Pakistan Imperilled by an Inept Ruler Once Again

By Usman Khalid

All day yesterday (15 January) all TV Channels in Pakistan were broadcasting a "re-assuring message" from the President of Pakistan who said that  "Al-Qaida does not have the military strength or popularity" to take over Pakistan. I was reminded of General Yahya Khan who used to appear on our TV Screen in 1971 regularly and say, "I will not allow anyone to play with the integrity of Pakistan". I was one of the two dozen DS (Direction Staff) at the Staff College in Quetta. Every time he said that, several of us watching him added in chorus (but obviously in jest), "I will destroy the country myself".  President Yahya Khan (YK) did not want to break up the country but we rightly feared that is precisely what he would end up doing. It was not just the DS in the Staff College who feared that; the entire Army did. Yet, the Army Brass was unwilling to take measures to save the country. General Gul Hassan, the Chief of General Staff at the time, persuaded General Yahya Khan to resign and invited Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to take over as President only after Pakistan had been defeated and East Pakistan over-run by the Indian Army.   

General Musharraf was called YK2 (Yahya Khan the 2^nd) as early as year 2000(after the millennium bug that was called Y2K). But this particularly bug (YK2) suited the powers that be for the purpose they had and he has bugged Pakistan ever since. It only became apparent in 2007 what the purpose was.  That purpose is the disintegration of Pakistan once again. That purpose cannot be achieved without another Yahya Khan. Thy have found one in the person of Musharraf. While we imitated Yahya Khan in jest to add, "I will destroy the country myself", no one thinks that to be a joke in 2008. Pakistan was split into two in 1971 because it was led by a person with no legitimacy or popularity while an Indian Agent "“ Sheikh Mujib - who clearly enjoyed much popularity, had been equipped with legitimacy in consequence of 1971 Elections his party swept in East Pakistan. Musharraf is even more unpopular than YK. He is an "illegitimate President" who sacked Sixty Judges of the Supreme and the High Courts when he feared that the Supreme Court Bench who was hearing the case against him, might uphold the law and declare his election as President while in uniform as unlawful. 

The question before the civil society and the people of Pakistan is: should they leave it to the new COAS to enforce the law and the constitution, which might come too late or not at all, or should they do whatever they can to save the country from disintegration? The civil society institutions have to come forward; at the very least, they can remove the confusion and provide direction that the political parties have failed to provide. But first, we have to understand the objectives and the modus operandi of the "˜enemy'. Ironically, that has been described clearly not by a Pakistani person or organisation but by a Canadian person and his Think Tank - Prof. Michel Chossudovsky of Global Research. In a paper titled "˜The Destabilisation of Pakistan', he reveals that the US sees an opportunity to redraw the frontiers of Pakistan in accordance with the map of the "˜Larger Middle East' published in the article "Blood Borders" by Colonel Ralph Peters of the US Army. In this map, Afghanistan get the NWFP and North Baluchistan, a new state "˜Balochistan' is carved out of Iranian and Pakistani Baluchistan, and the rest of Pakistan becomes vassal states of India.

The USA does not care who does it for them "“ the Islamists or ethnic nationalists. They have seen that the  "˜actions' of both serve their purpose even though the Islamists (who are for Khilafa and Sharia) are sworn enemies of ethnic nationalists. As long as they weaken the central authority of the state they help America. The USA aids Baitullah Mehsud as well as the BLA, the Mirzais (also known as Qadianis) as well as the MQM (the core of which are Shia from the Indian state of Bihar). Like in 1971, the result of the forthcoming elections, the Americans hope, would pave the way for the disintegration of Pakistan. The priority of the PPP is to secure UN intervention; those who have boycotted elections are determined to start an agitation whatever the election results; and Musharraf will do whatever necessary in order to restore the MQM-PML(Q) to power. It is only PML N) that is steady in its objective of 'estoration of independence of the Judiciary'. The majority of politicians thus help the USA and Musharraf to achieve their objective. The paper by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky reveals what and why? It says:

"Washington will push for a compliant political leadership, with no commitment to the national interest, a leadership which will serve US imperial interests, while concurrently contributing under the disguise of "decentralization", to the weakening of the central government and the fracture of Pakistan's fragile federal structure." 

