Let me register my bias at the very outset. I do not like Mr Ahmadinejad. Why would that be? Because I believe that his comic strip approach to diplomacy has ruined all the good work done by Mr Khatemi and really damaged the international standing of his great nation. Iran is one of the foremost cradles of civilization and yet his denial of the recorded historic events the holocaust make undermine the historic contribution to the Iranian contribution to the Islamic culture and the world at large. Dragging the faith and his nation into useless, and at times damaging, point scoring debates has never done any good to anyone. So that’s that. But after having elaborated my personal predilections I want to add that my following criticism of the regime in Tehran has hardly anything to do with it. If anything I regard Mr Ahmadinejad a symptom not a cause of the ongoing crisis in his country.
If truth be told the Irani government and establishment are in a perpetual state of denial about the nature of change. The Iranian revolution as we all know had to major aspects about it. The first and quite often forgotten was republican in nature and came essentially in reaction to the oppression of the elite. The second as we all well remember was its religious bent. Now it is my theory, and forgive me if you do not agree, that the republican revolution was capitalized by the religious class, since being spontaneous there was no secular voice in place against the monarchy at the top. Hence the religious outlook at best was circumstancial at best.
I do not want to ask whether it was a wise move to replace monarchy with a oligarchy. Bureaucracies the world over have the habit of becoming oppressive, corrupt and anti-democratic. The same happened in Iran but a nation exhausted by the revolution could not stand up again in a short span of time for their rights. So they have endured the regime’s wayward ways. However it is plain now that the religious interpretation of the revolution has failed to delivered. What is use of liberating people if you have enslave them again with another repressive regime?
But if the regime has not understood it for so long, my mutterings will not convince it of its flawed perspective. What I want it to understand is that today it is fighting a losing battle. Oppressing its own people will neither bear any results not end the omnipresent desire of the Iranian people for more say in their own lives. The regime has quite erroneously tried to either whip up conspiracy theories blaming foreign powers in destablization or else has claimed that the protestors are in minority. If it really is convinced about its popularity then it should call for fresh and more transparent elections. But it will not. So there you go.
When it is not popular it can only keep denying the popularity of the protestors. And if Pakistan’s Musharraf is any example no matter even if the regime inhales its own propaganda and thinks it is winning it is bound to fail very soon. Technology has given an ordinary citizen so much power that he can express himself without much problem. When citizens look around in the world the examples of oppressive regimes they have a heart and vow to struggle untiringly. The regime’s stupidity has already provided the protestors early martyrs. Neda’s death has become a symbol and a rallying point. Iran is not Pakistan. In my country people have been oppressed for so long that they have become fatalist. Iran already has the provoking example of scrapping an established monarchy. If Pakistanis have gotten rid of Musharraf, Iran’s people can really have confidence in themselves.
But here is the catch the regime can prolong its defeat and seal its own fate by not throwing the towel. However it has the potential of tribalizing and eroding the state apparatus. Change comes in two varieties. First reform. If the way of reform is blocked the situation transfers into a pressure cooker and the only course left is explosion in the shape of bloody revolution. The regime which in any case rules in the name of the people should realize that even for the sake of self preservation the only course open to it is of reform. Times have gone when you could deny people their civil liberties. Iran is a great nation and it deserves far better than a decaying theocracy. I do not understand how Iran and Pakistan can claim to be republics or democracies if they desire to be theocracies? Consider this: Islamic republic of Pakistan. Folks a country with a religious title is supposed to be a theocracy. No doubt religion is central to all our lives but state has nothing to do with it. Are we such weaklings that without taking the name of Islam we cannot be good Muslims? I think we are not weaklings. So there is no need to tattoo the name of Islam on forheads as long as there faith in our hearts. The sooner Iran and Pakistan understand it the better it is for them. Otherwise even the cause of Islam cannot be advanced with our contradictory examples.
I just received this email from a friend and am putting it on my site. I’ll be obliged if any of my readers can help this child find her family.
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HEART-BREAKING: An 18-month-old girl, who does not even know her name, was found abandoned in Madinah.
