The Crusades...VI.doc

7/24/2019 The Crusades...VI.doc

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!t times, one wonders how he is sparin" enou"h time for all these pursuits% ein" the principal lawyer of Bustice /haudhry, he has theexclusive responsibility of representin" him in the &upreme /ourt or the&upreme Budicial /ouncil he is available to every private television channelGthat abounds nowH to present the chief ustice-s side of the story as well asto spea. on politics and he is drivin" the top ud"e wherever he underta.esan important ourneyF-

)tterly contrary is !it a -s leader, ena ir hutto, who is harpin" ona theme that, on the face of it, "ives the impression that it is intended to bailout Musharraf% #t ma.es even many of her committed party leaders han"their heads in shame% This unfla""in" lawyer is the bi""est savin" "race for the +++ in the worst udicial crisis%-

M/73 A M0l35 , !li !hmed ;urd, !hsan hoon, &haf$at !bbasi andmany other lawyers who stand shoulder to shoulder with Bustice /haudhrywould have surely never thou"ht of so unprecedented "lory andma"nificence that they have now attained ust because of their credible rolein the udicial crisis%- Munir ! Mali. is, in fact, the architect of the unity of lawyers- community%

&haf$at Mahmood discussed the latest state of the crisis in somedetail% ! wee.-s pause in street protests and the ?eneral has started to tal. in bellicose terms% >e has hinted at usin" extra constitution powers and

declared that the uniform is his second s.in which presumably cannot beremoved% The common impression is that 6:3 606 76 0 076 6o0 7 6: =/ 3 30 ? 6o @ :0v o l % #t is also clear messa"e that come

what may Musharraf is not inclined to "ive up his army office%-

#nstead of ma.in" moves to defuse the crisis, 6: ! 7 0l 30 37; @066l l37 07 6: o 37; 07 o 7 :0ll 7; 6o o o 063

e has an answer for everythin" but verylittle of it ma.es sense% !nd none more than his statement that the MCM hada political ri"ht to do what it did because ;arachi is its domain% @or"ive me

but we all thou"ht this city belon"ed to the state of +a.istan and no one,

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least of all a political party, had the ri"ht to declare it to be its exclusive preserve%-

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uniform for two years but let us leave this aside for the moment% #f heannounces $uittin" the army post, the hi"h moral "round that he will "ainwill allow him to become a candidate%-

@ourth, to 7 / 6:06 6: l 63o7 :0 3@3l36?, he must allowena ir hutto, *awa &harif and &hahba &harif to come bac. and fully

participate in them% ithout their participation, the election will becontroversial and undemocratic and the purpose of see.in" le"itimacy for the process will be lost% The idea is to heal wounds of the nation and this willnot happen if ma or political leaders of the country are forcibly .ept out%-

The election of course must be totally free and fair and under aneutral careta.er arran"ementF This is the only process which woulddefuse the national crisis and ma.e us be"in to pic. up the pieces a"ain andwor. towards buildin" a civili ed nation% #n this route, there is no "uaranteethat +erve Musharraf will have enou"h votes to win the presidentialelection but that should not worry him% I< : 077o6 ; 6 l 6 : 3ll 06l 0 6 /36 6: o


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impermissible mannerK !fter all a president cannot simply be replaced if heloses a vote of confidence in the successor parliament he can only beimpeachedF-

&econd, the ?eneral introduced a controversial amendment to+a.istani law barrin" a prime minister from servin" a third term in office%The law was alle"edly focused on excludin" ena ir hutto and *awa&harif from returnin" to office of prime minister% The Musharraf re"imehowever ar"ued that this was a "ood law for it would encoura"e the

vol/63o7 o< 7 l 0 :3 07 @ 37; 37 7 ; 63 o l 36: < :3 0 . T:3 3 o/7 lo;3 %-

ut :? o 6:3 37 3 l 07 :3lo o :? 7o6 0 l? 6o 6:! 7 0l K hat moral authority does he have to force out other hac.neyed

politicians when his political a"enda is no lon"er than perpetuatin" himself in powerK The ?eneral had set out in 1999 to bless +a.istan with truedemocracy-% >as he not failed by his own standards when after ei"ht lon"years of his revolutionary democracy, a free and fair election threatens toreturn the conventional democracy of +++ and +M( *K-

Third, Gand at the peril of venturin" further into the cuc.oo landHwhat happened to the concept of self accountabilityK /an the ?eneralseriously not hear the chorus of "rumble all around +a.istan and reali e thatthose coarsely lioni ed his rule are actually his political dependentsK #s the

"litter and clatter of power really so blindin" and deafenin" that nothin"short of "rindin" social upheaval will indicate the need for an exit strate"yK#t is clear that since March 9 the M/ :0 0< ;3 :0 @ 7 o7 / @?


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principles% This popular social movement will not have served its cause if itdoesn-t also end the political careers of people who are responsible for ma.in" the concept of politics synonymous with unscrupulousness,sycophancy and corruption%-

REVIEW

#n this round, under watchful eyes of do en plus ud"es, the heavywei"hts of the lawyers- community representin" the two teams were pitcheda"ainst each other to outscore the opponent usin" their professional acumen%#n view of the ethics in vo"ue, the spectators were not allowed applaudin" or

booin" any side and the commentators were constrained not to pass anyremar.s therefore the events inside the court lac.ed the luster that has beena familiar characteristic of the on"oin" movement%

The two teams in particular and the people in "eneral are aware of thefact that the decision of the full court will have tellin" impact on themovement of lawyers therefore everyone waited with mixed feelin"s of expectations and apprehensions% The full court, true to the udicial traditions,has also provided no indication durin" first ten days of hearin" about the

possible outcome on the le"al points bein" contested by the two sides%

!pprehensions and expectations primarily resulted fromcircumstances leadin" to the be"innin" of the formal hearin"s by the fullcourt% Much of the bic.erin" particularly on the issue of bias- showed thatall is not well inside the superior udiciary% The neutrality of some of the

ud"es has, unfortunately, been rendered suspect%

The lawyers- community supportin" the /B+ faltered for the first timeon 2< th May% =urin" the seminar held in the auditorium of the &upreme/ourt the spea.ers and the participants exceeded the limits of decorum bysayin" and chantin" few thin"s which could have been avoided% &uch thin"scan have ne"ative impact on their movement which has been pro"ressin"fine to date%

#s it the first reflection of what the chief ustice had $uoted in his paper the power corruptsF #f that be so, the lawyers have corruptedthemselves too soon as their movement has still to cover a lon" and arduous

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ourney% They cannot afford to be corrupted, that too midway, because thestren"th of their cause lies in the uncorrupted decency%

Team i" with a noble cause cannot afford foul play at a sta"e whenthey have almost cornered the Team >elmet% Their onslau"ht has alreadyda ed the ran. and file of the army of yes men "athered around the dictatorthey must remain steadfast for the final push% Their adversary, despiteen oyin" protection of helmets of !merican ori"in, may not be able toabsorb the thrust of the i"%

