APC- A Line Divided for future
By; Amjad Malik, MA, LLM
Solicitor-Advocate Supreme Court (England)
No if's and Butt's, 'Boycott, grand Alliance and en masse resignation' whenever General Musharraf tries to seek presidential re-election in uniform was the true dividing line to determine either 'you are with us or with the General' was the idea projected by the host Mian Nawaz Sharif at APC on 7&8 July in London. This stand though not completely agreed by all but brings him in the lime light as a true opposition leader of Pakistan against the regime.
There can not be in between, one can not sit in Govt as allies and be genuine opposition, it may legally be possible but it does not sound politically correct like President in Uniform. Similarly you can not sit in opposition lines and hold your last card until later and announce it publically that 'we are not yet decided on final issue' as Shakespeare highlighted this indecisiveness in hamlet 'whether to take arms against the sea of trouble and by opposing end them' and hit the nail aright at the last moments of the regime or decide when time comes. This delay in decisive thinking works as a division factor and amounts to 'mouth to mouth resuscitation' to the dying regime, in fact, a first aid.
I always say, Lilliputians have surrounded the giant but are fighting who will be the king after his demise. Sharifs cleared this anomaly too to allow a nomination of interim premiership excluding them by APC but of no avail. I think the bold stand of Sharifs is clear and praiseworthy and as a result from opposition a genuine sovereign and powerful premiership may emerge in future, if we are lucky. However 'wheeling and dealing' and conflicting messages may not carry sound support in masses whichever party one belongs. Lesson of lawyers struggle is simple that in this Raleigh race the torch of their struggle after victory in CJ issue will be carried further by the leader who share the same vision and ideas. Sharifs are the originators of that defiance at the time of coup and at the time of nuclear explosive tests which worked as an adrenaline in the national wrecked structure at the hands of longer military spells, for which he was truly punished.
It is a decisive moment and Imran Khan called for decisive action, Asfand Yar Wali demanded a powerful premiership than a puppet ruler and rubber stamp Parliament (Ikhtiar not iqtedar), Achakzai offered a million march style procession in Quetta in early August, what more opposition needs. If at this juncture party interest are not sacrificed for genuine democracy and national government, then i am afraid we must be ready for the long struggle for independence as the matrix of military might will not allow you to be united ever and will remain in power as long as they can. Only unity can break that bond and its nexus, with political will which is currently lacking in power hungry tribes. Nawaz Sharif clan must be ready to fight with those elements struggling for easy power too as opposition leader in future whenever they get into power barricades. At least his attempt has caused this naked exposure in front of all the world.
These questions are circling in every Pakistani's mind that who will bell the cat, and how will it be done, to save the future of the democracy in Pakistan. To me, bold declaration of 'Boycott or grand Alliance and en masse resignation' holds the powerful key to ignite the engine of long halted passage to democracy and then the work starts to translate this statement in reality by practical steps. We are confronted of freedom issues once again after 60 years. We were freed from 'British Raj' by Quaid e Azam and who will free us from dictators, is the question of all the nation? Where should we fit the military dictatorships in Constitution, the whole Pakistan has been turned into 'Lal Masjid' and we are surrounded.
Dated: 10 July 2007
Amjad Malik is a Solicitor-Advocate of the Supreme Court of England, & Chair of Association of Pakistani Lawyers (UK) and attended APC as an observer