Order and Anarchy

We salute you, O Jinnah. But we also stand guilty and ashamed, on this 59th death anniversary of yours, for not fulfilling your beloved dream. We stand ashamed of not yet earning for ourselves that beautiful identity which you so lovingly cherished for us. So on this day we thank and salute you but still stand like ashamed orphans, o father, O Jinnah!! But don’t yet despair, o father, because your orphan child – this Pakistani nation – is still not devoid of the spirit and labour of love for the upkeep of your beautiful gift – this beautiful land of Pakistan.

Moments ago ARY One World positively reported that Nawaz Sharif has been secretly put on a PAF plane for onward flight to Jeddah. For airing this exclusive report, the channel’s transmission has been suspended in the twin cities! Democracy mocked!!

Finally the moment has come and Nawaz Sharif has been reported by the media to have boarded his plane to Islamabad. However, Shahbaz Sharif has been dropped out at the last moment – a move quite understandable in view of the panic now prevailing in the government circles in Islamabad.

History is certainly repeating its filthy lesson. On October 12th, 1999 it was the then Army Chief who stood uncertain in much the same manner about his future while returning to Islamabad. This time around, it’s again the same duo. But one element is so contrasting – that it’s a whole new Pakistan now, upbeat with enthusiasm and expectations.

To stop history redefining itself, the Pakistani administration (under the direct poke of Gen. Musharraf, obviously) has run amok to restrain Nawaz from entering Pakistan again, in full contrast of the historic and clearly and categorically outlined verdict of the Hon’bl Supreme Court of Pakistan that Nawaz Sharif has all the right to return to his country unhindered.

News channels are constantly reporting that the area around the Islamabad airport has been converted into a high security zone and is being vacated of all vehicles except those belonging to the Civil Aviation Authority. This sanction has been imposed for a five kilometer radius area around the airport. Just this one action proves the extent of sleeplessness Nawaz’s return has been causing to Gen. Musharraf.

Various reports of unwarranted political arrests have also been shown of news media, alongwith reports of employment of every conceivable method to jeopardize the reception of Nawaz Sharif by his followers. This brings to my mind the various instances when Musharraf would never remain from stating that he stands for law. All lies. Anyways, what else can one expect from a person who has repeatedly broken promises with 160 million Pakistanis with impunity and without a shred of remorse.

The egoistic Musharraf constantly keeps believing that people are with him and will remain so. Afterall, if this had been so, then what the heck is he afraid of? Why each bit of the administration being used to put a check on the reception that a popular political leader expects to receive from his followers? Afterall, Nawaz is a human being and his followers who expect to give him a grand reception are ordinary human beings too and not part of some great foreign army wishing to invade Islamabad, that the administration is in so much of a panic.

Babar Ghauri, the MQM federal minister in Musharraf’s dispensation, on a visit to the KPT interchange in Karachi today remarked that dictatorship was the rule of the game during Nawaz’s stint as the Prime Minister of the country and that it was democracy under Musharraf. This comment flies back in the face of this idiot of a minister and the rest of the Musharraf gang; what’s happened today and is expected to happen tomorrow in Islamabad, alongwith numerous other instances (foremost being the May 12th massacre in Karachi), proves the dictatorial undertones of the Musharraf regime.

This is a defining moment in Pakistan’s history. It’s now upto us whether we grab the bus for the better of the country or not. Do we choose to remain in fear of the dictatorial gun or come out with a single loud voice to dump the military farce once and for all.

It’s been quite a feeling getting to know that the Daughter of the East has finally decided to sell the soul of her dead father. It had been rumours till now that the good Chairperson of the so – called Pakistan Peoples Party was having talks with the current military dispensation that rules Islamabad (rather, even that small city the rulers don’t seem to be having a good time ruling these days!). But it’s now all over the media.

The whole episode and the rest of Pakistan’s 60 – year history is ample proof of the insincerity of the politicians and the military leadership alike. It’s so evident that these people only smell their own skins. It was the same Musharraf who demonized both Benazir and Nawaz; who wouldn’t ever spare an opportunity to ridicule them; who disqualified them from further taking part in elections; who tried to break both the ex – premiers’ backs by trying to split their political parties and thus making up his own ‘king’s party’ – the ‘Q League’ – to help him in his designs on this country.