2Ath May 2007

HELMET v WI!ROUND I+ *ART II

>avin" identified the stren"th of the on"oin" movement in medialawyers unity, the Team >elmet had been tryin" to draw the media away

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from lawyers% This could not be achieved despite some incidents of violencea"ainst ournalists by lawyers-%

&ince then the Team >elmet had been on the loo.out in separatin" thetwo and then stran"ulatin" the media% The lawyers faltered for the first timedurin" the seminar held on 2< th May they were driven by their exuberance

beyond the limits of decency and thus provided the Team >elmet to "et holdof hostile- section of electronic media%

The Team >elmet, however, found it hard to mana"e after effects of the ;arachi carna"e, despite the fact political parties have not been able toshow any meanin"ful stren"th on the streets% The crac.s within the Team>elmet started widenin", but these crac.s have so far been concealed well%

>avin" observed that lawyers media combine has wea.ened politicalwin" of his team, Musharraf decided to launch military win" in the on"oin"contest% >e "athered three star "enerals in ?>C, who announcedune$uivocal support to their boss-s a"enda, unfortunately, the on"oin" crisisincludin" the ;arachi carna"e has been the conse$uence of this a"enda%

EVENTS

On 27 th May, Musharraf ur"ed leaders and wor.ers of +M( C to

resolve their differences to win forthcomin" elections% The federal"overnment accused lawyers of usin" the &upreme /ourt buildin" for ma.in" political speeches and drew the attention of the &upreme /ourttowards political seminar%

+un ab "overnment obli"ed MCM by confinin" #mran to (ahore% +ir +a"ara as.ed MCM to mend fences with the nation% The 6an"ers withdrewfrom ;arachi to pre May 12 positions% ena ir once a"ain refused to attend!ll +arties /onference%

The observers felt that #mran-s case a"ainst !ltaf would raise storm in);% +T# activists sta"ed a protest a"ainst MCM% MM! caravan set out for three day ourney to ?u ranwala, @aisalabad and (ahore as part of thestru""le for elimination of dictatorship, supremacy of udiciary, impartialinterim "overnment and fair elections%

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*ext day, durin" the court proceedin"s, Bustice 6amday said that/B+-s case would be decided on merit irrespective of the conse$uences%!it a continued his ar"uments he said the /B+ has already refused toresi"n once and would do the same in case he would be reinstated%

+resident-s top le"al aide ruled out martial law% +rime Minister condemned the lan"ua"e used a"ainst the armed forces durin" the seminar held on 2< th May% The "overnment considered various options, includin"invo.in" of !rmy !ct% !ctin" /B, Bustice Baved said there is no pressure on

ud"es from the "overnment%

!ltaf called upon party wor.ers to exercise restraint despiteprovocative- statements of politicians% MCM ac$uired services of &arfra

*awa to counter #mran ;han ball by ball% !rbab 6ahim accused the courtsof interferin" in matters of the country%

(ahore >i"h /ourt did not entertain petition of #mran due to latesubmission% arrister aachaa offered his services to fi"ht #mran-s casea"ainst !ltaf% >e also sou"ht an end to policy of appeasement of MCM%&indh >i"h /ourt sou"ht comments from &>/ ! and other bars on May 12incidents% *awa &harif alle"ed that Musharraf had his hand in ;arachi.illin"s%

On 29 th May, !it a !hsan filed an affidavit of his client as hecompleted his ar"uments% The statement covered events from March 9 to 13%>e said that he was forced to stay in the !rmy >ouse for five hours a"ainsthis will his refusal to resi"n had an"ered Musharraf =?M#, =?# pressedhim for resi"nation after Musharraf had left and the events of his and hisfamily-s confinement%

&arfra *awa !ltaf >ussain meetin" was put off as MCM leadershipremained undecided over the issue of meetin"% *aseerullah abar showedhis willin"ness to appear before the court in );, if a case a"ainst !ltaf >ussain is filed% 6auf ;lasra reported that &hau.at ! i cancelled his

official trip to ); to avoid meetin" !ltaf >ussain% (ahore >i"h /ourtsou"ht report on #mran-s petition% #mran and ;har called for unity inopposition% Ca i vowed to continue anti "overnment drive% +++ as.ed MM!to $uit aluchistan "overnment%

Top leadership of +M( C held a meetin" to formulate their strate"yafresh for the udicial crisis, presidential election and upcomin" "eneral

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elections% One person was .illed and ei"ht wounded in a car blast outside+eshawar >i"h /ourt provincial minister accused centre of refusin" to shareintelli"ence on terrorists% (awyers blamed the spy a"encies for the car blast%

*ext day, @a.huruddin ? 'brahim ar"ued that the president havin" been elected unconstitutionally cannot and could not avail immunity "ivenunder !rticles 25A and 211 of the /onstitution% ?illani said the &upreme/ourt can ta.e up any mala fide act of the president%

+olice arrested two ;ashmiri brothers for .illin" >amad 6a a andrecovered wrist watch of >amad-s father worn by one of the them and the

pistol on the lead provided by them% oth of them were part of a "an"involved in various crimes%

Musharraf, while addressin" the officers of Behlum ?arrison, ur"edmedia not to politici e udicial matter% >e accused some channels of creatin"

pressure on udiciary% !ctin" /B of the &upreme /ourt constituted a twomember bench to ta.e up the application of the federal "overnment about&/ ! seminar%

#bad continued his peace offensive, went to &>/, and deplored- May12 carna"e% Three member in$uiry into May 12 carna"e ordered by #?+halted its wor. !rbab 6ahim blamed &>/ for non cooperation% ! contempt

petition was filed in &>/ a"ainst /O!&, =?#, =?M# and # for demandin" resi"nation from the /B+ on March 9%

The "overnment decided to appoint a separate principal informationofficer to act as brid"e- between the "overnment and the media% Bournalistssta"ed a demonstration in 6awalpindi #slamabad to protest threats to three

ournalists%

On 31 st May, counsel of + !, >amid ;han ar"ued that the presidentdoes not have immunity into the case% Bustice 6amday observed that the

president does not have immunity under !rticle 25A of the /onstitution% >ealso said lac. of ustice invites divine wrath%

Minister =urrani as.ed media to behave% The "overnment banned livecovera"e of rallies of the /B+% (awyers condemned threats to the counsel of the /B+ throu"h anonymous letters% +rotest rallies were held across thecountry% !ddressin" !ttoc. ar /ouncil, #mran said no power in the countrycould stop the movement for independence of udiciary%

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!ctin" /B constituted five member bench to hear &/ ! seminar case%;arachi ar /ouncil filed a contempt of court petition a"ainst !rbab 6ahimre"ardin" his statement accusin" &>/ of not cooperatin" with three member in$uiry ordered by the #?+%

*ext day, three star commanders showed full support for the politicala"enda of their chief% The a"enda obviously included the actions of March 9and May 12% They too. note of malicious campai"n a"ainst institutions of state% The non combatant GenrolledH once a"ain announced the armydetractors must be shot dead%

