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mtgondal · #3 Thursday, May 31, 2007

A nation misled

Muhammad Mansoor Khan Mohmand

The judicial crisis and the ensuing political turmoil are the burning issues that caused violence in Karachi and elsewhere in the country. Some critics are of the opinion that the West and the US administration are observing the ongoing political and judicial crisis cautiously. For instance, the High Commissioner of Britain to Islamabad asked General Musharraf recently to separate the offices of the President and the Army Chief. The same views have been articulated by other eminent international critics. Nevertheless, both General Musharraf and Ms Benazir Bhutto, the self-exiled leader, are endeavouring desperately to attain the Western, particularly the US, support to hold the reins of power in Pakistan instead of looking towards the nation and its desires.

Ms Bhutto is reported to have hired the services of a top lobbying firm in Washington – Burson-Marsteller – for a six month period at a cost of some $ 250,000 to sway the opinion of the West, especially the US, in her favour for the upcoming general elections. Mr Nawaz Sharif, the exiled former prime minister, has termed the talks of Benazir with the military government as treason and has rejected any plans to attain political power with the support of the US. Why he specifically mentioned the US on the occasion of her visit to that country is worth knowing. An analytical study of history would give the answer of this question. Probably that is why Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that he would take care of Mr Fazlur Rehman (as he refused to apologise for supporting the 17th amendment) and PML (N) should take care of the PPP-P to create a grand opposition alliance.

On the other hand, the government has engineered the issue of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa with a two-fold purpose — to divert the attention of the people from the judicial crisis and to highlight the presence of Islamic extremists in Pakistan to gain the support of the West on the issue of General Musharraf’s uniform for the next tenure. Moreover, the government has showed its strength, with or without using the governmental machinery in Islamabad on May 12, by holding folk and cattle dances when Karachi, the business hub of the country, was burning. All the law-enforcing agencies disappeared and the main artery, the Shahrah-e-Faisal, turned into a battlefield. That day might had the right to do anything it wanted in the city.

One is surprised to see that while the writ of the government is being challenged in Islamabad on the Lal Masjid issue, the government was conspicuous by its absence in Karachi where dozens of people were killed in cold blood on May 12. Is Karachi not part of the country? Does the writ of the government not apply to Islamabad? Is the use of lathi in Islamabad and modern weapons in Karachi legal? The mysterious murder of Syed Hammad Raza, additional registrar of the Supreme Court, has made the whole picture ambiguous.

Since March 9, 2007, Pakistan is in a severe judicial crisis and the whole nation, including of course the lawyers’ community, is striving hard for the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. The unprecedented welcome of the Chief Justice on May 5 is a testimony in this regard. The movement is a ray of hope for a real and true democracy to take roots in Pakistan. The military and political leadership must pay heed to the voices of the masses, instead of looking for external support. The wishes of the people must prevail. There should be no room for the personal interests of any individual or group or a party to act contrary to the provisions of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.