The PPP’s attempt to hold a public meeting at Liaquat Bagh to show its political muscle was successfully foiled by the government. Following its refusal to grant permission to the PPP to hold the meeting on the pretext of the threat of terrorism, the government deployed a heavy contingent of police and blocked all routes leading to Liaquat Bagh to stop the party workers from reaching the venue. Benazir Bhutto was not allowed to come out of her residence in Islamabad. It was not clear till late evening whether she was put under house arrest, or as the government claimed, not allowed to leave her residence out of security concerns. The PPP workers who tried to reach Liaquat Bagh were not allowed to do so by the police force that fired teargas shells and resorted to a baton-charge to disperse them. A visibly angry Benazir Bhutto told the media that had gathered outside her residence that she did not approve of the polls on February 15 and called for holding them on January 15. She also called for restoration of the Constitution and the ‘old’ judiciary. The PPP chief, who is generally believed to have aligned with President Musharraf, reiterated her vow to start a long march to bring about democracy.

The use of a heavy hand to frustrate the PPP’s public meeting indicates that while Benazir Bhutto and President Musharraf may still be tied to the spirit of the deal between them, some elements in the government are averse to the idea of accepting Benazir Bhutto in the new power arrangement; hence the harsh treatment to which the PPP was subjected. This has created a very tense situation, in which the PPP’s movement may acquire its own momentum and, resultantly, sink the deal with President Musharraf. Benazir Bhutto’s intransigence has come on the heels of President General Musharraf’s announcement that the elections will be held before February 15. The president also declared that he would take off his uniform after the Supreme Court’s (SC’s) decision on the dual office petitions. While the US described it as a step in the right direction, the reaction from the opposition parties has not been positive. Rejecting the February 15 deadline for the polls, Benazir Bhutto demanded that the polls be held on January 15. She also asked the president to doff his uniform before November 15. The other demands included the validation of the presidential election from the ‘old’ SC. Nawaz Sharif too called for restoration of those judges who are no more part of the SC because they did not take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO). The MMA, for its part, announced the start of a countrywide protest from November 16.

These reactions are a disappointment for the government, which might have hoped that with the president’s announcement, the uncertainty prevailing among the political parties and the international community about the polls would evaporate. This uncertainty was engendered by the rumours that a section of the government was in favour of postponing the elections for a year. The logic forwarded by that section was that since the emergency had been imposed to root out terrorism and control the law and order situation, it would be fitting if these goals were achieved before holding the elections.

The PPP’s increasing bellicosity suggests that the rank of anti-government parties is swelling. The joint chorus has now focused on the demand for the polls on January 15, lifting of the PCO and resuscitation of the sacked judges. To discover the reasons for the new trouble, President Musharraf needs to look into his own backyard.



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