Of Errant Politicians And The Kashmir Cause

There is a rumor that the third package of the constitutional amendments will decide how the President of the country would be elected -- President Musharraf, a `real` democrat, has expressed his distaste for being reappointed by HIMSELF.

that goes something like this -- the next President of the country will be allowed to renominate himself and then democratically ELECTED by the Army Party -- (since General Public referendum was such a democratic mess)-- only three star Generals would qualify to vote.

no BA degree will be required of the Candidate for the President -- but to become the President he MUST be a COASS -- AT LEAST.

``A second package of proposed Constitutional amendment packages, unfolded by the government for a public debate, recommended that the President will appoint the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee,

Chief of Army Staff, Vice Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff,

Vice Chief of Air Staff,

Chief of Naval Staff,

Vice Chief of Naval Staff,

Chief Election Commissioner,

Auditor General of Pakistan,

Chairman Federal Public Services Commission, Supreme Judicial Council,

and Chairman National Accountability Bureau.``(Nation)

AND -- the President will appoint the NEXT President of Pakistan -- called Musharraf -- who will appoint the NEXT President Pakistan -- called Mushrraf -- who will appoint the NEXT President -- called Musharraf -- who will appoint the next President ALSO called Musharraf -- and Pakistan will live happily everafter under MUSHOCRACY.

Tum slaamat raho hazasr baras/har baras ke hoN din pachaas hazaar .... calculator please.

The slippery slope

By Irafab Husain

(excerpts)

.................

By personalizing his differences with Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to the extent that he has, Musharraf has virtually thrown away his political options.

The fact is that if he wants the forthcoming elections as well as the structure they produce to have any credibility at all, he cannot get away from the reality, unpleasant though it might be to him, that Pakistan has a two-party system, and any transparent and clean election is bound to return one or the other of them to power.

Like a character in a cartoon, Musharaf keeps stubbing his toe against this rock time after time. Instead of accepting reality and trying to cut a deal with one or the other of his political adversaries, he has united them through his determination to keep them both out.

Many times in his political pronouncements, Musharraf has referred to military strategy, forgetting the first lesson that a general should not open too many fronts simultaneously.

It takes political genius of a high order to bring sworn enemies like Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto together, and this is exactly what this government has achieved.

By trying to eliminate both of them through his ruling that neither can rule again by virtue of having served two terms, Musharraf has left them with no option but to unite against him. It goes without saying that there is no limit to how long he can rule himself.

Indeed, the longevity of our military dictators is an object of envy among our political classes, but then they do not command a political force (party) as powerful as the army.

These self-created difficulties assume even greater magnitude when viewed against the backdrop of the situation in Afghanistan and Kashmir, and the fallout in Pakistan. This is clearly no time to play ducks and drakes with whatever remains of our political system.......

So how can Musharraf escape from the corner into which he has painted himself? Clearly, the way forward is to open a dialogue with Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto.......(Dawn)

Deodrant,

please, quit with the `gora ka chamcha` argument. the only one who is playing the second, third, fourth and fifth fiddle to the west are the Armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. and it`s that fiddle of an army with it`s dime-a-dozen generals like Musharaf you seemed to defending in your last post.

we can make our own assessments. all you need is a little effort. that`s it. i suggest you visit a public hospital. any public hospital in pakistan.

then you can take a look at the annual budgets for defence and compare it to the budgets for health and education.

anyway, right now let me just keep it simple because my whole basis is simple.

i would be the first to defend the honor and dignity and pride of Pakistan, if that 150 billion rupees went toward education and health.

right now, when i hear a fauji like Musharaf and his spoons and supporters talking about honor and dignity and pride, all I hear is a parasite defending it`s right to kill the host!

A good quote on the disgusting concepts of honor, pride and dignity that Pak Faujis and fauji lovers thump their chests to when explaining their reasons for hijacking the country and forming it`s policies.