JEDDAH: The family of an 18-month-old girl of Indian or Pakistani origin who was found at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah three months ago is being searched for.
Security officers at the mosque found the girl and later handed her to the Children’s Hospital in Madinah to provide her with necessary medical care.
“Her condition is now excellent and she is now with the family of Abdul Aziz Al-Johani in Madinah,” an Al-Johani family member told Arab News yesterday. When the child was found, she was wearing red pants and a light green T-shirt with “Sweet House” written on it in English.
The child’s parents or relatives may contact Abdul Aziz Al-Johani on 05050009906.
With Best Regards,
Eng Syed Mujahed Mohiuddin,
Holy Makkah,
saudi Arabia.
Last year in the same month I wrote and posted a similar letter to you. Yes it was called Thodi si to lift kara day!!! You very kindly gave me more breathing space. So my state is this: An agnostic like me is left more confused. On one side I have new opportunities on the other my home, my only home Pakistan still struggles under humunguous burden of troubles. No matter whatever I do the situation does not seem changing. It is true that Pakistan has won the T20 cup, something that seemed impossible and brought with it soaring national spirit. But that’s that. Our every day problems are graver than just that. Is there any silver bullet to end them all? Likewise can we dream of a country where tolerance and pluralism with healthy competition are order of the day? On one side my personal improvement has forced me to think that you exist and you listen to us mortals. Yet the amount of pain and suffering I witness around me makes me stubborn and in desperation I want to deny your existence and severe all ties with those who take your name. Why, after all, the blood we see everywhere is being spilled in your name. Can you please not help us mortals in stopping all of this rubbish and by doing so reinforce our faith in you?
I have some more bones to pick too. Now I am a TV talkshow host for a growing news channel. But somehow I feel totally helpless in doing anything substantial for the people. How can I when I am embroiled in personal matters and when even I a trained analyst fail to make sense of the going ons in my dear country? Not quite. And there certainly is something in your decisions about fulfilling desires without delivering their substance. For instance you will remember the days when during the lawyers’ movement the Chief Justice was not being restored, Geo Network for which I was then working was shutdown. We fought for the restoration of both. We also wanted democracy to triumph and the dictator to go. And then please remember the day when we were praying that Obama may win. Today the Chief Justice has been restored to his seat but justice for all still seems elusive. Geo is free and yes I am not with it. In the 2008 national election the democratic forces triumphed and the dictator is gone, yet since you took Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto away from us, the democrats sound more like dictators. Obama has won but even though there have been a lot of pledges things in my part of the world are not changing as quickly as they should have. This creeping sense of impotence, when you know you have some means though not all, of bringing about the change and then owing to the treachery of the circumstances you cannot do anything, is killing me and I am once again losing my marbles.
I simply don’t know why things get saturated whenever you take a new step. This misfortune is that the idols that I have worshipped now expect nothing but an absolute sycophant. You know well that I cannot be one. Consequently every direction I take, my goal post boils down to a burning sea of mirages. Is there no direction left or am I destined to keep running in circles? Am I to be punished for competence, not incompetence, forever? Here is the deal. You have bestowed upon me the gift of barking, give me teeth now and I will bite only those who befoul your name. Give me hands of glory and they will be used only to fight injustice and help the victims. Thori si lift aur kara day.
(Pitafi.com has proudly initiated its new segment the Guest Blog. Here is a contribution by Mr Rashed Rehman, former editor the Post and Senior Editor, the National. If you want to be part of the project you can contribute or comment at guest@pitafi.com)
The military offensive in Swat Valley and surrounding districts of Malakand Division has more or less completed its initial phase. This may be a good moment therefore to assess the operation so far.
There is little doubt that there was a fundamental shift in the attitude of the army before such an unprecedented military offensive could be launched against the Taliban whom the military until recently was fond of referring to as its ‘strategic assets’. What led to this ‘change of heart’?
