March 16, 2009: A Historic Day for Pakistan?
The news that the Pakistani Government has finally given into the demands of the “long marchers”, and protesters is officially about 10 hours old now, and the nation is gripped with a euphoria that has driven everything else from their minds.
I am no historian, but it reminds me of the time, back in 93-94, when the supreme court of Pakistan reinstated Nawaz Sharif’s government, after it had been dismissed by the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, taking advantage of the 8th amendment. The mood of the nation was exactly the same back then. There was talk of change, of an independent judiciary not bowing to political pressure and taking the right decision in favor of an elected prime minister. But what happened next? Did this nation really witness any change? Was democracy able to save us? Are we still not standing where we were 10 years ago?
Some might argue that no, we have moved forward. And I wont deny that either. I guess we have. But what price we have had to pay? The past ten or so years will be marked as one of the darkest of the three darkest periods of our only 62 years of existence. Musharraff, despite his promises of change and ridding the country of corrupt politicians, did not only follow in the footsteps of Zia and Yahya Khan, he left his own dark marks on this nations history, marks that the future generations will feel for some time to come, just like the ripple effects of Zia’s doings can still be felt today, almost 21 years after his death.
The Long March
Image courtesy of Dawn.com
Been sometime since I last posted. Not that anyone reads what I write here, but when, and if I do, its just to let out what ever’s bothering me… regarding the current state of affairs of course.
So the “Long March” is on in Pakistan. After two rather peaceful days (by Pakistani standards), the true face of the way protests are carried out and handled in Pakistan was very visible today, but with something that hasn’t been seen before… which I will come to later.
Seems like almost all Pakistanis, or almost all Pakistanis, have come to a consensus on one thing: The deposed judges must be restored and Zardari must be ousted. What’s strange is, even the hardcore PPPites seem to have come to an agreement with the lawyer’s movement and Nawaz league on this.
Sherry Rehman, one of the greatest loyalists of Benazir, resigned as the minister of information day before yesterday. Now THAT shows you the actual state of affairs in Pakistan. What I mean to say is, this act goes on to show you the rift within the ruling party. Prime Minister Gillani has been silent for the past two days. The only barking dog on the government’s side is Rehman Malik right now. And it’s a known fact that he is definitely the most hated man in the country right now after Zardari himself.
The politics of open hypocrisy and false promises: PAKISTAN
Geo Television’s another attempt at showing the mirror to the establishment. A Story of false promises and betrayal.
Ruling coalition on the rocks
Source: The Nation
NEW YORK – Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Nawaz Sharif has threatened to pull his party out of the governing coalition if it does not decide by Friday (today) about the reinstatement of judges sacked by former president Pervez Musharraf, but said he will not bring about the collapse of the government.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Sharif said that the sacking of the judges last year had shaken the foundations of the country and it was necessary to restore them to their jobs.
“We will not try to bring the government down,” Sharif said in remarks published on Thursday. “But of course we then have no choice but to sit in the Opposition.”
Sharif said Zardari had earlier assured him that the judges would be reinstated within 24 hours of Musharraf’s impeachment. “We supported him on impeachment. It’s now his turn to support us on the reinstatement of judges.”
About the next president, Sharif said it should be someone from outside the two main parties. He has put forward the name of Ataullah Khan Mengal, a well-known politician from Balochistan.
Violence amid Political Wrangling: Pakistan Zindabad
Another typical day in Pakistan. 2 suicide bombers, blowing themselves up, almost at the same time. And who are the targets? Factory workers at Pakistan’s main ordinance factory. As of this moment, the death toll has been reported to be 70. The families of the dead have only one person to thank for this tragedy… Musharraf.
I am at a total loss of words right now. My heart goes out to those who lost their lives, and their families. I try hard not to think about the government, or the ex-president, or the baboon who is the US president. I actually have to make an effort… because I can feel blood rushing to my head, a vein in my forehead pulsating. Honestly, I feel like blowing someone’s head off right now. Just like those terrorists, I want to kill too.
I want to kill those who are sitting in comfy chairs in air conditioned rooms, having a hundred people waiting for their command to serve them, discussing how to grab more power. Wrangling over who will be the next president. In other words, who will be mutually beneficial to every one in power to loot and plunder this already raped nation of ignorant fools.
