not a force for good. That includes the clowns of the last government as well. And all those who are sitting on the fence that includes Mr Ahsan as well. They need to stand up for all that is wrong and speak against there own party.
And nothing will change until we as a nation don’t change. Our leaders are a reflection of us as a society because they are from amongst us. We all need to do our own accountability first, only then will things change. We need to start doing some good rather than sit on our backsides and criticise. That includes me.