The counsel of &/ ! and &>/ ! continued his ar"ument for maintainability of the petition of the /B+% The court ad ourned till 5 th Bune%&indh >i"h /ourt heard contempt case and a petition see.in" udicial probeinto .illin"s in ;arachi% The court issued notices to the chief minister and!ltaf >ussain%

#mran ;han re ected MCM-s offer to sit with !ltaf >ussain on ane"otiation table% &po.esperson of );-s mission in #slamabad condemned;arachi .illin"s and said ); would "rill MCM chief upon receipt of evidence showin" his involvement in terrorist activities in +a.istan%

/urbs imposed on electronic media evo.ed stron" opposition% +olicearrested two more persons from Mu affarabad who are lin.ed to the murder of >amad% !*+ denied covert compromise with MCM%

On 2 nd Bune, the /B+ evo.ed people power- on his way to!bbottabad% +rivate channels were not allowed live covera"e of the ourney%The /B+ said the /onstitution ensures free movement of people% Two ud"esof the five member bench refused to hear the seminar case%

Minister =urrani said media would be tac.led as per law% *o propa"anda a"ainst the army would be tolerated% The /ommittee to +rotectBournalists expressed concern over curbs on media% #mran ;han left for (ondon to file case a"ainst !ltaf >ussain%

*ext day the bench for hearin" seminar petition was reconstituted%loc.in" of transmissions of TD throu"h cable operators continued% #mran

led protest rally a"ainst !ltaf >ussain in front of 10 =ownin" &treet% The )&wanted early resolution of the /B+ issue%

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VIEWS

T: o l .ept ventin" their feelin"s on the lin"erin" crisis%?iven the bloody episode that too. place in ;arachi claimin" the lives of

do ens of innocent citi ens who are strivin" hard for the reinstatement of nota man but the restoration of an independent udiciary, let me as. thehonourable president where his so called writ of law isK >e o/l 6:

63 5 07 lathis o< 6: @ o< L0l M0 =3 @/6 7o6 o< 6: 0ol363 0l 0 63v3 6 on May 12% ! couple of days a"o, he offered to mediate

between #srael and +alestine but he chooses to turn a blind eye to ;arachi-,observed ar.atullah Marwat from ;uwait%

Mohammad !rsalan from (ahore advised that the Opposition shouldta.e leadership lessons from the /B+% One thin" has been very obvious from

all the cries startin" from the March 9 incident that o/ o- 0ll o o 363o7:0 l366l l 0 :3 /0l363 F The leaders of their parties are alri"ht butthey don-t have what it ta.es to become a leader of a country because thesedesperate souls cannot stic. to even a sin"le point i%e% to liberate this countryfrom "enerals- dictatorship%-

#f these people really want to be true leaders 6: ? :o/l l 0 7 < o6: C:3 < / 63 o< *053 607 who since his reference has not "iven asin"le interview, uttered a sin"le word in front of the media and newspapersor addressed a sin"le rally to prove his innocence yet the whole country is

behind him and wherever he "oes people salute him and the institution he belon"s to%-

#mran stole the show by callin" spade a spade, but invited the wrath of the terrorist setup led by !ltaf >ussain% The reaction of the terrorist "roup,called MCM, was widely condemned% !f al 6ahim from +eshawar wrote4

The statement from a rulin" party, that if the chairman of +a.istan Tehree.i #nsaf comes to ;arachi he will be responsible for the law and order situation that may entail and the subse$uent ban on his entry into &indh saysa lot about May 12 incidents too% I 07 o7l?


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/anadian of +a.istani ori"in and would hate to be affiliated with a party thatresorts to violence as a tool to achieve political he"emony% #t is time for theMCM to reform, shed away its ethnicity based politics and adopt ademocratic culture with tolerance for dissent%-

Tari$ * &yed from (ahore observed4 Mr !ltaf >ussain is allowed torun his party in +a.istan, throu"h remote control from (ondon% ! le"al$uestion4 are ritish citi ens permitted to run political parties in other countries, and interfere in the other countries affairs% I 0 / 6: B 363 :

o7 636/63o7 07 l0 o 7o6 36 6:3 %-

@aroo$ !li from #slamabad wrote4 #mran ;han has said that he willfile a case a"ainst !ltaf >ussain in a ritish court of law% I 076 6o 6 llI 07 ):07 6:06 6: :ol 7063o7 607 @? ?o/ o7 6:3 o/ 0; o/

3 3o7%-

!bid Mahmud !nsari from #slamabad opined4 #nstead of "ivin" a political reply, the M M o 6 6o / l37;37; 07 0 /7 :0 360@l

0 5 about #mran-s personal life% This was followed by a ban on theformer cric.eter-s entry into &indh%-

! Mali. from #slamabad as.ed4 #f the MCM comprises 9A per centof the people of +a.istan as vociferously claimed by !ltaf >ussain why isthe /hief Bustice stopped from enterin" the city of ;arachiK hy has #mran;han been banned from travelin" to ;arachiK-

Muhammad 6a a from ;arachi wrote4 The M M / o< 0@/ 3vl07;/0; 0;037 6 I 07 ):07 0e always tal.s about ustice and peace, and his party is the only weaponfree political party in +a.istan% # have never heard irrelevant nonsense fromhim, he always shows facts and fi"ures and presents his opinion accordin" tothe "round reality%-

!lthou"h he only "ot a sin"le seat in the national assembly in the lastelection his popularity is increasin" sharply, and he will "et more seats in the

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upcomin" elections% M M :o/l 6o 363 3 37; :3 o70l l3< andinstead present properly ar"ued and political rebuttals%-

Eassir 6asheed from 6awalpindi was of the view that by bannin"+a.istan Tehree. e #nsaaf chief #mran ;han to enter ;arachi, the MuttahidaCuami Movement GMCMH :0 0/; 76 o/ < 0 6:06 )0 0 :3 o7l?@ lo7; 6o 36 07 6o 7o o6: ol363 0l 0 6?%-

The M M :0 0l o 0 l? ov 6:06 36 077o6 6ol 06 07?3 7637; l 76, which # thin. is the lifeblood of a true democratic

party% #mran ;han is a "lobally acclaimed personality and if he intended tovisit ;arachi, there was no harm% !fter all, #mran ;han is a +a.istani citi enand can travel anywhere he li.es%-

#f #mran has uttered some words, which have disheartened the MCMleadership, they should have protested democratically or moved the court tosee. ustice%B? o 637; 6o 6: 06 737; 60 63 > 6: M M :0 uman 6i"hts /ommittee has announced that its>uman 6i"hts !ward would be "iven to #mran ;han for his brave role infi"htin" the May 12 incident% #mran ;han is the chairman of an insi"nificant

party "ettin" only one seatF >e is a proud and self conceited man who isalways findin" faults with the "overnment% >e denies that Musharraf has

been able to ma.e +a.istan an enli"htened, moderate and prosperous countrywith a sound economic base% I 07 o 7o6 57o :o 6o 60l5 0@o/6 0

ol363 0l l 0 :o : 0 0 v ? @3; 0 6? 37 S37 : % >e should not ta.e political leaders as boys of his cric.et team%-

