Choices, Denunciations
Pakistan's 64,000 polling booths closed amidst denunciations of rigged polls. Despite which, it's evident that the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League have taken the majority of votes, leaving a paltry distant third place to President Pervez Musharraf's PML(Q) party. The party's president, a former prime minister defeated, along with several other senior PML(Q) members losing their seats.The late Benazir Bhutto's husband now nominally leading her party, at her last will and testament demand, holding the cherished position as dynastic chief for their son. Asif Ali Zardari has stated a tentative willingness to negotiate power sharing with President Musharraf and his allies.
It might seem somewhat a difficult pill to swallow to offer to share power with Nawaz Sharif, the very person responsible for putting Benazir Bhutto's widowed husband in jail for a dozen years on corruption charges.
It would, in any event, be a very temporary accommodation. And President Musharraf, despite his abysmally low popularity ranking, would be a hard man to pry out of office. Unless Pakistan's military decides to turn against its former general. Should President Musharraf not be wildly enthusiastic about his options, he does have the legislative power to dismiss parliament.
How difficult would that be for a man who foresaw no problems in dismissing his country's judiciary, and who imposed emergency rule on his outraged country? A country now mired in its own brutally deadly internecine problems, let alone a faltering economy where rising prices, food shortages and power cuts have not endeared him to the electorate.
They've forgotten earlier times that were much worse. Under his rule the country's GDP has doubled, with average annual growth a respectable 7.5%. Yet the general public faces wheat-flour, electrical and gas shortages, along with inflationary costs. And not to be forgotten is the ten-billion dollars of U.S. funds pumped into the country as a gratuity for assisting in the war against terror.
A rather toothless assist, sad to say, given the resurgence of the Taliban and al-Qaeda on the border regions of the Hindu Kush mountains. Terrorist attacks and sectarian violence is threatening to further destabilize the tender balance of the country, despite President Musharraf's feeble attempts to control extremism. And he hasn't many allies within the country.
Consider the position taken last month by thirty Islamic scholars and principals of those notorious madrasses in Pakistan, who issued a denunciatory statement widely published in the Pakistan press, claiming to be without a political agenda, but to have considered the problems besetting the country and to have attempted some solutions in a socially neutral manner.
In their considered, collective opinion, Pervez Musharraf has acted against the national interests of the country.
They aver that President Musharraf abandoned his responsibilities to his country by adapting himself to the needs of the United States, post 9-11, making their way Pakistan's as well. They decried the use of Pakistan's military "against our fellow citizens". They denounced his decision to take Pakistan "on an irreligious path in the name of 'moderation' and 'progressive thinking'".
The scholars spoke of unjustified changes made to the education curricula in response to charges of suborning young minds toward jihad made by 'foreigners'; of unjustified amendments in law in the name of women's rights.
They spoke despairingly of the promotion of "vice and nakedness" the mosques that were "martyred in Islamabad" (insurgents of the Red Mosque); cited rising inflation and unemployment; incidents of killing and looting, the breakdown of law and order.
The collective discussed the legality under sharia law of suicide attacks by recalling events that took place between India and Pakistan during the war of 1965 "When the soldiers of Pakistan's army tied bombs to their bodies and crashed into Indian tanks, and as a result of which the advance of the tanks was stopped".
Explaining that "if an individual took such a step [suicide bombing] during a right and justified war, then there is hope that Allah will accept his sacrifice in consideration of the beauty of his intention".
They wrote: "In our opinion, the most important and fundamental point is that the government try to see those who are called 'militants' or 'extremists' through Pakistani eyes, rather than looking at them through American eyes. These people, whether they are in tribal areas or in Swat, or in the Malakand Division or in Baluchistan, are indeed our own brothers, our fellow nationals, and from our own religion"
The scholars recommended that Pakistan sever itself from American affiliation, halt all military operations in the northern and tribal areas, hold talks with tribal chiefs, recognize the Taliban are not terrorists, and address itself to the problems of the people of Baluchistan, taking steps to cease all un-Islamic activities.
They did compliment President Musharraf for his stance on not permitting American troops on Pakistani soil; that he should consolidate politics with the opposition parties to overcome differences for the sake of the nation.
And finally, that President Musharraf should resign his position for the greater good of the country.
And he can take it from there.
Labels: Political Realities, Religion, World Crises
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, February 19, 2008
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