``In an interview some time ago with the National Geographic magazine on the subject of women’s oppression in the context of “honour killings”, General Pervez Musharraf was asked by the foreign interviewer why nothing had been done to alleviate the plight of women in Pakistan. Pat came the answer: “We don’t have the money for alleviating poverty and eradicating illiteracy and backwardness”. “But you have the money for nuclear weapons and missiles”, retorted the devious foreigner. “Yes”, said the simple soldier, “we need nuclear weapons and conventional weapons and missiles in order to live honourably”. Should General Musharraf ever get round to watching that anguished documentary, he might look out for the gleam in the interviewer’s eye. It indicts the country and convicts its leader. ``

-The Friday Times (Editorial, July 12, 2002)

Layman wrote:

``Nasah, in Musharraf`s defence, no one has accused him of being personally corrupt, which BB and Nawaz Sharif certainly were. ``

They say former President Ghulam Ishaq Khan was also not corrupt. Reports indicate that the beaurocrat turned presidnet didnt even try to have the public funds sanctioned for the development of his area.

The point is that it doesnt` matter AT ALL if Musharaf isn`t corrupt financially. He`s running the whole structure in an extremely corrupt manner.

Gen Zia wasn`t personally corrupt. Yet through corrupt means like Musharaf is employing, Zia did everything to divide the country in an attempt to manipulate the power structure in his favor.

I find Zia and Musharaf to be very very similar. They are like twins who have some ideological differences. but their respective ideologies are the `right stuff at the right time`. zia with his islamism of the eighties sanctioned by the west after post-russian invasion of afghanistan and mush with his liberalism especially required by west after sept 11.

whatever else your reason for defending Mush maybe, his corrupt method is NOT the way to get rid of BB or NS.

As Nasah and AI have pointed out, there is no well meaning reform or revolution underway in pakistan. it`s only a realignment of the power structure with the most powerful parasite demanding more of the host to devour.

Some people opine that the only thing that can save musharaf and the faujis from their follies is a massively favorable trade package from america. for that one would suppose the defences of the nation would probably have to be `handed over` to them.

If the sell out is completed in that manner, then all these current amedments and other shabby attempts at reform can be forgotten (rather than opposed).

But as we all know, the extremely demented view of the world of the fauji will not accept that. `Our honor and dignity` and pride comes in the way.

It truly is amazing. the same honor and dignity and pride is absent when 150 billion ruppees (plus 26 billion for pensions of Faujis) is spent on defence while millions cannot have access to basic health care. when the people have to travel hundreds of miles away to financially strapped public hospitals already over flowing with thousands of others in unhygenic conditions.

pride, honor and dignity - in countries and nations struck with poverty, these three characteristics are found with great abundance and defended with great vigour in the most superficial and fascist elements of society.

Pakistan Fauj is the prime fascist institution.

MUSHARRAF:

- The man is fundamentally a cheat and a dishonest liar. He had no justification for overthrowing an elected government - an overthrow he planned well in advance. He had justification for trashing the constitution of Pakistan and he had no grounds for perperating the Kargil adventure and then not accepting responsibility. He cannot justify turning Pakistan into a Romananian style police state. His so called reforms are crude attempts to prolong his stay in power and to maintain a junta and secret police in an age where juntas are considered out of style and out of fashion. Real reform will start when the defense expenditure will be diverted to more productive avenues like education, health and public and private infrastructure.

nasah #44:

``If NS and BB stole government money – Musharraf STOLE the government itself. what`s the difference? On the scale of criminal MORALITY -- MiaN Musharraf is as much a criminal as BB and NS were. It’s like kettle accusing the pot how black you`re?``

Nasah, in Musharraf`s defence, no one has accused him of being personally corrupt, which BB and Nawaz Sharif certainly were. Musharraf`s `crime` is that he is messing up the transition to democracy - his personal bias is making him ignore the two biggest political parties.

