Benazir Bhutto has been launched third time with a list of jobs to do, for example: De-Nuclearise, Destabilise, De-Islamise, and Disintegrate Pakistan. Can she do it or allowed to achieve agenda of a declining super power? People of Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan have learnt the trick against occupation and colonisation, "˜kill the collaborators first'.
The fairness on General Musharaf's behalf would be to allow and invite Nawaz Sharif and Shabaz Sharif to take part in the politics. I spoke to Shabaz Sharif few days ago and told him that people thinks, "˜Pakistan needs him more than anyone else now than any other time'. Shabaz Sharif refused to leave Pakistan and is considered a good administrator. People of the US and West must be feeling ashamed of themselves by looking at the policy of backing "˜the most corrupt politician of South Asia'.
On 25th October 2007 in a joint press conference at No.10 Doweing Street official residentce of British Prime Minsiter, with Afghan President Hamid Karzai the British Prime Minsiter Gordon Brown did not answer my question, " British People expect high standards both moraly and integrity from their politicians. Many Pakistanis are asking than why Britain is supporting Benzair Bhutto who created and supprted Taliban and also involved in corrptuion mounting wealth of $2 bilion?
The demand that foreign agencies like FBI or others should investigate the 17th October, Karachi bombing must be demoralising for the Pakistani security agencies who have arrested more than 600 terror suspects. FBI has not yet released the investigation report of the cause of death of their Ambassador and military attaché killed in the C130 crash of President Zia ul Haq in 1988?
This elitism in everything is alienating the people of Pakistan. Pakistani public used to seeing its corrupt elite sending their kids to exclusive English medium schools, eating and drinking imported food, wearing foreign made clothes, driving foreign made cars, and now asking foreign investigators to probe an incident just because supposed victim was Benzair and her bunch of cronies. What about other terrorist incidents in Pakistan, what about other poor victims? The logical conclusion is that Benzair Bhutto is directly responsible for the deaths of 140 people and 550 injured. All over the world when leaders and celebrities are warned by the security services they listen to the warnings but Benazir was too arrogant and ignorant. She failed to understand the harm minimisation, harm reduction and risk management policy in today's Pakistan.
Many British and US citizens are feeling ashamed in seeing their governments one sided supporting Benzair Bhutto, the most corrupt politician of South Asia. People say Britain has lost the moral argument against Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe by supporting Benazir Bhutto.
Jemima Khan quite rightly wrote in the Telegraph on 21st October 2007, "The problem is that the West never seems to learn; playing favourites in a complicated nation's politics always backfires. Imposing Benazir on Pakistan is the opposite of democratic and doubtless will cause more chaos in an already unstable country. This is no Aung San Suu Kyi, despite her repeated insistence that she's "fighting for democracy", or even more incredibly, "fighting for Pakistan's poor". Make no mistake, Benazir may look the part, but she's as ruthless and conniving as they come "” a kleptocrat in a Hermes headscarf."
I wrote to the Chinese and Russian ambassadors in London to comment on the recent statement by US Senator, Joseph Biden on Pakistan's nuclear assets, bombing and return of Benazir Bhutto. The Chinese press officer would come back in a month time while Russians send the following email.
"Dear Sir, Our usual policy is that British or Russian journalists are given priority over third country journalists, whom we usually ask to contact the Russian embassy in the country where they are based. Therefore, regarding the situation in Pakistan we can only quote the recent (19 October) statement by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemning acts of violence, including the attack in Karachi and commending the efforts undertaken in Pakistan to stabilize the situation in the country". Regards, Press Office, Embassy of the Russian Federation in the UK.
Presidential Candidate for 2008 US elections, Senator Joseph Biden, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph Biden, said if Musharraf were to be taken out by terrorists, he would "probably" go in and secure Pakistan's nuclear arsenals if he were president. Senator Biden, quite rightly said there is a significant portion of the Pakistani population that is middle class and moderate, but "If you don't have a fair electoral process allowing them to express their anger, their frustration, you force it all underground.
But Senator what can Pakistanis do when US and UK administrations are expecting free and fair elections and democratic process but US sponsored candidate Benazir Bhutto has committed corruption of more than $2 billion? How can one have moral ground in this situation? There are overwhelming circumstantial and conclusive evidences of Benazir and her husband Mr Zardari's corruption. The judgment of the Swiss Court is a full comprehensive investigation itself, which is worth reading with details of money transactions.
All those who are meeting chief election commissioner for the free and fair elections must go and ask their governments to stop backing; protecting and supporting corrupt Pakistani politicians. You cannot have drama of democracy and peace and love for the US and western countries in the region. If Benazir is forced upon Pakistanis she will not be worth more than Mayor of Islamabad like people call Hamid Karzi mayor of Kabul and Nurialmalikee prince of Baghdad Green Zone.
Pakistan is a country of 160 millions, majority of them are moderate and peaceful. They love US and Western countries and not their current government policies. It will be hard to re-colonise, occupy Pakistan with the help of collaborators like Benazir Bhutto. Even they mange to do that, it will not be possible to prolong. Altaf Hussain has already paid his price of residency on 18th October, London based Baluchi exiles are the next in queue!
Benzair Bhutto shot in her own foot before taking into her mouth by doing deal with General Musharaf. She would be better off coming back to Pakistan without a deal and rattling the all cages. She must know that most of the current players in politics are already on US friendly list juts the categories are different. Unlike Brits historically US believes in finding replacements than carrying liabilities.
Benazir Bhutto must have promised something really big, which Pervez Musharaf, Shaukat Aziz, their team and Fazalur Rehman cannot do, or already doing? The question is will she be able to deliver? She is already singing from the US hymn sheet and that is why some of her party's loyalists are backing off and distancing themselves.
People observed that Benazir like westernise people around her due to her own psychological complexes. But heaven knows how she is coping with Rehman Malik an ally of Tariq Aziz (papu) aide to Musharaf. There is no doubt that she has shadowy advisors around her both male and female, which could be very loyal to their own employers. Rehman Malik who was telling Adel Darwish a journalist at London International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) on 20th July 2007. that, "I am former director of FBI of Pakistan (FIA) and I have arrested Ramzi Yousaf"?
Well FIA never had any counter terrorism section when Mr Malik was head. "Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency plans to set up counter-terrorism unit in 2002". The News, Islamabad, July 22, 2002. The real story is that an ISI team was despatched from Lahore on a special plane to arrest Ramzi Yousaf and ISI was leading that operation according to some sources.
Benazir her former spy chief and media manager local and foreigners are compromisingly fragile in the hands of foreign stakeholders!
(Dr Shahid Qureshi is senior award wining investigative journalist and writer on security, foreign policy, and terrorism based in London) |