!hmed Curaishi was another exception who bein" pro Musharraf ar"ued in favour of status $uo% 6e"ardless of how honourable the intentionsof Bustice #fti.har Mohammad /haudhry are his case has been hi ac.ed now

by an opportunistic political class stru""lin" to reclaim power and perpetuate its brand of failed politics% This is not about democracy% T:3 30@o/6 07 37 6 ol363 0l l0 / 37; 07? 9 / 6o @ l 0;037 6 6: / -

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the past to storm the buildin" of the &upreme /ourt of +a.istan to coerce the udiciary are today re mar.etin" themselves as champions of law and reason%+a.istani politicians observe no rules in the "ame% S37 M0? 12> o/

ol363 307 0 o 537; ov 63 6o 0 5 07 6:73 o7< o76063o7 wherenone exists, "ivin" an ethnic colour to a dirty political s$uabble, ust tocomplicate matters for the +resident and his allies%-

#n ;arachi, the nation-s business artery, our ol363 307 76 6: 30 0 6o aroonur 6ashid from Behlum 0 5 < / 63o7 4 from !hmedCuraishi% >e has every ri"ht to do so% ut the $uestion, which comes to

mind, is that where was the state machinery Gcentral and provincialH on May12K as the state not responsible to protect the life, property, etc of themasses on May 12K-

The other $uestion is that if the politicians of the opposition wereresponsible for the May 12 slau"hter of innocent people, why hasn-t the state

boo.ed themK hy has the president said4 /lose this chapterK (oo. for thefuture% hy did the /hief Minister of &indh cate"orically say the other daythat there will be no in$uiry on the May 12 incidentK-

=r #rfan Lafar from #slamabad too. stron" exception to !hmedCuraishi-s attempt to defend a dictator% #t was disturbin" to note that thewriter, a producer and host of a wee.ly forei"n policy show on television hastried to defend a military dictatorship, a concept of "overnance that is notdefendable in any civili ed society% =ictatorship is ust li.e a "iant tree, veryma"nificent to loo. at in its prime, but nothin" "rows underneath it% 'venthe worst .ind of democracy is better than the best dictatorship% #n

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democracy power is more e$uitable, dictatorship is a temporary process anddoes not last lon"F I76 ll 6/0l o 0l36? 07 6:06 o/ 36

:o/l 7o6 < 7 6: /7 < 7 0@l 07 37 6: o @ o 0 6 o< 6: ? o :07 ? , which propa"ates and helps dictatorial re"imes%-

)0 0 :3 0 70; was the most unfortunate and most deplorableepisode in the on"oin" peaceful movement, which would certainly .eepresonatin" for lon" time to come as is evident from views of peopleenumerated above% The analysts, too, find hard to i"nore it%

! am ;halil wrote4 6ecently when the MCM tried to establish afoothold in +un ab and elsewhere many thou"ht that perhaps !ltaf hadabandoned his policy of formin" a party alon" ethnic lines and was nowtryin" to enter mainstream politics courtesy the president% >owever, the

@ /60l36? 07 < o 36? o< 6: v 76 o< 6: v 76 o< M0? 12 :0vo l 6 l? 7 ;06 6:06 3 3o7%-

ho needs to be reminded about an ancient tradition of the re"ionthat in case of a death in a nei"hbourhood, where a marria"e ceremony is infull swin", the marria"e may be postponed and the festivities stoppedF utthe country saw a sad departure from this a"e old tradition when peoplewere shown dancin" to the beat of drums at the same time bodies wereshown lyin" on the street "aspin" for life because armed men had closed allroads renderin" medical help impossible%-

efore the president climbed the sta"e in #slamabad, he was fullyaware of what was "oin" on in ;arachi% H @o0 6 o< :3 G / o 6 :0

:o 7 6: 3 6 7;6: 37 )0 0 :3 07 I l0 0@0 # 6:3 :o :3ol363 0l 3 06/ 36?% #t would have been far better had the president

cancelled the #slamabad rally for another day and rushed to ;arachi and personally visited the worst affected areasFand the hospitals that haddeclared medical emer"ency%-

The president should understand that the prevailin" situation in the

country is not a law and order problem, it is a political problem thatdemands dialo"ue% #t is already late and in case more time is lost, everythin"could be lost for him% >e should start settlin" contentious issues before theelections% A S/ Co/ 6 =/ ; 0? @ 0 o376 6o


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;amal &iddi$i tal.ed about arro"ant defiance of Musharraf in notcensorin" the "uilty party% This wee., the president finally arrived in;arachi to ta.e stoc. of the incidents of violence on May 12% *otsurprisin"ly, he ruled out any probe into the May 12 carna"e and 37 6 06oo5 6: o


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07 v3 36o % One can "au"e this from the number of cancellations that have been received by the ;arachi /hamber of /ommerce, which or"ani es the

My ;arachi- exhibition on yearly basis% This year, the exhibition is slottedto open on Bune 1, but the number of re"rets received has forced theor"ani ers to thin. whether it would be a "ood idea to even hold theexhibition at the first place%-

hat many in +a.istan may not reali e is the :3 7 o 6 6:06 6:o/76 ? 3 0?37; 0 0 /l6 o< 6: 6 3o 0637; l0 07 o 36/063o7

in the country% hile some of the incidents of violence are such that the"overnment can do little to prevent, there are many in which the ne"li"enceand short si"htedness of the "overnment adds fuel to fire% 'xporterscomplain that buyers are reluctant to come to +a.istan and prefer to meetelsewhere, usually in =ubai or other nearby counties% This adds to the cost of

doin" business in +a.istan and puts our exporters at a disadvanta"e%-#nstead of blamin" the media for reportin" what is actually true and

happenin", the "overnment should as. itself what it can do to improve thelaw and order situation in the country and ensure that such an improvementis noticed abroad% )nless this is done, 6: :ol 9 3 o< @/3l 37; 6:3 0; o< *053 607> /7 605 7 06 ; 06 9 7 36: 609 0? o7 ?>

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/onsiderin" that the current "overnment, li.e most previous"overnments, is essentially run on basis of a fra"ile coalition, 36 33 o 3@l 6o 07 07 @/6 < o 6: 3 37 0 ll % >ence it should beaccompanied by a concerted effort to demilitari e society% #t is not only a

physical effort, but one that needs to be ta.en up on the psycholo"ical planeto alter mindsets and to deal with the problem in terms of patholo"yF;eepin" the profundity of the matter in view, the $uestion that remains is4does the "overnment have the necessary will to prevail over many important

people and "roups that are lar"ely responsible for the massive amount of "uns found in +a.istan%-

'.ramul >a$ue said4 The di yin" array of protests we are seein" in;arachi is 0 ? 6o o< 0l03 > :o oo6 0/ 3 6: o l/7:0 37 36: 6: 606 o< 6:37; % The furore over the /hief Bustice-ssuspension and subse$uent maltreatment has added a new wave of protests%#t-s heartenin", however, that despite the obvious dissonance of protestin"voices most demonstrations are relatively peaceful%-