On America's objective, it says, "The political impasse is deliberate. It is part of an evolving US foreign policy agenda, which favours disruption and disarray in the structures of the Pakistani State. Indirect rule by the Pakistani military is to be replaced by more direct forms of US interference, including an expanded US military presence inside Pakistan, which is also dictated by the Middle East-Central Asia geopolitical situation and Washington's ongoing plans to extend the Middle East war to a much broader area." 

The paper reveals: "The US has several military bases in Pakistan. It controls the country's air space. According to a recent report: U.S. Special Forces are expected to vastly expand their presence in Pakistan, as part of an effort to train and support indigenous counter-insurgency forces and clandestine counter-terrorism units. The official justification and pretext for an increased military presence in Pakistan is to extend the "˜war on terrorism'. Concurrently, to justify its counter-terrorism program, Washington is also beefing up its covert support to the "˜terrorists.'

It might be shocking for many to know that the USA is actually helping the terrorists. But they are much more motivated and hence cost-effective; the "˜ethnic nationalists' need more (money) and do much less. The USA is behind the insurgency in the FATA region of Pakistan because it weakens the control of the federal government over Pakistan much more than the BLA or the MQM. However, in the US scheme of things, those who do more do not always get more. In fact, those who fight the best to help them succeed become their first next target. After the USA has secured the disintegration of Pakistan, it will place ethnic nationalist in power. That is why ethnic nationalists have to be liquidated on priority basis even though they are neither very active nor very effective. A few Baloch tribes with age-old contacts with the West, and the core of the MQM who are their newfound friends, are their surrogates like the Awami League was in East Pakistan in 1971.

The civil society was neither coherent nor effective in raising its voice against Yahya Khan in 1971. But in 2007, the power of the "˜free press' and the "˜independent judiciary' in upholding the 'ule of law' was demonstrated powerfully. Musharraf has had to flout the constitution blatantly, dismiss and incarcerate sixty members of the bench and all the office holders and eminent members of the bar, and close down Geo TV "“ the most popular news channel - from being broadcast in Pakistan, in order to stage manage the forthcoming elections. Still, it is well nigh impossible to bring the subservient PML(Q) to power. But he hopes to secure the support of those not overly concerned with "˜national interests  - the MQM, the ANP, the Baloch Nationalists and the JUI under the overall leadership of the PPP. The USA assures him that that the PPP is too eager for a share in power to be much concerned with "˜national interests'.

Can Musharraf be stopped? Can Pakistan be saved from disintegration? Can the USA be frustrated? The answer is, yes! But no one person or one party can meet the challenge alone; all the patriotic politicians together with the institutions of the civil society can frustrate the diabolical conspiracy being hatched around Pakistan. First of all it is the people, then the institutions of the state and civil society, and finally the patriotic politicians, who must act in unison to succeed where we failed in 1971.  How?

The People

1. The elections of 18 February are the key. In these elections, the people should vote for the party that is committed to the restorations of the Judges who refused to take oath on the PCO on 3 November 2007. PML(N) is already committed to this as the "˜top point of its agenda'. The voters should seek similar commitment from their party before they vote. PML (Q) and MQM voted for the PCO in the last National Assembly. To vote for them is to vote for accomplices in a crime "“ crime of "˜high treason'. The people should know that return of PML (Q) and MQM to power would lead to the "˜disintegration' of Pakistan.  
2. The people should not respond to calls by politicians for strikes or demonstrations. Politics is about voting for a new government not dying for it. It is unthinkable in the UK "“ mother of parliamentary democracy "“ for a political party to organise a procession or to call for a strike. It is the pressure groups that organise demonstrations. Political parties only have meetings where candidates canvass for votes. The mayhem caused by processions and a tehrik invariably end up providing an excuse to the military, or a mafia and their foreign patrons to intervene in Pakistan.