(Pitafi.com now proudly presents its new segment the Guest Blog. We are starting up with Dr Mubashir Hasan’s valued contributions. If you want to be part of the project you can contribute or comment at guest@pitafi.com)
The year was 1942. World War II had been raging for 3 years. To prepare defences against a possible German advance into India through Iran, the British Indian government was frantically constructing roads and airfields and was recruiting engineers in large numbers. I had appeared in final engineering examination and the family was keenly discussing the options for my career. The stern voice of my uncle settled the question. “We are against war. We have lived in this town for six hundred years and no member of our family has ever served in the military or police or a government department dealing with the control or taxation on alcohol or narcotics”, he thundered. To this day I cannot understand how in our town comprising educated petty land owners, professionals, writers and poets, of which our family was a part, came to adopt this particular stance against war.
Lying 55 miles north of the Indian capital, Delhi, Panipat had acquired fame in history as a battle field. It was an ancient town dating back to several thousand years. To the east of the town flowed the river Jamuna flanked by thick forests. To the west were extensive marshes. In between there was a dirt road, a highway of immense strategic importance. It was the shortest, direct route to the capital of India. Scores of conquerors had taken this route since time immemorial. Until British hegemony was established in 1820, battles, big and small, frequently raged in and around Panipat — almost four for every century. Those of 1526, 1556 and 1761 proved fateful for the history of India.
Every day we see some new concern in the western media, our media or some apex western meeting. Yesterday Richard Holbrooke’s congressional hearing was quite pithy in this context. One comment from BBC’s anchor is still frozen in my memory, that some people argue that instead of AfPak policy it should be called the PakAf policy. In my humble view the nomenclature doesn’t matter. What matters is how you approach the heart of the problem. And that is what I am going to discuss here just now.
Somehow a fear in the western media seems to have been blown beyond proportions: that of nuclear proliferation. I say blown beyond proportions because even though the fear is very much there it obscures and often overshadows the far bigger fears. At the top of these fears is that of Pakistan’s total meltdown and the army’s transformation into a rogue force.
Now why would I say such a thing? Consider this: The terrorists who participated in the September 11 assaults were not equipped with anything beyond box cutters or similar stuff. No nukes no other lethal weapons but a fanatical obsession with crrying out their plans coupled with the skills of combat and flying the planes. Granted that the nuclear arsenal can fall in the hands of the terrorists but remember that the nukes have neither volition nor legs of their own. They cannot walk over to the rogue side. And for such an eventuality it must be submitted here that the Pakistani nukes are well safeguarded with Permissive Action Links and all other procedures. That implies that unless there is capitulation on the part of the army the nukes will be rendered useless for the terrorists. As for the fissile material well can we deny that such possibilities exist in all parts of the world, for instance in the former USSR states or even in India where some of it went missing not in too distant a past. The issue then is of the army guarding the strategic weapons. We know that the Pakistan Army is a highly disciplined force and that in the current circumstances its presence ensures that the few warheads we have will not fall in the rogue hands.
The eventuality of Pakistan’s meltdown however is too serious to ignore. What happens if the central authority ceases to exist and there is no mechanism to pay the five hundred thousand strong army salaries. Thanks to Musharraf’s nine years of blind rule the army and the other forces (including the Air Force and the Navy) are already highly demoralized. Tell me what will happen if the central authority melts down and the terrorists and the insurgents try to induct them into their ranks. The only source of living known to most of the soldiers is fighting and combat. Will such a large number of trained soldiers not be a threat to global peace then? If you are thinking that the country will melt down and the broken pieces will be absorbed conveniently into the neighbors then you are really mistaken. Degerneracy hardly ever gives way to constructive peace.