=espite ;arachi-s innate problem, we can do better% e can ma.e adifference% #n the aftermath of May 12, some political parties have calledmore stri.es, while others have threatened yet more% Yo/ 07 ll 6:73


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anomaly or even an isolated incident% @or it to happen twice in a monthsu""ests that there is some sort of concerted effort by the "overnment to.eep out people whom it doesn-t li.e I and that is reflective of an antidemocracy attitude% ;arachi is an MCM stron"hold and implyin" thatanyone who spea.s a"ainst the party or its chief is a security ris. defieslo"ic%-

#f anythin" the responsibility lies on the "overnment to ensure that noharm comes to any such individual to place the burden of restraint on thatindividual su""ests a lac. of even handedness% The sudden appearance of ; 0


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0 ;/ 76 / 6o 6o C:3 < / 63 I @ 0/ : :0 @ o 6: ? @ol o<


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Al60< H/ 037 / 6 :0v @ 7


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commit more blunders that may help fuel the on"oin" a"itation for restoration of democracy%-

The M M 3 l37; /7 @0 0 76


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6 7 7 ? 6o @ l3 v 6:06 / : 3;;37; 37 6o 6: v ? 7 3 07 0 6 o< v0lo/ % More often than not it is more a case of chauvinism, sometimes evennarcissism% The cost of di""in" in- is invariably paid by society%-

The absence of non violent exit options is only one determinant of suicidal politics% ! second, possibly more important, determinant is thetendency of lon" servin" autocrats to become believers in their owninevitability% This 05 6: 37 0 0@l o< 6ol 0637; 07?o7 :o 3;:6

0 6o @ 37; 6: @0 7 % The delusion of "randeur is easy to come bywhen you have absolute power especially if you have had it for considerable time% =enial on the other hand, emanates from disconnect% @or those who have already succumbed to delusional politics, it is so mucheasier to deny the problem than to resolve it%-

hat we see with ?eneral Musharraf, and what we have seeneverywhere in similar situations, is a leader who has now imprisonedhimself in a bubble where 6: 3 7o o7 0 o/7 :3 :o :0 36: 6:0@3l36? o 6: 3ll37;7 6o 05 6 /6: 6o o % Those who could oncehave done so, within the political or military establishments, have either moved on or have been sidelined% hat remains are either politicalsycophants or a military leadership that is hand pic.ed by and so much

unior to ?eneral Musharraf that it seems unli.ely to hi"hli"ht the new"round realities- to their chief% One is also left wonderin" whether the chief is any lon"er able to accept constructive criticism and advice in the way that

he once mi"ht have been%-

?eneral Musharraf fumbles around in the dance of suicidal politics,the nation and the world loo.s on in stunned shoc. as he ma.es one political

blunder after the other% Many wonder how his ultimate exit- mi"ht come% #tis not clear whether he himself does% >e would be well advised to ponder onthat $uestion, both in terms of his own le"acy and the country-s future% ut,then, the 606 l/ 3o7 07 730l 6:06 0 37 /;; 6 6:06 : 3 7o6

o7 6o 60537; / : 0 v3 %-

urhanuddin >asan opined4 6ulers don-t believe what they don-twant to believe% T: ? 0? 3;7o 07 3 @l3 . T:3 0 0; 0 l3 6o@ l 0;/ /l who want to conveniently i"nore "round realities aslon" as they can% They recline in the cocoon built by their sycophants andonly believe in what they tell them and see what they show them% +a.istan-shistory is full of such rulers%-

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This is the le"acy which ?eneral +erve Musharraf inherited when heoverthrew the "overnment of *awa &harif in 1999% &o much had "onewron" with the country in so many ways that 07? :o o< 36 v3v0l 0 0: 0l6:? 07 o; 3v 7063o7 loo5 l35 0 3 0 %-

The recent tactical mista.e by +resident Musharraf to suspend /hief Bustice #fti.har Mohammad /haudhry and send a reference a"ainst him tothe &upreme Budicial /ouncil has cost him dearly% >is popularity hasconsiderably plummeted and the 76 / < l37; o< 6: o l :0v e believes his sycophants when they show him a crowd of thirty thousand asthree hundred thousand in a fol. mela on the day of the ;arachi carna"e inwhich 5A people lost their lives%-

#n order to "et over the present crisis, : 6o :0v 7o o6::o3 @/6 6o 0 6 l35 0 606 07 06: 6:07 0 ! 7 0l % >e can consider

pre emptin" the /B-s further forays by announcin" a date to leave the post of army chief and present himself as a civilian candidate to the newly electedassemblies for re election as president%-

Mir Bamilur 6ahman opined that !rmy as an institution cannot escapecriticism% +resident:/O!& ?eneral +erve Musharraf said ednesday thatrespect of the army is obli"atory for the nation% >is statement indicates thatthin"s have come to such a pass that the +resident:/O!& had to order the

people to respect the armed forces% +resident was constrained to ma.e thisorder because of the offensive and dero"atory anti army placards that aredisplayed durin" the lawyers- rallies% #n the seminar at the &upreme /ourtauditorium, the 05 76 ov @o0 37 3 0 0;37; 6: 0 ?%-

+resident:/O!& ?eneral +erve Musharraf is a beni"n militarydictator compared to his predecessors% >e insists that he is runnin" ademocratic setup but that is not the case% >e has lo l? e is implementin" this scheme effectively with theresult that 0 ? 376 / 3v 7 37 3v3l 0


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@or instance, the affair of the /hief Bustice #fti.har Mohammad /haudhrywas entirely handled by three star "enerals%-

The army is now fully involved in the "overnance of the country, itschief, ?eneral Musharraf callin" the shots% #t is the corps commanders whoframe "overnment policies under the chairmanship of their chief% I6 3 @/6706/ 0l 6:06 0 ? 3 : l o7 3@l


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them basic ri"hts, such as the ri"ht of freedom of expression, to winapprobation from the people instead of criticism%-

here do we "o from hereK !lasJ The political decline of a"overnment is an irreversible process% The ol363 0l l37 o< 0;ov 7 76 3 07 3 v 3@l o % hen this happens, the "overnmentloses control of events and it is the events that ta.e over the control of destiny% The wea.er the "overnment "ets, more arro"ant and a""ressive it

becomes% !s usual, the media will be the first tar"et because it is bein" blamed daily for brin"in" thin"s to this pass%-

The *ews commented in some detail about "overnment-s attitudetowards media durin" the on"oin" crisis% #t is "ood that the president saidthat the "overnment had no intention of imposin" any curbs on the free flowon information, but the actions of the "overnment in recent wee.s su""estotherwiseF @ollowin" this, a body .nown to be affiliated with a political

party that is part of the &indh "overnment, issued a statement identifyin"around a do en ournalists by name and the or"ani ations they wor.ed for sayin" that the notice was bein" issued in the public interest because these

ournalists were enemies- of the people% Two of the ournalists found bulletsin their cars recently and have filed a complaint with the police demandin"that those behind this harassment be arrested and prosecuted%-

