General (Retired) Pervez Musharaf Launches his Political Party

1 October 2010

In a bid to start his political career, the former president of Pakistan Gen Pervez Musharaf has announced launching of his political party with the name,’ All Pakistan Muslim League’. He announced this in London today evening while addressing a selected gathering of his loyalists.

The launching of All Pakistan Muslim League is a welcome move that will effect the existing political scenario in the country. Pakistan is passing through a critical stage of her history. People who had pinned their hopes with the democracy have been dismayed with the performance of the elected government. Although Pervez Musharaf was removed from power after he lost his popularity, but the failure of the civilian government has given him new courage to stage a come back in the politics.

Pervez Musharaf has many good qualities. He is upright, outspoken and straight forward person. He is a patriot down to earth and wanted to do many good things for Pakistan. He has the courage to call spade a spade. I remember during the early days of his assuming power he visited Azad Jammu & Kasmir. While addressing the public he categorically said that ‘from now onwards the talks with India will be held on the issue of Kashmir and Kashmir only’. He acted up on his words and when he visited India, the issue of Kashmir was on top of the agenda. Obviously the Indian leaders were not ready to give such a preference to Kashmir, thus the common statement could not be announced and Musharaf came back without signing anything. He was not ready to make unimportant and trivial announcements just to ‘fill in the blank.’

However Pervez Musharaf has many shortcomings also. As a leader he lacks the vision of future. He makes hasty decisions and commits mistakes in the process. He is normally not aware of the results and the outcomes of his actions and statements. He joined hands with the US and allies to fight war on terror and in the process brought all the destruction and miseries of the war to his country. He has many blunders to his credit. Pakistan has suffered a loss of $50 billion in this war but Musharaf failed to receive the compensation from the world community commensurate with the loss. Obviously no amount of compensation can make up the loss of life which is estimated around 20,000.

He entered in discreet agreements with the US whereby he handed over many Pakistani citizens to them on the pretext of their involvement with Al Qaeda. The scandal of missing persons still haunts a large number of families. The drone attacks by the US inside Pakistan is the legacy of Musharaf. The brutal use of force to deal with the terrorists who took refuge in Lal Mosque in Islamabad has left such a deep scar on Pakistan that has not yet heeled. The murder of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti gave impetus to the fire of hate and has created a deep gulf between the separatists in Balochistan and the pro Pakistan forces. He gave many concessions to India by assuring them of no interference from across the borders in Kashmir without getting anything in return. Rather Pakistan got the acute shortage of water in her rivers, as Indian constructed many dams illegally on those rivers and Pakistani government did not do anything.

A large number of actions of Pervez Musharaf didi not support his rhetoric of ‘Pakistan First’. Had he been true to his words, he would have removed his uniform in 2004 as per his commitment. Moreover he should not have given free hand to his political supporters to indulge in corruption. He should not have sacked Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan for his impartial inquiries in Steel Mill selling case and missing person case. That was the biggest blunder of Musharaf which cost him his president ship. When the lawyer’s movement duly supported by civil society and political parties grew beyond proportion, Musharaf remained oblivious about what was coming next. Had he been smart enough he would have taken back the references against the Chief Justice and thus had defused the situation. After the reinstatement of the Chief Justice, the case of eligibility for his being in the office and for contesting presidential elections while in uniform came in question in the Supreme Court. Had he kept ‘Pakistan First’ and not his ‘person first’ he would have given free hand to judiciary to decide about his future. Had he lost his office, the heavens would not have fallen. But he abrogated the constitution of the country second time in his tenure in a bid to save his chair and thus sealed his future. Again as a leader he could not comprehend the aftermath of his fateful decision.

Despite all this, his entry into the politics is a good gesture as both the large political parties, Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) have failed to deliver. There is no other leader as yet who can fill the gap and lead the country. If Pervez Musharaf is successful on his return to Pakistan, it will be more due to the failure of other parties rather than for his political acumen. However if Pervez Musharaf is serious in playing some positive role in the politics, he will have to restore his credibility which he lost during the last phase of his being in power. He will have to learn lessons from the mistakes of the past. He will have to be in step with the aspirations of the people. He will have to create a balance in his diplomatic relations with other powers, particularly the US. He will to take a firm stand on issues like Kashmir and Indus water treaty with India. It must be known to Pervez Musharaf that the environment in Pakistan are now quite different. The judiciary is independent and the media is free. The people are now well aware of what all is happening even behind the curtains. So the governance in Pakistan will not be bed of roses now.