After having registered this point let me now discuss the matter of the Taliban support within the army. Please mark my words that if you think that there is no sympathy for the Taliban within our military ranks then you are living with delusions nothing else. But there is an absolutely understandable explanation for that. This support and the role of our army in nurturing the Taliban since the movement’s very inception stems from the innate insecurity of our state. Like it or not from the day one Pakistan has lived in the perpetual environment of insecurity born out of the Indian state’s lack of readiness to recognize it as a viable reality. After having fought wars with India the intelligence tsars here came up with the deluded idea of strategic depth. The depth of our country is very shallow. Even the recent Indian army doctrines have projected plans or scenarios where an Indian assaults through stealth cuts the country into two. That is why it was always argued that a virtual depth should be attained through a favorable government in Kabul. Of late this argument has been used by the fundos like Lt Gen (r) Hamid Gul in support of the Taliban. No wonder then that as long as the insecurity is there such argument will exist. Now before I move a bit forward I ask you to choose between two scenarios. A progressive Pakistan with a secular ethos no matter even with the nukes or a decaying Pakistan with loose nukes, rampant fanaticism and at top of everything a loose armed forces? I am sure you will choose the former not the latter. What is to be done then?
The right answer to this very difficult equation is quite simple. Taliban are a creation of Pakistan. It is the very army then which should root the menace out. No you didn’t get the point. I don’t mean within the Pakistani boundaries alone. The only strategy that can work is to give the Pakistan army a role in Afghanistan too. Since the Taliban are creation of our army, our soldiers know their mentality too, especially of the Afghan Taliban. So the best way is to employ the same army on both sides of the border to squeeze the Taliban – Al Qaeda nexus. Now this idea seems a non starter. There of course are snags. First, why would the Pakistan Army want to take part there? Second, if it does it lacks the capacity to fight an insurgency. Third, India and other regional players will have objections to the idea for India has its interests in the country. Let me begin with the last. India’s interest in Afghanistan arise from its ambitions not any insecurities for India is not directly contiguous to Afghanistan. If Pakistan transforms into a secular democracy and stamps out support for extremism it can indeed prove to be an excellent ally of New Delhi. Now why would the Pakistan want such a role in Afghanistan and what good will it do? The presence of the Pakistani soldiers in Afghan perhaps under the ISAF banner will ensure that there is no crossfire across the Pak Afghan border ensuring that the Afghan territory is not used against Pakistan. This will also dry up oxygen for the likes of Hamid Gul in army for the insecurity constant on our Western borders will be nullified and the Pak Army will not need to resort to exporting its proxies to Afghanistan got the sake of its stability. While in Afghanistan the army will be able to help train the Afghan army in conventional warfare and develop a working relationship even empathy. You know that the Pakistan Afghanistan border has already been nullified. The term AfPak was not invented by yours truly. However it offers countless opportunities for peace. For instance a commonwealth between Pakistan and Afghanistan which is not dominated by either Islamabad or Kabul. Make no mistakes there are no bigger stakes in Afghanistan than of Pakistan, and there are no bigger stakes in Pakistan than that of Afghanistan. Time has come to benefit from the strengths of the two nations rather than keep sufferring from their weaknesses. Pakistan thus far has weakened the Afghan nation building process, it can play greater role in its reconstruction.
Now the last but the most important bit. If somehow Afghan and Pakistan armies can be brought under one banner they can very effectually be trained in counter insurgency. The US and the West now need to end their own insecurities and help undo the wrongs they themselves have committed.
(Concluded but might be updated again so keep visiting)
Pakistan today is passing through a brutal phase. Those who believe in peace are advocating for war, those who prized themselves on being the bond of the federation are in a state of suspended animation giving the federation full time to melt down. There is no question that democracy is the best system possible and it is the only long term solution we have. But what do you do when the clear and present danger threatens to destroy you in short term. Will it not imply that in order to save the country for democracy there has to be a short term deviation? This is the argument always presented to derail democracy in the country and impose martial laws. And yet there can be no two views that the state of federation cries for some relief.
It breaks my heart to witness the damage the politicians have done to themselves. It was not long ago that we all were united against Pervez Musharraf’s emergency and the specter of talbanization. The Charter of Democracy was being considered Pakistan’s Magna Carta. Then politicians somehow started embracing Musharraf’s tragic legacy and now we witness an absolute absence of governance. The federal government headed by the presidency, and not by the premier house, unfortunately has allowed, just like Musharraf, a coterie of sycophants to isolate it from the general masses. Punjab government has its adrenaline rush but little direction. The biggest disappoint however turned out to be the Awami National Party. Its government has been backing the shoddy deal with the terrorists and thugs in Swat. I am working on a set of proposals regarding the Taliban problem that it will be posted here one of these days but right now I want to discuss the state of affairs and what political dispensation I foresee in the near future.