!s for the media publici in" a purely udicial and le"al matter, one is

a"ain constrained to remind the "overnment that it is senior statefunctionaries who every now and then spea. on the crisis and have sometimes spo.en of the presidential reference% They have also spo.en on theconduct of the chief ustice, which obviously has some bearin" on thereference that is bein" heard, and have consistently said that the "overnmentis in the ri"ht%-

The affidavit filed by /hief Bustice #fti.har Mohammad /haudhry onMay 29 is damnin" as well since he names several military officers by ran. who tried, accordin" to him, to convince him to resi"n, with the head of

military intelli"ence eventually tellin" him that he had chosen to "o aseparate way and that he was bein" restrained from wor.in" in his post% Thisis only "oin" to add fuel to the proverbial fire and the ;ov 7 76 o/l

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T:3 :0 6 o 037 0 6 4 the first is to be a mirror to whathappens in the society and environment around it and to present a depictionof events that is as close to the truth and reality as possible while the secondis to act as watchdo" and monitor over the actions and policies of variousinstitutions of the state so that the public "ood:interest can be furthered% #t is

because the second aspect that the media can end up havin" a somewhatstrained relationship with the "overnment of the day, especially since thelatter will tend to dictate to it by often usin" the in the national interest-reference% >owever, it does not serve the public or national interest if themedia be"ins to toe the official line because if it does that it loses itsindependence and credibility and becomes another arm of the stateG"overnmentH I which it is not%-

The *ation commented on fla" march of three star "enerals% The

endorsement of ?eneral Musharraf-s policies by the military top brass on@riday was no surprise as these policies have been re"ularly vetted by corpscommanders- conferences% The meetin" specifically noted positivedevelopments in two spheres i%e% socio economic pro"ress and the

promotion of tolerance and moderationF The support should stren"then hishands as he deals with the crucial issues facin" the country with confidence%W:06 3 7 3 0 : 0l37; 6o/ : 06: 6:07 0 63o7 6:06


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@arhatullah abar appreciated the decision of ud"es of &indh >i"h/ourt% The unanimous decision on &aturday by their lordships of the &indh>i"h /ourt not to act as "overnor in the absence of the "overnor and thespea.er in future is most heartenin" and must be welcomed% I6 03 6:

63; o< 6: =/ ; 6o 0 7 : 3;:6 %-

The point to be .ept in mind is that one can either 3 l 6:9 /63v 63 5 o 0 6: =/ 3 30l o@, but not both% The choice of

optin" for the executive authority or the udicial robes rests with a ud"e and ud"e alone% The "overnment cannot force any ud"e to ma.e this choice%-

6efusin" to accept the office of actin" "overnor 3 0l o 07077o/7 76 6:06 6: 37 7 7 o< 6: =/ 3 30 ? 3ll @ / : l I more powerful and loud than any formal verdict% *ot lon" a"o somemembers of the =efence /ommittee of the &enate formally declined to "o tothe ?>C for an official briefin"% hen the standoff was not resolved the

briefin" was cancelled, but a loud political statement had been made and itcould not have been i"nored%-

#f our honourable ud"es also refused the office of actin" "overnor asa matter of principle, they would appear to ma.e a powerful statement of

udicial independence% S/ : 0 606 76 o 37; < o 6: @ 7 : o/l:0 0 :3 v o 6:07 :06 0ll 6: 7o3 07 37 37 6: 6 6 for

the independence of the udiciary can achieve%-

&haf$at Mahmood expressed his views on the affidavit of the /B+submitted before the court% #t was hearsay before but now the chronolo"y of sad events between March 9 and 13 is contained in a sworn statement placed

before the &upreme /ourt of +a.istan by its /hief Bustice% A7 0


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indi"nities% ut, :06 I


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hether they li.e it or not the burden of history has now descended on theshoulders of Mr Bustice ;halilur 6ahman 6amday and his collea"ues%-

This court does not have any "uns or tan.s or fi"hter ets but it has amoral authority that is "reater than all the arsenals put to"ether% #t is possiblethat its decisions may have individual conse$uences for the ud"es and if the?eneral-s threats of extra constitutional measures are to be believed,anythin" could happen% ut, by ta.in" a principled stand, the court will drawa line in the sand differentiatin" the le"al from the unlawful, the moral fromsimply expedient%-

This .ind of situation has emer"ed because the courts have in the pastnot protected democracy or rule of law% *ow the intelli"entsia and civilsociety, indeed the entire nation has risen up to fi"ht for those very

principles that determine the supremacy of law% I6 3 / 6o 6: =/ 3 30 ? 6o =o37 6: ashmi, in ail%-Outside the &upreme /ourtFas the national anthem played inside the

auditorium at the start of the seminar cum political meetin", the fewthousands who sat outside on the avenue witnessed it on the hu"e televisionscreens put up by the or"ani ers% #t was a chillin" scene as the diverse "roupof thousands sprun" to their feet all at once and respectfully, in completesilence and unity, heard the national anthem% T: 7 ;? 0/7 3 6050@l . I6 0 ol363 0l 07 o 363v% >owever, how this availableraw material is utili ed remains unclear%-

B 3 6: l0 ? -l ov 76 6: 0 6:o ol363 0l; o/ 6:06 0 63v l? 6: 06 7 6: 606 % They believe that ta.in" up armsa"ainst the state is a holy war% These "roups are increasin"ly usin"coordinated violence, attac.in" symbols of state power, specially the armyand law enforcement a"encies%-

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hile these 3l36076 ; o/ 0? @ 7/ 3 0ll? 0ll> 36 3 :066: ? 0 0@l 6o o 37 /@l3 6:06 05 6: @3; 37 3 0 6 % #n these dar. times, calls to social morality- and ritualistic piety, invo.in" the holyCuraan and &unnah, will reverberate in the hearts of hundreds of thousandsan"ered by exclusion, deprivation and disrespect within and outra"ed by the.illin" fields of #ra$, !f"hanistan, +alestine and to some extent in #ndia held;ashmir%-

#n +a.istan :0v 76 07 G/7:37; ol363 0l 3o .M066 0 7o o7 0 ol363 0l @o3l% #t seems hi"hly unli.ely that either tin.erin" with the existin" political ali"nments or destroyin" state power,overtly or covertly, will ta.e the country bac. to relatively mana"eable preMarch 9 political situation% hen internal dynamics come alive the ability of the external factor to impact the situation is usually diminished% #n +a.istan-s

case, "iven the connection between ashin"ton and the leadership of +a.istan !rmy, ashin"ton would, to some de"ree, impact the armyleadership-s political decisions% &imilarly, "iven that ashin"ton views the+++ as a moderate party suited to be Musharraf-s partner, the +++ leader-sdecisions on future political ali"nments could also be influenced by the

ashin"ton factor, but to a much lesser extent%-

#n the realm of power and politics, 6: 0 6 o o76 6 6:06 0o7 / 76l? @ 37;