And last but not the least. It is inspiring to learn that the insignia on the party flag of Pervez Musharaf is the eagle. This reminds me of the ‘Shaheen (eagle) of Iqbal. I hope Pervez Musharaf knows the traits of the ‘eagle of Iqbal’. This nation direly needs that eagle. You never know this privilege becomes the fortune of Pervez Musharaf, but only if he proves to be capable of handling that responsibility.

Advocating a French- style Revolution may do no good to Pakistani Society.

Mr. Altaf Hussain, leader of MQM ( Mutahida Qaumi Movement) while making a telephonic address to a gathering of workers on 2 September 2010, has cautioned that a revolution in Pakistan is on the door steps. He urged the workers to motivate the people to get prepared for a revolution on the lines of French Revolution. He reiterated that feudal lords and corrupt politicians, who will be the primary target in the revolution, will not be allowed to escape. He said that those who have looted the national wealth will be hanged in public. Mr Altaf Hussain urged the armed forces and the establishment to join hands with the people of Pakistan for this revolution.

The sincerity of MQM leader cannot be doubted. The speech of the leader is a reflection of the desire that only a revolution can bail out the country from the rotten system which has eaten away all the resources and abilities of this great nation. The desire of the leader of a political party that claims to be the representative of the middle and lower classes of Pakistan to spear head the revolution, sounds logical. However we have to analyze all the pros and cons of such an occurrence.

First of all, the possibility of a bloody revolution has receded in the present times. Given the fantastic spread of electronic media and the ensuing awareness in the civil society, the people have become wiser than before. They now have better knowledge what to do and what not to do.

Secondly, the people of Pakistan have lost faith in the present political leaders. Presently no leader has the credibility to lead a nation wide revolution / movement. Almost all the leaders have a myopic viewpoint as far as their political profile is concerned. It at all a revolution takes place; it will determine its own course and will tend to bring forward its own leadership.

Thirdly, today we live in a world that has been turned into a global village. None of our action, including a revolution, will go unnoticed by the global powers that matter. Those powers would not like anything to happen that may jeopardize their grand / strategic plans in the region. If they feel that some thing is cooking up, they will interfere and try to defuse the situation.

A bloody revolution is not recommended because it may neither produce any favorable results nor will it do any good to the society. Pakistani society has already become frustrated and violent over the past many years due to multiple factors. A bloody revolution will only brutalize it further. At the end of the day there will be nothing but anarchy and confusion. There is a possibility that the rogue elements may hijack the revolution. People will take the law into their own hands and the scenes of brutal incidents of Sialkot will be repeated on the streets. I am sure that even if the revolution takes place, the big fish will slip way to their heavens abroad where they have amassed their wealth. Only the innocent ones and the people with much lesser crimes will be left to be victimized.

There is no doubt that it is only the people who can bring revolution. However best way to bring revolution is to change the system through ballet. The electorate will have to be educated by the political parties who really want to bring a change. Our religion Islam also denounces any violence or disturbance in the society. Islam advocates change through consultation ( mushawarat) that is by peaceful means. In my opinion this is the only plausible way out and our political leaders should work on this agenda.

Pakistan Cricket Board again under clouds for allegations of Match Fixing

The British police along with the Scotland Yard raided the hotel accommodation of Pakistani cricket players on the tip off of the match fixing. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/7971107/Cricket-match-fixing-suspicion-falls-on-80-games.html

Some of the suspects have been arrested on the suspicions of betting fix. The inquiry has been ordered in Pakistan as well for this scam. President Asif Ali Zardari has asked for a detailed report on this event.

The episode has seriously tarnished the image of Pakistan at home as well as abroad. The Pakistan Cricket Board had not yet recovered from the earlier shocks like humiliating defeats of the national cricket team in various one-day and test matches. The senior management has assured that if the allegations are proved, all those who are involved in the matter will be severely punished.

It is impetant that the matter should be seen from many angles. The view point of a conspiracy against our national team may also not be over looked. A person named Mazhar Maheed who has been arrested by British police may reveal many secrets.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ .

It is hoped that, given the seriousness of the occurrence, the senior management of the PCB and the Government of Pakistan will take effective steps that would ward off the possibility of repetition of such disasters again.