It was funny watching him talk about `unity of command` in democracy. Spoken like a true military man, with no idea of politics. Politics is all about SHARING power, sharing the cake among various stake holders (or lobbies or whatever you call them), not one person grabbing entire loot for himself / herself. Decisions are taken jointly, by a Cabinet, not by one man.

Of course, Musharraf`s foreign policy is totally messed up (not that it was in good shape before him). He is viscerally anti-India. I think both Pak and India should elect leaders who are not anti each other. It is really worrying to read that October elections in Pak may be postponed. The US may support it as it prefers a pliable dictator in sensitive states, but if it wraps up its `war on terror` by then, it may ditch him.

Here is Irfan Husain lending his powerful voice in his latest column -- against that bundle of stupidity called constitutional amendments -- and asking Musharraf to set aside his personal pique/vendetta -- and take aboard Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto for national consensus, unity and democracy -- at this critical juncture.

Is Musharraf listening???

So far doesn?t seem to be.

Well -- besides the reading glasses suggested by rozaiba ? the myopic General ? may need a pair of hearing aids ? as well.

Irfan Husain in Dawn (excerpts)

````Musharraf is thus caught in a triple squeeze: the Americans are demanding that he go after Al Qaeda and generally crack down on religious extremism more effectively; the fundamentalists from whose ranks the jihadis spring want him to repudiate his pro-American stance and to pursue the cause of Kashmir more energetically; and the Indians are threatening war in case he does not rein in the jihadis.

All three sets of demands are inter-linked but cannot be met simultaneously, although Musharraf is promising to deliver on all the three counts.

While carrying on with this highwire act, Musharraf has opened up a fourth front domestically by trying to marginalize the two major political forces through a series of manoeuvres of dubious constitutional validity.



Instead of surmounting his own personal dislike of Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, he even risked the tainted and tortuous route of a referendum to claim legitimacy.

This tactic backfired to such an extent that he had to apologize publicly for the rigging that took place.

Two important anniversaries are fast approaching: 9/11 will forever serve as a reminder that even the strongest power on earth is vulnerable to desperate people.

For Pakistanis, 12 October, the third anniversary of the coup that brought Musharraf to power, will help us remember that no matter how well-meaning, a dictatorship cannot be a substitute for democracy.(Dawn)

``````The best thing for him [Musharaf] to do is to seek a compromise with the PPP and PML(N) and ally with them. After all, the cost of their joint decade-long corruption is less than the cost of the army’s defense overruns of last year alone resulting from failed national security policies. ``(Najam Sethi as quoted by rozaiba)

rozaiba:

Thanks for Friday Times quote.

of course Najm is 100% right.

If NS and BB stole government money – Musharraf STOLE the government itself.

what`s the difference?

On the scale of criminal MORALITY -- MiaN Musharraf is as much a criminal as BB and NS were.

It’s like kettle accusing the pot how black you`re?



So what makes the holier-than-thou Mushrraf saheb think that he is any BETTER than the politicians BB and NS -- at least BB and NS combined represent 80% of the public will.

What does Mr. Musharraf represent?

Divine will?

at east NS and BB are willing to spend their day in the Court of Public Opinion.

Who is Mr. Musharraf -- accountable to?

so why this `takkalluf` in getting together with the two licensed PUBLIC DIAGNOSTICIANS -- before putting -– the PATIENT Pakistan -- under the KNIFE -- for a major heart surgery -- by an UNLICENSED SURGEON -- like `Massihulmulk` Musharraf.

to zafar and other interested indian muslim

why are indian muslims so anti - pakistan esp, hyderabadis ..................

it is past time that people quit trying to apologize for musharaf.

he is not well meaning, he is not sincere, he is not a reformer. People like me were stupid to have believed it otherwise. but it`s good to see that the `alliance` of pro-fauji parties is breaking up.

he is merely a demented dictator who wants glory for himself and his incompetent institution- that of the pakistan army- the most visciuos parasite of Pakistan!