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Today new players are contestin" for ways in which public spaceshould be mana"ed% )nless the state can reclaim public space to enforce thedictates of law for all its citi ens e$ually, internal security cannot return to+a.istan% The answers and response to that lie with movements focusin" onrule of law and a stron"er, more credibly functionin" state, in whichinstitutions play their constitutional roles and the udiciary can ensure rule of law, reinin" in the men and women who wield state and political power%-

hile the militant "roups and the lawyers- movement will continuetheir protests and battles with the establishment, the two institutions that willdetermine if these protests and battles will lead to more mayhem or to somesaner arran"ements, are +a.istan !rmy-s leadership and the udiciary% They

both wield "enuine power% One, now aided by the lawyers- movement,derives it from the /onstitution, the other from the weapons that it carries%

&i"nificantly thou"h, within the domestic political context, undoubtedly thecorollary of increasin" udicial power must be diminishin" the weapons power% +a.istan-s decades old power construct is now showin" si"ns of discontinuity%-

M *a$vi pondered to find a way out% The !merican media andthin. tan.s now find that ?eneral +erve M/ :0 0< ;3 3 lo 37;0/6:o 36?. T:3 3 6 / 7o/;:. B/6 does it mean that Musharraf will not"et himself elected by the out"oin" assemblies when so elected will he notnominate a suitably sympathetic careta.er "overnment and proceed to hold

an election that will "ive him a pliable ma ority without the assistance of anymainstream partiesK /an his constituency Garmy hi"h commandH afford toreplace him, considerin" its institutional interestsK !nd where can!mericans find a better MusharrafK =on-t for"et most elite "roups I feudals,

ban.ers, bi" businessmen, and traditional politicians I are behind thisre"ime and the army-s own share in the total wealth is at least 28 percent%-

*053 607 :0 7 6o @ 7;/l< 37 6 o 0 06 6 o< 3 4The uppermost is the immediate one of the present re"ime that be"an withthe March 9 eventsF This case has polari ed the country% The lawyers en oythe full support of the civil society, intellectuals, a lar"e swathe of the mediaand other professions% The "overnment is also mobili in" its resources andshowin" how popular it is by holdin" officially sponsored rallies%-

!ll Musharraf has to do is to call a roundtable conference and as. for alternative policies without i"norin" the leadin" lawyers who have started averitable revolutionary movement% The 6T/ needs to a"ree on a "enuinely

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independent election commission and impartial careta.er re"ime that willlead to free and fair elections% !lternatively, instead of findin" careta.ers, letthe top few party and .ey lawyers- leaders constitute a national "overnmentwith one point a"enda4 holdin" free and fair elections within a short span of time after assumin" control over undercover a"encies%-

The issue of who the ministers should be in an interim "overnment issure to occasion controversy% hile the rich dowa"er $ueens I the +++ andthe +M( * I cannot be i"nored, some share has to be "iven to the MM!%One radical principle must "uide those who a"ree to an interim arran"ement%The l 0 37; l0 ? :0 :o/l 7o6 @ l 6:07 $& 76 of the"overnment and they should insist on their control over all the undercover a"encies to ensure free elections and a dominant say over a new electioncommission%-

The *ews indirectly ur"ed an end to one man rule% The /hief Busticeof +a.istan, #fti.har Mohammad /haudhry, is ri"ht when he says that o7 -

07 /l 3 6: 0763-6: 3 o< o 0 ?6: C:3 < / 63 0 536 o 76 % They come at a time when it seems to be becomin" crystal

clear that one man rule and dictatorship can have far reachin" ne"ativeconse$uences for a country-s democratic order and state of "overnance%-

>e said that the separation of powers in +a.istan should be done sothat the udiciary could function in a fully independent manner without any

pressure from the executive% Of course, the /hief Bustice was spea.in" withthe army-s role in the country-s national affairs and politics in mind, but ithas to be said that even civilian led political parties have to share some of the blame for the many ills that have befallen +a.istan-s polity I the point

bein" that all .inds of actors on the national sta"e, the 0 ? 07 6:ol363 0l 0 63 > :0v ;o7 0@o/6 37 6: 3 0? 6o 7l0 ; 6: 3 o

07 0/6:o 36? , and often at the expense of other state institutions as well asordinary +a.istanis%-

!n l 6 3 606o 3 63ll < 0@l 6o o7 :o 3 7o7- l 6

and answerable to no one% The problem obviously is that in the latter instance there are no real chec.s and balances on the dictator-s power I notfrom the udiciary or from parliament, or for that matter even the press%-

The other problem with one man rule is that when thin"s be"in to "o bad or when public opinion be"ins to ebb, the lac. of consensual approachto decision ma.in" means that their can be a failure to ud"e the way the tide

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is flowin" I and this only exacerbates the situation% &ome advisers may tryand "ive a dictator some su""estions on how to see the real picture, but theta.in" of all decisions rests ultimately with that one individual% !nd that

brin"s us to the crux of the matter, that :o/l 0 :ol o/76 ? 7607 i"h /ourt who have led where the others must follow%-

This /@l3 3 7o : l :o 60; 6o 0 06 @ 6 7 0 ; 7 0l 070 =/ ; % The ?eneral needs to ma.e a strate"ic retreat% The Bud"e, unless he

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can fully clear himself of whatever char"es, frivolous or otherwise, have been leveled a"ainst him, will forever remain under a cloud%-

=o any of the char"es in the presidential reference a"ainst /hief Bustice #fti.har Mohammad /haudhry hold "oodK #f one, or two, do did the/hief Bustice do wron"K H > 37 :3 90l6 o 363o7> 077o6 @ 0@ olv o76: 9 / 6:06 /l63 l o7; 05 o7 3;:6 % #f others, the hundreds if not thousands, in position of power abuse that power it does not follownormally, in a democracy not ruled by corruption, that it is ri"ht or excusable%-

To end on a li"hter note, home"rown fire brand Tari$ !liFhe cameup with a solution to our problematic state of national affairs4 The ?eneralshould discard his uniform, the Bud"e should fore"o his blac. robes and the6 o 7 :o/l @066l 36 o/6 o7 6: l 6o 0l 6 037 without hindrancefrom the MCM or the numerous apparatuses of the state%-

!rif *i ami observed4 The mood in the federal capital is despondent, borderin" on uncertainty about the future, even amon"st the rulin" partycircles% >owever, there is a silent consensus openly expressed in privateconversations% >owever, < o/l / 6 6: o/ 0; 6o o7v ? 6:@366 0l36? 6o 6: 6o @o without mincin" the words, the conventionalwisdom is4

The +resident cannot .eep the uniform beyond the expiry of twooffices bill in *ovember%

The mood of the ar and the courts is such that it will be a miracle if the /hief Bustice is sent pac.in" and the "overnment case a"ainst himis upheld on all counts%