Altaf Hussain’s Statement creates Stir in Political Waters

The self exiled leader of a political party MQM (Motahida Quami Movement) has given a statement in London that if some patriotic generals of Pakistan Army took any martial law-type action against the feudal lords and corrupt politician the MQM will support that action.

This statement from a leader whose party politically controls the urban population centers of Sindh and claims to be the true representative of middle and lower middle class was astonishing for the other political elite of the country. Almost all the parties, including the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and main opposition party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) have condemned it. They say that it is a conspiracy to derail the democracy and again bring in the military dictatorship. The stance of MQM leaders is that they do not favor martial law but some sort of military interference is necessary to take the country out of the quagmire which is taking heavy toll in terms of economic, political and social degradation. A veteran political leader, Pir Pagara, who is known for his close association with the Army has also supported the idea. A bout of statements and counter statements from different leaders is going on.

The desire of Mr. Altaf Hussain seems to sincere and can termed as a short cut measure to cure the ills of the country. However the past experience shows that military interference in the political affairs of Pakistan has never borne the desired results. Military governments, although duly welcomed by the public at the initial stage have invariably fell short of people’s expectations. As a matter of fact Army is not a suitable instrument to bring revolution. It is meant to defend the country from the enemies of the state. And this is where it wins the hearts and minds of the people. When it interferes in the politics and takes over the reins of power it suffers from the problem of legitimacy right from the start. The military dictator becomes hostage to the puppet politicians that he creates for his justification in power. Similarly he is pressurized and blackmailed by foreign powers and is forced to act according to their wishes. Hence the hope of a patriotic revolution evaporates in the air. The Army then starts losing its prestige in the eyes of public who start looking forward to elections and democracy, and hence the vicious circle goes on and on. The result is always a total despair for the people.

I think it is high time now that the politicians should learn how to conduct their business of statesmanship without looking towards the Army. It will be much better for sincere leaders like Mr. Altaf Hussain and others that if they think that the regime in Pakistan is inept and should be changed, they should come forward and mobilize the public opinion in that direction., instead of favoring a military interference that has got inherent dangers for the country. This is how the democracy will flourish.

Pakistani Nation bravely fights the Battle against Flood

Pakistan is facing the worst floods of its history. The unusual climatic changes have resulted in devastating floods. As per the initial survey of UNO, almost 20,000,000 people have directly suffered from the flood. The province of Khaiber Pakhtunkhwa was the initial victim, followed by southern Punjab and then plain areas of Balochistan. The flooding waters have now entered the province of Sindh and till date no end to this calamity is visible.

For the last about five years Pakistan has been subjected to most horrible kind of terrorism. The suicide bomb attacks have taken a heavy toll of human life and property. The devastating earthquake of 2005 has yet not been forgotten. In both the calamities Pakistani nation had proved its worth and came out successful. The terrorist groups have been decidedly beaten out of Swat and South Waziristan. Their remnants are being perused vigorously in other parts of the country, particularly the tribal belt. The public support to these miscreant outfits had been severed properly and they are on the run. However given the support and funding from their foreign masters, they still show their appearance on certain occasions. The credit goes to Pakistan Army in particular for this marvelous achievement.

While fighting the battle against flood, Pakistan Army is again on the fore front. Areas where the flood water has receded, the Army has begun reconstruction work for the destroyed bridges and roads. The management of relief camps is mainly being done by the Army. The way the people stranded in flooded areas were evacuated by military helicopters was worth noticing.

The coming months will be a period of trial both for the nation and the government. Apart from social problems the economic burden will be enormous. So far a rough estimate says that Pakistan has suffered a loss of Rs 400-500 billion, and this estimate is going to swell. Although the loss is colossal but I am sure that Pakistan nation will come out victorious from this disaster as well.

Constitutional Package in Despair. Another Crisis in Making?

Just a day or two ahead of the scheduled presentation of constitutional amendment package in the parliament and the address of President Asif Ali Zardari, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Shareef addressed a press conference in Islamabad on 25 March 2010 and stunned everybody. He said that consensus on procedure for appointment of judges in superior judiciary could not be achieved with the government and hence the constitutional amendment bill will delayed for its presentation in the parliament. He also suggested that Chief Justice of The Supreme Court may be consulted for the proposed amendment. He said that issue of renaming of North Western Frontier Province is also to be decided as yet.