Now, in a way, it’s also such a historic moment that brilliantly displays how times change. The same Musharraf is now performing rumba for his expected partner, Benazir!! No doubt the changing times have been brought about with the blessings of both London and Washington for whom it’s ever more important now to have a tamed dog in Islamabad that must in no way have any problems in following his master’s commands, given the ever deteriorating condition of law and order in the tribal belt as well as in the rest of the country.

Musharraf’s aides must have been feeing him some real shit in the name of obsequiousness, which has till now prevented him from accepting that the public no more likes him and that his actions are only translating into hug political setbacks for himself. An inflated ego, therefore, leads him to become desperate for having another stint with the Presidency. What his eyes are truly missing is that in doing so, he’s only serving his own self (something really against the honour of a true soldier) rather than serving the nation.

It’s a fact that every dictator would always want to remain clinging to power to pump air into his ego, which again forces him to remain thirsty for power. So basically it’s a circle (vicious?) in which the guy finds himself in. The same is visible in Musharraf’s case that he’s now stooped so low as to strike deals with crooked and unprincipled politicians whom he ridiculed and who loathed him till the recent past. What does he wants? Another Presidential term? He’s already been in power for eight years; eight years in which he enjoyed absolute authority over each and every matter of this country. But what did he achieve? The results are all around us – increased blood and gore on the streets, the worst internal security situation, an ever strengthening financial security of the already deep – pocketed and a huge number of impoverished people.

Isn’t it time Musharraf is asked, as they say, the million dollar question – what good he intends to achieve for the country with another Presidential term, when he couldn’t do much in the last eight years?

Now, it’s the turn of Geo News to face the music, a couple of TV channels having already come under the ire of the dictatorial dispensation that has its say virtually over all affairs Pakistani. The following screen grab tells it all and stands as a stark reminder that whatever Musharraf keeps ranting about, afterall, it’s a Pakistan under siege of it’s supposed protectors, it’s a Pakistan held at gunpoint .

Govt. blocks transmission of Geo News.

Today, without electricity and sweating out on my drawing sofa, I had a chance to think on the afflictions that are faced by common Pakistanis in their daily lives….I then wanted to drill down to the reasons of the various issues faced by us, the common people of this country, and a verse in Urdu came to my mind that sums up each and every ill. Here it goes:

In a move reminiscent of a need to save face, Parvez Musharraf has finally decided to hand over Karachi’s law and order responsibility to Pakistan Rangers. Yesterday, when Karachi was bleeding profusely and was desperately shouting for help, the so – called law enforcement agencies meted out a step – motherly treatment to this city by just being by – standers and watching the rape of the city’s fragile peace take place. It isn’t so that the police are dysfunctional; however, it seemed that all the law enforcement agencies in the city, and rangers included, were made dysfunctional on explicit orders. Otherwise, the rangers that have been bestowed with divine blessings today have had a sizeable presence in the city since several years and could have been directed to act yesterday only when three dozen persons lost their lives and several others suffered injuries. Loss of property is besides the loss of life and limb.

Furthermore, the Munafiq Qaumi Mafia (the name given to MQM by Mahmood Khan Achakzai) a.k.a. Muttahida Qaumi Movement has announced in a press conference today of closing all its sector offices all over the country. Probably they felt the need for this, now that rangers have been virtually given a free hand in Karachi today. They must have feared that their terrorists and dens (sector offices) might come under rangers’ scrutiny so it’s definitely better to order a closure of their dens and instruct their thugs to go in hiding!!

And the blame game continues…ruling party members, Musharraf included (it’s easy to understand why I call Musharraf a ruling party member), have consistently placed the blame of yesterday’s sad events on the Chief Justice’s shoulders. More importantly, the MQM members have gone so far as to publicly say on television that the CJP had no need to visit Karachi and that his entourage must have sought consultations with Sind government (read, MQM) regarding a Karachi trip (statement by Babar Ghouri of MQM, Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping in a Geo News talk show today morning). I say is this a banana state or what? Now citizens of this country would need a visa to visit the country’s largest city?