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 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.