This has created a stir in the political circles. Many doubts / questions are being raised about the real intentions of PML-N. Will the Pakistani nation ever hear the long awaited good news of repealing the notorious 17^th amendment introduced by ex president General Pervez Musharaf in the constitution? The new suggestions put forward by Nawaz Shareef have become controversial even in legal fraternity, not to talk of the political parties. It seems as if the onus of resolving the issue has been placed on Nawaz Shareef instead of the ruling party PPP led by Mr. Asif Ali Zardari. We hope that all the stake-holders will learn lessons from the past and settle this crucial matter within days (not even weeks) so that the nation resumes its journey towards its objectives of true democracy and rule of law.

Pakistan Celebrates World Consumer Rights Day

World Consumer Rights Day was celebrated through out the world on 15 March 10 including Pakistan. This time Helpline Trust led by its founding trustee Mr. A Hamid Maker took the initiative and organized “ Putting the Consumer First Award” in collaboration with Consumer Protection Council. The effort is commendable and has been appreciated by all.

Consumers in any country are the backbone of economy. They are the largest stakeholders of society. Whereas in developed countries a lot is being done for the protection of consumers but unfortunately in Pakistan this aspect has been neglected over a long period of time. For this the successive governments of the past and civil society organizations are to be blamed equally. The consumer in Pakistan is neither aware of his rights and powers nor is he organized to have some influence on the forces of market.. As a result consumers are the most affected people who can just raise hue and cry but can’t do anything. Pakistan is primarily a consumer society because the industrial and manufacturing base is still in developing stage. For this reason they are a lucrative target market for the profit-making organizations, both domestic as well as abroad. Due to lack of awareness, our consumers are constantly subjected to different forms of exploitation, ranging from price-hike, hoarding, black marketing and unrealistic advertisement. The prize schemes attached to consumer goods and services are another form of psychological exploitation.

In the modern times when all segments of society are endeavoring to secure their rights, why the consumers should remain neglected? The markets of today operate on the principle of demand and supply. If the consumers are organized, they can exercise effective restraint on the purchase of goods and services and thus can prove to be a formidable force against the exploiters. The most effective weapon in the hands of consumers is an organized boycott of concerned items. This can be miraculous. We are reminded of the first bird flu rumor in Pakistan that kept the consumers away from buying poultry items and brought down the price of poultry meat from Rs.70 per KG to Rs.20 per KG within days! Although it was forced boycott prompted by health concern but the lesson learnt is that it can do wonders. If the consumers are organized and are properly guided to act in a positive manner, most of the ills like over charging, unreasonable price-hike, hoarding / black marketing, unethical cartels and monopolies in the business will be effectively curtailed. The consumers subjected to ruthless advertising campaigns and prize schemes, will regain their right of choosing the appropriate item. If the consumers insist on good standards, reasonable prices, after-sale services and warrantees etc, nobody will be able to exploit them. As democracy takes its routes in Pakistan, we look forward to a better and secure future for our consumers also.

Women Empowerment in Pakistan. A Ray of Hope

On the eve of International Women’s Day on 8 March 2010, two significant events took place in Pakistan. One, a bill for the protection of working women at the work places against their harassment was signed by the President Mr Asif Ali Zardari. This was a remarkable achievement which was badly needed since decades. One can hope that the law will be implemented in its true letter and spirit.

In the second event a women named Mai Jori stood as a candidate for provincial assembly seat in Jaffarabad ( Balochistan) during the bye- elections. Mai Jori is a poor peasant with no political or feudal background. She was supported by hundreds of her own community members, the peasants and the laborers. Her opponents included the candidate of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and an independent candidate. Both are also the powerful feudal lords and tribal chieftains of their clans. As expected Mai Jori could not make it to the assembly but in the process has left a signpost for others to follow. She mustered the courage to stand up against chieftains of the area where even to speak in front of the local lord is considered a big crime. Such a step by a commoner is conceived as a revolt against the tyrannical tribal system.

All the human rights organizations, the media and civil society as a whole have paid rich tributes to Mai Jori for her courage. This has been made possible because of the silent revolution which has created significant awareness in the masses. People of Pakistan have now realized the importance of independent judiciary and media. The initiative taken by Mai Jori can be viewed as first drop of rain. We expect many more such events in Pakistan in future. The winds of change have started blowing and the day is not very far when the down trodden segments of society, including the women, will stop looking towards others for the leadership. They will rather unite and create the leadership from within themselves. That will be the beginning of actual democracy, which will empower the common people including the women.