I know our president is off to Washington to meet Obama. Yet the environment created by the statements of coming from Washington has started changing everything. These things were visible even before the statements. For instance when the concessions to terrorists in Swat was giving us all headaches, it was Pakistan Army which started operation in Mingora region in a desperate attempt to contain the onslaught of the Taliban. The federal and the provincial governments failed to seize the initiative. Those of us who understand the seriousness of the Taliban threat cannot find fault with the Army’s initiative. The political parties instead must be blamed for not taking a lead in these matters. In fact it seems they all are worried only of their immediate constituencies. Here too People’s Party is losing much for it has become only too unreachable for its basic constituency. Consider this: I voted for the Prime Minister during the elections, and this site was the first and perhaps the only one to endorse Asif Ali Zardari as the president. However even this scribe is now getting worried about the state of affairs in this country.
What is the most likely shape of things to come? It is clear that the Pakistan Army does not want to stage another coup. It has thus far not been able to break free from Musharraf’s controversial legacy. Hence no chance of a full blown coup. The likely outcome could either be fresh elections or then much-discussed Bangladesh model. Fresh elections in the current scenario seem a bit far fetched. Fresh elections will lead to only fresh instability. Add to it the fact that Nawaz Sharif too has not been able to come up a coherent counter terror policy. The most likely option is of a national government of technocrats. In the likely scenario the federal government, under international and local pressue, will itself call the quits and owing to the multi dimensional crises the country is facing an interim government will be installed for approximately two years with the support of the Supreme Court and indirect help of the PML-N. This government will dedicate itself to put an end to all these crises. Who will head such a government? Either a veteran politician with an extraordinary knack of administation or then a new face. Of course not Musharraf for the army and its supporters abroad will not want the new set up to be tarnished by Musharraf’s reputation. On the contrary, in order to prove its distance from the new government, the army may allow Musharraf to be dragged in the court and formally prosecuted. Whether the NRO will be subjected to a judicial review or not depends on how the PPP leadership carries itself in the next few days.
Is there any prevention or preemption possible for the political class right now? Of course there is. If the PPP leaders want the current dispensation to continue they will have to be more accessible and prove themselves capable of proactive governance. Likewise the ANP will need to distance itself from the Swat deal, PML-N need to draft its counter-terrorism policy and MQM and other regional parties to show more restraint. These things seem almost impossible but are indeed doable. If not done immediately I do not see the current set up continuing beyond a fortnight or at best three weeks. Meanwhile please keep revisiting the site to read my proposals on ending the Taliban challenge.
For weeks now I have tried to keep silent for I felt that the political class and its military and foreign handlers would finally show some sense. But no sir. Common sense is the only form of intelligence totally extinct in the land of the pure. I say it despite the fact that within an year of our new democratic experience the country was again brought to a virtual martial. I cannot thank the three sides, the government, its challenger in the PML-N and the Army, more to have pulled back in time in order to prevent an absolute crash. I also laud the unprecendented role played by our army chief to save democracy, when in the past our army chiefs have always used such volatile political conditions to advance personal agendas. But that is besides the point sirs. Had common sense prevailed such day of political confrontation would have never come to pass.
I have had interactions with both President Asif Ali Zardari and Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif since then. Neither of these interactions were exclusive even though the halls of Raiwind and the Presidency both have pledged to arrange exclusive meets, but in both interactions thus far I was part of a small select group. I kept studying the reasons of the inane actions that brought us to the political precipice and could only end up blaming only the sycophants and the bureaucrats. Yes we are talking of tiny men and women with huge egos whose self respect fails when it comes to polishing the boots of their leaders.