A hard hitting editorial in today’s Dawn on -- Chairman Maosharraf -- ‘the consensus builder’ --and his bag of Amendment worms.

To make it meaningful

(Dawn`s editorial)

It is difficult to be sure whether the consultations President Musharraf wants to have with politicians and other sections of opinion on the political and constitutional changes proposed by the National Reconstruction Bureau will serve any useful purpose.

For one thing, with barely four months to go before elections are scheduled to be held in the country, the time available for the purpose is too short to allow for any thorough and meaningful consideration of the issues involved leading to a consensus which is said to be the aim of the government.

Secondly, the political and constitutional amendments proposed by the NRB are much too complex and sweeping, having deep implications for the nation`s political and democratic future, its basic system and institutions, to be dealt with satisfactorily at a few sessions of debate and exchanges of opinion.

Such a process would seem more likely to be an exercise in futility.

No wonder, politicians feel justified when they accuse the government of making such a consultation process a mere formality.

Not without reason do they accuse the generals of ``informing`` them about their decisions instead of seeking their views before vital decisions are made.

Given the sweeping nature of the proposals, there is little surprise that the political parties have already rejected the proposed amendments.

Most political observers and constitutional experts had expected the government to come up with proposals that would remove some of the flaws and anomalies that are there but leave the 1973 Constitution`s federal and parliamentary character intact.

There is a need, for instance, for placing some checks on what is often called prime ministerial despotism. This can be done by injecting some balance in the powers of the president and the prime minister.

However, the first package of the proposals unveiled last week cannot by any stretch of the imagination be called mere amendments;

____________________________________________

they seek to alter the Constitution`s basic character by altering the federal parliamentary system of government that it envisages.

____________________________________________

If made a part of the Constitution, the amendments would make the elected prime minister a dummy in the hands of an indirectly elected president.

Equally undesirable is the proposal concerning the National Security Council.

As we have repeatedly pointed out in these columns, the NSC would make the elected civilian leadership subservient to the military.

To be headed by the president, the NSC will include the services chiefs and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff committee.

It is they who will call the shots and not the prime minister, thus further eroding the concept of civilian control of Government.

The ONLY acceptable role for the proposed NSC is to advise the government on security and other related matters and not to dictate policies to it and certainly not to act in cahoots with the president in deciding the fate of a government or the assemblies.

The best course for the government would have been to consult the politicians BEFORE coming up with the proposals in question.

Consulting them now looks like a formality that would hardly achieve the purpose of developing a consensus between the two sides.

The worst of an ill-advised move may yet be avoided by withdrawing the amendments proposed and developing a new package after meaningful and substantive discussions with the politicians.

Once the amendments are agreed upon, they should be presented in the form of recommendations to the parliament to be elected in October, leaving it free to decide on these. Any other course of action is bound to create controversies and complications that are best avoided.(DAWN)

Question – talking of checks and balances -- what checks and balances are to be placed on -- the ALL Powerful -- the Checkless -- the Redeemer --the Mess-ayaah -- the President and the Chairman Maosharruf – by the way?

None?

``The best thing for him [Musharaf] to do is to seek a compromise with the PPP and PML(N) and ally with them. After all, the cost of their joint decade-long corruption is less than the cost of the army’s defense overruns of last year alone resulting from failed national security policies. ``

-Najam Sethi (The Friday Times, July 5th, 2002)

nasah:

First of all, please dont try to put Mao in teh same league as Musharaf. Mao may have been just as power hungry, but Mao struggled to get to that seat. Mao had a vision.

Musharaf should first get a new pair of glasses. These dime-a-dozen dictators are worthless.

to tell you the truth, i am very surprised. the cowardly generals of pakistan who are good at flinching when uncle sam claps, are also good at shooting themselves in the foot. i still can`t believe what i read of Gen Naqvi`s `reforms`. they are the biggest joke of the month- so far.

by the way. Where have all the Fauji-Lovers gone?