Targeting Independent Judiciary

Reportedly a campaign is in the offing to malign the superior judiciary for taking so-called unconstitutional initiatives and to portray it as the enemy of democracy. The way the issue of appointment of judges in superior judiciary has been resolved mutually by the prime minister and the chief justice is probably not been taken well by the elements who always want to see this country in crisis. The conspiracy may include creating embarrassing situations for Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry through miscreants and rallies in favor of President Mr. Asif Ali Zardari.

One may wonder what the judiciary has done wrong to the President or the government. As far as NRO is concerned, it was a document which even the parliamentarians considered shameful to discuss in the House. Supreme Court has just ruled what the constitution says and what the people of Pakistan expect in terms of equality for everyone before the law. Actually people at the helm of affair in this country can never tolerate an independent judiciary. Such a judiciary is always a big threat and hurdle to their misdeeds and nefarious designs. The fact is that a silent revolution has taken place in the country after the lawyer’s movement in 2007 that culminated in reinstatement of judiciary on 16 March 2008. People are not in a mood to revive the old judiciary that used to give decisions base on the”theory of necessity”. Any confrontation with judiciary and attempt to undermine its authority will now result in embarrassment for the government.

It is high time that we, as a nation, decide whether we want rule of law in the country or just politics for the sake of politics. A person who grabs power at gun point considers himself to be ‘absolute wisdom’ and above the law. A person who comes to power through vote, thinks that he is not to be questioned by anyone except the voters, that too after five years of his term in the office. And if people again vote him into power, he feels absolved from all criminal and immoral acts. It is very simple for a politician to stand in front of a crowd, deliver an emotional speech and get a “vote of support” from the audience against the so-called “false and politically motivated allegations“on him. Political acumen enabling the general public to reject the corrupt and inefficient politicians through the power of vote (i.e accountability through vote) will take sometime to mature. Till that time people of Pakistan will surely keep their support intact for the independent judiciary to uphold the rule of law.

Start of Dialogue between Pakistan and India-Finally the Ice has Broken

The first round of secretary level formal talks between Pakistan and India has concluded on 25 Feb 10. Pakistan raised the issue of Kashmir, followed by Indian interference in Balochistan and water dispute. India brought under discussion the issue of terrorism and urged Pakistan to take immediate action against the masterminds of Mumbai attacks of 26/11.

It’s a good omen that ice has finally broken. Better sense has prevailed and India has agreed to start the long awaited dialogue process with Pakistan. Lack of dialogue and communication has never been helpful in resolving the disputes and settling the issues. Attaching pre-conditions to the dialogues can also be a serious non-starter in such circumstances.

Both the countries should be aware of the fact that many people with vested interests in the region will always be ready to throw the peace process into disarray. The blast in Pune just prior to meeting of the delegates is one example. So let the talks continue and the countries should not become hostage by a handful of terrorists.

Another worrisome point being noted in the recent talks is the myopic view of the delegations. It seems as if Pakistan and India tried to focus the discussion on points of their own interest. India was shy of talking on Kashmir whereas Pakistani team considered the issue of Mumbai attacks as a trivial one. As a matter of fact all the issues are co-related and cannot be separated from each other. Delay in resolving Kashmir issue may promote ‘jihadi’ organizations / mindset in Pakistan. Hence a sincere, wide-ranging, comprehensive, and meaningful dialogue, without any pre-conditions and without any apprehensions, is need of the day. And the sooner the better.

March 2010 may see repealing of 17th Amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan

As Mr. Asif Ali Zardari is set to address the joint session of the parliament next month, the government would like to precede this important occasion by repealing the 17^th Amendment in the constitution.

The amendment which was incorporated by General Pervez Musharaf, ex president of Pakistan, has given wide-ranging powers to the president as compared to the directly elected prime minister and the parliament. Its repeal has been the pressing demand of opposition, particularly the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), led by Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Mr Zardari’s address to the joint session of the parliament is a constitutional obligation upon him and will be the 3^rd one after his assumption of the office. After a recent row with the apex judiciary on matters of NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) and the appointment of judges, Mr. Zardari is not likely to take chances of confronting the opposition on this issue now.

PML-N has already hinted that if 17^th Amendment is not repealed by 23^rd March 10, the party will launch a protest movement against the government. The Constitutional Reforms Committee has already completed most of the work. It is hoped that the government of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will resolve this crisis amicably as it has done in the case of judge’s appointment in the superior judiciary.

Beautiful Pakistan

With diverse landscape, climate and culture, Pakistan is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.