Yet, after having opposed the very idea of the long march, I had to travel it also to cover it. And I’ll not pretend that I did not worry of the human and political cost of something as unpredictable as a bomb blast in such a huge gathering. Was it not irresponsible of our leaders to let people risk their lives for something that has thus far failed to bring about any substantial change. Hollow and half baked promises cannot provide you with bread, butter, shelter or even dignity. And during this period of silence I had to endure some personal traumas which educated me that in this great land of ours there is no dignity for a common man. Rather when the integrity and cool of a person considered a bit more influential than a pedestrian is not safe, how can be sure of the poor of the country. I have said it in the past and will say it in the future. Our system hones criminals. Nothing else.
If the PPP and the PML-N leaders were bent on making prats of themselves one would have hoped better attitude from other more seasoned parties. But no sir. A video of a girl being lashed originated from Swat one of these days but guess what our friends from Awami National Party and their government in the NWFP, instead of conducting serious investigation of the incident have thus far tried to cast aspersions on the veracity of the footage and the intentions of the TV channels who kept playing it for considerable time. The conservative intellectuals have not helped either. A senior TV anchor and journalist of the same clique recently told me that the footage was a conspiracy against the COUNTRY’S NUCLEAR ASSETS!!! I know two plus two is invariably always four but how does this twisted perversion of maths adds up really beats me.
But excuse me sirs. Do we really need proofs to qualify how cruel the Taliban is? I think not. I do not want my daughters to grow in a society where being a girl or a woman is crime in itself. All I can do is pledge t0 fight such negative forces even if it results in the demise of yours truly. And before that time comes I must submit that I am truly disappointed in the politicians and the ruling elite and since I am not any disillusioned supporter of Musharraf but a believer in the current system since ages, it is saying something.
For the sake of record let me point out that not only I am Prime Minister’s voter but I was the first and perhaps the only journalist/ blogger to endorse Zardari for the presidency. It was my belief that he will carry Benazir Bhutto’s philosophy forward and that the country will find stability. It is still my belief that the party is gifted with the maximum number of capable leaders. The politicians that were associated with the party during Benazir’s life were not only endowed with wisdom and maturity but were also creme de la creme leadership choices this country has been offered. After Benazir’s assassination the same leadership should have been brought to the fore. My illusions would have not lifted had it not been for a curious case that surfaced yesterday. Instead of nominating Raza Rabbani, a very very capable Senator of the party for the post of Chairman Senate, Advisor on Law, Farooq Naek’s name was tabled. Where on earth I ask you is incompetence and mediocrity rewarded? Had Mr Naek been competent the PPP would never have needed an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) to form government. Had Mr Naek been any expert on legal matters the lawyer community would not have vowed to march on Islamabad on this 12th. And yet such a man is being gifted with the third highest post of the country!
And yet this is not enough. At a time when the country can ill afford any atmosphere of confrontation, not only has a provincial government been displaced but no conciliatory effort seems visibe from Islamabad. If we had any illusions they have been brushed aside by the press (or loose) talk of the Federal Minister for Wapda, Pervez Ashraf and then the federal advisor on interior Rehman Malik, two further cases of incompetence. Had Pervez Ashraf been able to do justice with his ministry and the country would not have to endure power outages. Likewise had Rehman Malik been any good Lahore should not have witnessed the ghastly assaults on the Sri Lankan team. Instead of resigning the latter has turned out to be more shameless.
I know the country right now cannot afford to have any long marches. The country cannot tolerate any power vacuum for the power vacuum would only benefit forces of chaos and degeneracy. But what is the right way to stop the onslaught of a long march? Not by spraying bullets or erecting barriers. The right way to solve the crisis to make the right concessions. I believe that it is only the president who holds the key to these solutions or concessions. Inflexibility at this juncture not only poses a threat to democracy but even to the country. I believe like in the past that if the PPP’s government is to survive Rehman Malik, Farooq Naek, Latif Khosa and Salman Taseer need to go. Both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari meanwhile need to show some sense. If they don’t Army and the US need to play behind the scene role. Meanwhile I must apologize for some of my errors of judgement for I had initially thought that Salman Taseer will prove a good governor. That illusion has lifted. However I still have some hope left about Zardari especially in the presence of Gillani and Bilawal. Please don’t deprive us of that.