Pakistan – the land of the pure. My elders gave up everything they had to come live in this country. They must’ve had high hopes. Almost unrealistic. They had hoped to finally be able to live in a country they could call their own. A muslim country where they would be proud citizens of a muslim nation. A place where Islam would be practiced without any fear or prejudice.
Islam? What Islam? It has taken us just 60 years to forget what Islam is. Islam is peace. And we kill innocent people in the name of this pure religion that prohibits all such actions. I keep trying to come up with a better word… but ignorat – JAHIL – is the only word I manage to come up with. Yes… a JAHIL nation.
I sit and I wait like millions of others. There must be SOME outcome of all this. Will Pakistan cease to exist? Will we be the next Iraq? Or will be simple self-destruct, like we are trying so hard? Only Allah knows.
Pakistan Zindabad.
Musharraf Scampers
Another era of army dictatorship has come to an end in Pakistan; and for once, the dictator has stepped down himself. Musharraf’s resignation, amid the preparations of his impeachment by the ruling coalition, has been getting mixed reactions, no doubt. I, for one, would ike to see him impeached, tried, brought to justice, and hanged. Yes! Hanged. And that wouldn’t even be close to what I think he deserves.
I remember back in 99, when he took over, it was during my first semester in college. I heard the news from the Pakistani’s on campus when I went out for dinner that day. And yes, I was happy. In fact, I was excited. Very excited that Pakistan had gotten rid of a corrupt and looting government of Nawaz Sharif, even if that meant a dictatorship; a dictatorship that promised to hold elections in a very short time and let go of power.
But I guess I am no different from the rest of Pakistanis, am I? I believed what we were told. I ignored the past, and was swayed by the false promises; exactly like our nation has been doing for the past 61 years. Ignorant and stupid as we are. And as we watched, Musharraf followed in the footsteps of the former military dictators, the absolute power getting to his head, and he just grabbed on to it.
Amid mounting tension with India, with our forces amassed on the border, despite Musharraf’s trip to Agra earlier to make peace, he managed to sit on the shoulders of his core commanders, doing their bidding, for he had no choice. Musharraf was not a powerful dictator. He had not come into power on his own. If we look back, I am sure you’ll remember how he grabbed power. It wasn’t actually him who deposed Nawaz Sharif, it were the army elements loyal to him. Musharraf had simply gotten off his flight and told that, hey, you are the new president. And those who made him the president, controlled him as well. But only until September 11, 2001.
His fate changed that day. No matter how bad that day was for America, it was the luckiest day of Musharraf’s life. In an instant, he became the best friend of the most powerful man in the world. A buffoon, yes, but most powerful still. Bush, who when asked during his 2000 campaign if he knew who the president of Pakistan was, had said that he didn’t know, “Some military general?” I guess that’s what his answer had been. And now Musharraf found himself showered with favors.
He was accepted by the international community at last. Pakistan was re-accepted into the BCommonwealth, having had her membership revoked after Musharraf’s coup in 1999. The sanctions placed on Pakistan for the 1998 nuclear tests and the 1999 military take over were removed. And Pakistan was given the status of the most important non-NATO ally by the US. It made him strong at home, because people thought he was responsible for everything good happening to the country, and it made him strong internationally. And above all, he didn’t need his core commanders’ support anymore; he had America backing him now. And Musharraf was a powerful Dictator at last.
But then he lost it. Musharraf’s idea of “Moderate Enlightenment” was the stupidest thing he could’ve done. The idea was to please the west. I don’t claim to be a man of faith, but a muslim, I am. And it is my strong belief that a muslim nation cannot prosper if it lets go off it’s faith. Musharraf made every attempt to eradicate Islam from the society; all to please the Americans. The outcome of his policies on religion are a totally different debate, but that is where he went wrong.
That is what made him most enemies, killing Pakistanis inside Pakistan, kidnapping muslims inside Pakistan and handing them over to the US, to be sent to Guantanamo, carrying out operations against people of his own country and houses of worship, the mosques…. all to please his masters, the leaders of the free world.
Musharraf was an asshole. IS an asshole. He writes very boldly about how Nawaz Sharif was loosing it and getting rid of all army chiefs who disagreed with him. And it was because of that that Musharraf had to come into power. And what did he do himself? Dismissed the Supreme Court judges because they were going to rule against his being elected president??
I’ll just end this rambling by saying that I am not one of those who are happy that Musharraf resigned, nothing better could be expected from that coward, I am just sad.. to see what direction Pakistan is moving into.