The Civil Society

3. The organisations of the civil society should continue to campaign for the restoration of an "˜independent judiciary' and a "˜free press'. During the period before elections, they should seek support from political parties for this agenda and extend support to the political parties to the degree that they get support from them.  
4. Publicise the agenda and modus operandi of the foreign enemies of Pakistan and their local accomplices who weaken the unity of the people and the integrity of the state, and undermine its institutions "“executive transparency, sovereignty of the parliament, and independence of the judiciary. It is the duty of every citizen to expose the public enemies and not to be intimidated by them.
5. Explain that the agenda of Takfir and the "˜theology of liberation' have become fused causing huge torment, suffering and confusion not just in Pakistan but elsewhere in the Muslim world as well. Struggle for liberation by the peoples of occupied lands is legitimate; the effort of the takfiri to coerce people into intolerance and cruelty in the name of Islam, undermining the solidarity of the people and the authority of state is a rebellion that must be ruthlessly crushed.   

Political Parties

6. The PPP should withdraw its call for UN intervention in investigations of the assassination of its leader "“ Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Such intervention would only give an excuse to the USA to send its troops into Pakistan that it so eagerly wants.
7. PML(N) should continue its commitment to honour and restore the Judges dismissed by General Musharaf on 3 November 2007. The party should express readiness to welcome deserting members of PML (Q) and urge candidates in elections to return PML(Q) tickets and fight elections as "˜independents', on PML(N) tickets or not at all.
8. MQM is beyond redemptions. However, those contesting elections on PML(Q) tickets can return their tickets. They may not be able to save their security deposits but they can save their life, honour and their reputation by spurning those whose agenda "“ wittingly or unwittingly "“ is the "˜disintegration of Pakistan.
9. JI and PTI should refrain from agitation after the elections. They made a mistake boycotting elections; they should live with it.

President Musharraf

10. In the unlikely event of him realising that his illegitimacy and unpopularity has raised hopes in the enemy camp to break up Pakistan, he can resign and allow the Constitution to be followed in letter and spirit. This will allow the restoration of the Judges dismissed by him on 3 November, and the Speaker of the Senate becoming the figurehead President and a neutral interim administration and Election Commission to be set up that meets the approval of all the main political parties.

The Armed Forces

11.  They should stay out of politics, fight the takfiri and ethnic rebels, identify and isolate subversives, support liberation struggles by Muslims for self-determination and tell the people what they are doing, how and why?

Pakistan has matured politically over the last few decades and its people have learnt not to hope for a messiah to lead them out of the stagnation that inept rulers have brought upon them. It was noticeable that the public showed up in great numbers with enthusiasm to support of the Chief Justice who had upheld the law and protected the poor in the face of intimidation by the executive. It was also noticeable that neither the people nor the press could be intimidated by the hooded thugs of the MQM and the civil police who stopped the CJ from visiting the High Court in Karachi.  On 27 December 2007, when Mohtarma Nenzir Bhutto was assassinated, the RAW supported elements went on rampage in the province of Sindh but the people showed restraint. The mayhem opened the eyes of Sindhis to the dangers they face. India considers Sindh as the soft belly of Pakistan where it can replicate the events of 1971 in East Pakistan. Friends as well as foes of Pakistan are drawing parallels with the fateful year of 1971 albeit with different objectives and emphasis. But the Pakistanis are wide awake. 

America has succeeded in countries where the civil society institutions were not strong because of one party rule or endemic anarchy "“ Iraq and Afghanistan. In those two countries the people knew only of armed resistance as means to fight excess or occupation. In Pakistan, the lawyers and the journalists have shown grit and determination as instruments of resistance. Retired public servants "“ civil or military "“ also must come to the fore as a civil society organisation. This is vital not only to strengthen the civil society, but also to raise the low morale of their serving compatriots who suffer insecurity because public servants have been treated as private servants of the politicians.  

I believe Musharraf will go soon rather than late. But I want him to go in consequence of the pressure exerted on him by the civil society, in consequence of impeachment by the parliament, NOT in consequence of a tehrik that Qazi Hussain Ahmed or Imran Khan want to organise, NOT in consequence of another debacles on the battlefield, NOT in consequence of the disintegration of Pakistan. The easiest and the surest way to prevent the disaster YK2 is leading us towards, is for the people to vote only for those parties in the next elections that support honouring and reinstating the Judges who refused to take oath on the PCO.

Everybody can do something; some can do a lot; but the key is to restore the independence of the Judiciary.  We face many dangers and we can overcome all of them. But the beginning has to be made with restoration of our sovereignty and rededicating ourselves to the rule of law internally as well as internationally.

The writer is Director London Institute of South Asia