While I apologize profoundly for my momentary absence from the blogosphere, I must point out that all this time I have been present on the tube. All my readers had to do was to switch on television and watch my views on News1 TV. I am saying this because that which I had feared has finally happened and there are more fears that can come true within no time. In this space and others I have repeatedly warned you of such a possibility yet our leaders who very kindly inform me that they read this site have not even realized what they are doing. How sad!
Let me begin from the unfortunate disqualification of the Sharif brothers for which they alone are to be blamed. Why do I say that? I say it because the brothers whose political career started with thanks to a martial law and who have always played a Tom and Jerry show with the country’s judiciary and democracy are now trying to portray themselves as the martyrs of the cause of the judicial independence. You might have forgotten but I have not the way former president and justice Rafiq Tarrar used to carry a bag full of money and illicit promises to buy judges over to Nawaz Sharif’s side against the then chief justice of Pakistan. You might have forgotten good ol’ Saifur Rehman the draconian head of the accountability bureau and his victimization of all dissent but I have not. Now from such leaders one should have expected a bit of flexibility but there was none to be found. And I am not talking of any flexibility that didn’t them. I am talking of just a bit that would have ensured their stay in power and made life easier for the Pakistanis.
Do you know why they were disqualified? Not because the president wanted them to be disqualified. No matter how much you believe in conspiracy theories that is not how things worked here. They were disqualified only because of a mere technicality. The verdict featuring their disqualification is not new. It happened when Musharraf was in power. The issue was of an appeal against it. While the two brothers could have appealed in the courts and would have very conveniently been exonerated they refused to appeal against the verdict on the grounds that they do not accept the sitting courts as legitimate. Tell me if you were handed out a death penalty and you wanted to save yourself would you not appeal against the verdict not matter how doubtful the court was? You most certainly would. Refusal to accept the legitimacy of a court does not meant that it will seize to exist. However in order to capitalize on the moment’s sentiments the brothers did not appeal and instead allowed themselves to appear likely victims. Had they not believed in the very courts I would have understood it but opportunism was not lost even here. A hitherto unknown group calling itself Ahlian-e-Lahore (the citizens of Lahore) appealed in against the verdict in their stead. The group essentially was supported and sponsored by the brothers. Why go to this extent if you don’t believe in the court. The appeal however was dismissed on the grounds that the group had no locus standi in this matter. Is it rocket science that we cannot understand that in the entire world all courts have decided in a similar fashion?
The brothers could have swallowed their hubris and decided to appeal directly without any proxy but they did not. Instead they brought this matter on the street regardless of the danger it posses to democracy and the country. The arsen that ensued in Lahore ensured the imposition of governor rule. I don’t understand why this is being portayed as a conspiracy. Constitution of the country has to ensure that no power vacuum emerges. Perhaps because the media that was so badly victimized by Nawaz Sharif’s successive governments still wants to see him in power and hence is bent on projecting him as a victim. Just in case our media peers have forgotten let me remind some of them how things were in late 1990s. Nawaz Sharif’s government was stifling the Jang group, the owner of my previous employer, to a slow death. How on earth can we forget that? PPP has never done that to the media in my memory.
I am worried folks because I realize that the Taliban is sitting in Swat which is a hundred mile from Islamabad. I am worried because a deal was cut with the Taliban which allows it a safe haven. Meanwhile the tribalization of Southern Punjab, Balochistan and rural Sindh continues. If this sad trend continues our nationhood may come under further duress.
The trouble is that the form of dictatorship that the Taliban engenders makes even military dictators like Zia look tame. I have two daughters now and in no way can I allow them to live in a culture which behaves as if being a girl is a crime. The trouble is that even if the long march and the sit in succeeds it will create a power vacuum that cannot even be filled by a military intervention for Musharraf’s stay in power has weakened the army and in case of another military coup the country most definitely will implode. The only option then is to bring both sides back on negotiating table and force them to save democracy that we have struggled to bring to the country for last nine years. If Messrs Sharif do not understand the grim situation the country is passing through they will be the first ones to regret their decisions when the consequence play out.
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