Gordian Knot

http://bhatti-world.blogspot.com/2008/03/gordian-knot.html

Gordian Knot
Never in the history of Pakistan, have any elections been more important as the one recently held. The strategic location that Pakistan enjoys due to its geography and its consequences, the ideological positions of various centers of power in the country spanning over a large spectrum, and add it to its nuclear status; and outcomes a country that is a nightmare for any political analyst and foreign policy pundit. This is the reason that international community is in no position to take side with any political actor of Pakistan, notwithstanding the US and West’s insistence on Global War on Terror that stems from nothing but their own interests. Simply said, whatever US or West is doing is nothing more than their hedge against the possibility that Pakistan and Afghanistan does not become harbor of terrorism that can threaten them anywhere in the world. Valid objective in itself, but it does not take into account its affect on the national life of Pakistan; firstly because of the complexity of issues in Pakistan and secondly; they don’t need to bother about its affects on our national life as it is not their flesh that is under the knife.

These are the facts that every individual or group charged with command of national rudder has to keep into mind; otherwise victory at global level will not necessarily mean victory for Pakistan. We do not need to go further than to keep in mind the proxy war of eighties that Pakistan fought against the Soviets with the active support of US and our Middle Eastern friends. War booty was enjoyed by US by becoming lone superpower, while we were left with problems hanging onto our national life in the form of militancy, drug trade and break up of institutions. The blame is put at the door of US for this mayhem by saying that US deserted us to clean up the mess on our own, but it should be kept in mind that Pakistan joined that war willingly on its own accord without any compulsion. If US owed anything to anyone, it was not Pakistan but Afghanistan because that was where this battle of superpower supremacy was fought.

Further damage was done by our geniuses in military outfits by supporting active militancy by promoting non state militant outfits without any regard to its affects on national life , and coming up with the doctrine of strategic depth. How well reasoned the actions of these all knowing agencies and our GHQ were can be judged by anyone blessed with common sense just by following the media encounters of Nasirs, Durranis Guls, Begs and of course of the current President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Some time I wonder at the mental audacity of these souls who believed that area of FATA and beyond can be used as safe heaven for the strategic assets of Pakistan; an area where even the writ of government does not run and have never run during recorded history.

After the elections, political parties find themselves in quite a tough situation. Apart from Pakistan’s positions on war against terror where cognizance have to be taken of all the external and internal factors, political parties are also faced with restoring the constitution of Pakistan that have been damaged beyond recognition. If it was not enough, the question of deposed judges is staring us in the face and has polarized political parties to the point of dead lock. To be fair with the political parties, they are faced with proverbial Gordian knot but without the absolute power of Alexander’s sword to cut through it.

Never had the politicians of Pakistan faced such a situation before in our national history, and the compulsion is that they must deliver. If politicians fail, we might not instantly feel the punch of fatality, although possibility is always there but surely we as a nation will accelerate our downfall in the void of historical oblivion.

To proceed further, initial deadlock faced by political parties relates to judiciary that is intimately linked to the fate of President. PML (N) has categorically stated that it will not accept anything less than the restoration of judges, while PPP’s position is sympathetic but it emphasizes on independence of judiciary rather than stressing on the personalities. Hanging over them is the President with his track record of caring for no constitutional or moral decency, and his insistence that he needs to be there for the good of the country, again a delusion if not the ego of a dictator. Short of two third majority in senate, if not in national assembly, chances are that General Musharraf will keep on hanging to the presidency and will keep pressurizing the political forces through his western backers, who are invariably under the false impression that his presence is necessary for war on terror. Indeed a false notion and that which flies in the face of inter state dealing on institutional level rather than on personal level. Morally speaking, General Musharraf should resign but again morality is trait rarely known to the dictators, however benevolent they may be.

In this situation, either PML(N) should leave the cause of judges for the overall good of the country because the alternative of an all out encounter with president will only hurt the nation or PPP should take up the cause of PML(N) and take the political situation further down the road.

Prudence dictates that PML(N) should leave the reactionary politics and face the reality with wisdom rather than blind passion. This course will definitely leave the honorable judges nowhere, but someone has to face the sharp edge of Alexandrian sword for the good of the country. Indeed they will be remembered by the nation always in good terms and their struggle recorded in golden words. Another alternative for the judges would be that out of their wisdom and goodwill they resign on their own accord; a step that will greatly empower the political forces to strengthen the institutions and bring to justice the man who is responsible for all this chaos. Keeping in view the wisdom and foresightedness, I am sure the Honorable Chief Justice and his brethren will ponder over this option, if they have not done so far. No doubt they will face the edge of the sword, but they can also take it in their hand.

Note: It was written before the declaration of Muree accord between PPP & PMNL(N).