Pakistan is much too enigmatic a country and its people having no clear vision as to which way they should go. Its leadership— both civil and military— is also muddle headed lost in a sea of confusion. Uncertainty is writ large in its fate as JUI Chief Maulana Fazlul Rehman heading a milling crowd of baton wielding multitude on way to Federal Capital Islamabad to seek ‘selected’ Prime Minister Imran Khan’s resignation at any cost.
Notwithstanding the perception he was brought in as prime minister to carry out the agenda of Praetorian Establishment to subvert elements of genuine democracy and to prone them into a quasi representative system on the lines of Field Marshal Ayub Khan’s basic democracy irrespective of the fact that it led to disastrous consequences and ultimately break up of the country following defeat of General Yahya’s military junta at the hands of the Indians and Bengali people seeking independence from West Pakistani troika usurping the rights of the people.
After a long and torturous journey through hell and high water and untold sacrifices in blood and human beings, years of incarceration, hangings, public whipping in an attempt to castrate public passion for democracy under General Ziaul Haq’s decade long dictatorship like of which was never experienced before, democracy did stage a come back when Benazir Bhutto dared at the expense of her life to return home and challenge yet another dictator in uniform. It was her sacrifice with her life that ushered in democracy following her cold bloodied murder plotted by the last of military dictators who wanted to die like General Zia with his boots and uniform.
General Pervez Musharraf was no ordinary criminal. He committed highest crime of treason by subverting democracy, the Constitution, packing up the Supreme Court judges and burying rule of law and disgorging the constitution beyond recognition. Though the civilian set ups that followed registered a case of treason and of assassination of Benazir Bhutto and planned killing of Baloch Sardar Nawab Akbar Bugti.
Unfortunately democracy was restored in name only, real power remained in the hands of the Khaki Establishment.
The only democratic achievement following Musharraf’s departure was introduction painstakingly by PPP government of the historic 18th Amendment in the constitution that consolidated federal structure by more powers to the provinces and increasing their share of national resources. It is regretfully noted that instead of appreciating consolidation of federation, the Khaki Establishment through chief openly described 18th Amendment as an evil worse than Shaikh Mujibur Rehman’s Six points that led to its bloody separation in 1971. It is perceived by political pundits that Imran Khan was brought into power by the Establishment to use him for undoing of 18th Amendment.
The Khaki Establishment is finding it difficult to carry on with the present set up. Much midnight oil is being spent to find out what could possibly replace it. Imran Khan is too stubborn and too arrogant to understand the intricacies of good governance or to give a progressive socio-economic agenda to revive its shredded economy knocking at the doors of bankruptcy. It is a big question being debated in the closed door garrison quarters. Having had their colossal share of messing up thing, they would like to but they cannot fold up democracy how so ever Langri Loli.
Their options are very limited, either continue with the present dispensation or to fold it up and bring in direct military rule in a global atmosphere not conducive for it.
Indeed, it is a Catch situation, either to let the system to plod on or to pack it up, introduce certain drastic changes to revive national economy —a task now taken up by Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa as the member of National a Economic Committee. Many of my friends who have inside contacts believe that General Bajwa would be the last person to pack up civilian set up that gives him a cover to be master of the situation.
There is another view which says Maulana Fazlur Rehman only acts when he has solid backing in the wings. He would not have dared to stage such a show of clerical strength without the support of his Praetorian masters not happy or growing overly disenchanted with Imran. Political pundits fear a clash between Ik and his masters that would lead to overall disruption, possibly a clash between Khaki, the angry traders and the deprived have nots seeking their pound of flesh.
That being that let’s come down to mockery of justice as shown in the acquittal of Sahiwal encounter killers and conspiratorial release of the six who were Video recorded in the act. Although Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered the Punjab government to seek judicial review, generally people fear that it would end up like the findings of JIT absolving the killers of their crime.
Since fate of judiciary remains under constant onslaught— whether it is case of judicial reference against a forthright judge Justice Faez Isa or bamboozling by the prosecution of Musharraf’s treason trial casting his fate as foregone conclusion of his innocence much like SSP Rao Anwar’s where in the killer of Naqeebullah Mehsood and 444 others remain beyond the clutches of country’s helpless legal system that has rendered life short, brutish and nasty and established that might is right.
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