The proceedin"s of the &upreme Budicial /ouncil, if the case isreferred bac. to it, would stretch over months, bleedin" the"overnment in the process%

ith a virtual election campai"n by the Opposition political parties in pro"ress and lawyers in the forefront, it loo.s increasin"ly difficult for the rulin" party to deliver%

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! deal with Ms ena ir hutto, despite mixed si"nals from her, on"overnment terms loo.s increasin"ly difficult seein" the rulin" partyin disarray she will extract her pound of flesh to stri.e a deal%

&cenarios li.e imposin" Martial (aw or emer"ency to extend the termof the present assemblies for a year will not fly either% *or will "ivin"a fresh oath to the ud"es would stem the lawyers- movement% On thecontrary it will sto.e the fire%-

*otwithstandin" some haw.s and vested interests who are stilladvisin" that the +resident should .eep his uniform% ?et himself electedfrom the present assemblies Geven if virtually the whole Opposition resi"nsH,

07 vo3 o< 6: ;3 0 0 v3 37; 0/63o7%-

They feel that the +rime Minister should rather advise dissolution of the assemblies before their term expires, and 0ll


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probably believes that he is the saviour of the nation who has done a lot of a"ood in the past ei"ht years in sharp contrast to the real or perceivedmisdeeds of civilian rulers%-

#n +a.istan the 3l360 ? is expressin" shoc. and surprise at themanner in which attempts are bein" made to ma.e it controversial and

blamin" the media in the process% The fact of the matter is that it :0 036 l< o76 ov 30l @? 37 3 637; 6o 6/06 36 /l instead of doin" the

ob it is mandated for under the /onstitution%-

The "roundswell of civil society is evident from the consistenta"itation by lawyers in "rowin" numbers, with people from other wal.s of life oinin" in and Opposition parties followin" the lead% This Bl0 5-Co06R vol/63o7 : 7o 7o7 3 0 073< 6063o7 o< 6: 0v37; o< 6: o lo< *053 607 e said that the Musharraf re"ime could see the dandas but did not see the weapons that were usedfreely on the streets of ;arachi%

#n fact, Musharraf-s elder brother, !ltaf >ussain, was the one whoraised the hue and cry over Bamia >afsa and called the mulla brothers withvariety of names% 'ven on May 12, leadership of the MCM could see thefew small arms carried by some wor.ers of political parties but did not seethe bla in" "uns of their own terrorists, who operated under the protection of

police and the 6an"ers% !s far as the weapons on MCM, it was not a case of double vision but total blindness%

The terrorists of MCM were seen on the rampa"e by the entire nation%MCM exposed Gre exposedH its inherent inclination for bloodlettin"%)nfortunately, no one dared pointin" fin"er at the real culprits Musharraf and !ltaf hai% #mran ;han was the sole exception who dared announcin"that he would proceed le"ally a"ainst the criminal hidin" in (ondon%

The reaction to #mran ;han-s announcement further confirmedMCM-s habit of impulsive militancy% The lan"ua"e used in wall chal.in",

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slo"ans and banners reflected the total moral ban.ruptcy of the so called)rdu spea.in" middle class-%

=espite all that the intellectuals and the media hesitated tellin"anythin" to the MCM for the reason too obvious% 'ven !a TD, which hasearned reputation for its truthfulness, advised #mran not to "o to 'n"land% #nits pro"ramme (olta +a.istan- of 2A th May, #mran was told to desist fromwashin" dirty linen outside, totally i"norin" the dhubi-ghat established by!ltaf 'nterprise%

;arachi carna"e was a na.ed crime a"ainst humanity in "eneral anda"ainst +a.istani nation in particular% #f those involved in this criminal actescape punishment, irrespective of their official- status, the nation has to

blame itself and re"ret all times to come%

The "overnment a"encies showed unusual ur"ency in solvin" themystery of H0 0 / % +olice arrested two brothers lin.ed to a "an"of criminals% One of the hardened criminals was wearin" the wrist watchrobbed from the father of the deceased% >e seemed to be too hardened- acriminal because he chose to wear the watch despite the fact that the crimewas so widely hyped in the mediaK

The lead to the weapon used in the crime also came too soon from thecriminals after their arrest% #s it another standard- solution of a crimeK #t istoo early to accept or re ect the +olice version but one thin" is certain that if the recovered wrist watch belon"s to >amad-s father, the police certainly.now the murderer%

Musharraf was $uite an"ry with 30% >e condemned the TDchannels for showin" the dead bodies% @or almost six years since the start of the war a"ainst #slamic orld, Musharraf never felt such need% hy did theshowin" of victims of ;arachi carna"e hurt- him so muchK =id he feel thatevery dead body was pointin" the fin"er towards himK

#n fact, he was in search of an excuse to stran"ulate the media whichhad been reco"ni ed as the stren"th of the movement of lawyers% Musharraf re"ime had been tryin" to drive a wed"e between the two, ri"ht from theearly days of the movement, usin" all sorts of tactics% #t did not succeed, butthe proceedin"s of the &eminar held on 2< th May finally provided him anopportunity to pressure the media%

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!fter holdin" rallies and bloodlettin" in ;arachi, Musharraf led thefla" march of three star "enerals% !ccordin" to the press release of #&+6,0 ? :3;: o 07 fully supports Musharraf re"ime-s policies% Theformal expression of such solidarity is somethin" uni$ue% hy was it neededat this uncture and that too at a forum primarily meant for deliberations on

professional military mattersK

efore answerin" these $uestions, it must be said that no +a.istaniwould ever want the army-s hi"her command not to be fully behind the armychief% This loyalty has to be ta.en for "ranted without its verbal or writtenexpression% #t would be most unfortunate if it happens to be otherwise%

The #&+6 press release conveys more than its text% #t is a declarationthat the hi"her command supports army chief-s indul"ence in politics% yimplication, it means that the army is a party and a force to be rec.oned within the on"oin" tussle% This is an extra constitutional measure carryin" athreat for Musharraf-s political opponents in "eneral and for the bar and

bench in particular% Militari ation of politics has been formali ed%

There are two other conclusions which can be drawn in the context of this movement% @irst, the very fact the hi"her echelons of army had toformally announce unity-, spea.s of existence of differences in some$uarters% These differences must have also been expressed however, in viewof the increasin" criticism of the army by the civil society they preferred to

counter it throu"h display of unity% &econdly, by fallin" bac. on his mainline of defence, Musharraf has indicated that his political base is crumblin"%

hat happened durin" the seminar was nothin" more than the warcries an ancient ritual of the warriors% The war cries incite fi"htin" prowessof own soldiers and create harassin" effect on the opponents% ;urd and hiscompanions did exactly the same on 2< th May% #t had the desired effect onthe adversary as was evident from the proceedin"s of corps commanders-conference%

5th Bune 2007

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ALWAYS AT SERVICE

Musharraf re"ime remained committed to servin" interests of the/rusaders and the proxy crusaders, despite facin" unprecedented crisis onhome front% The )& ac.nowled"ed that +a.istan has been active in repellin"Taliban and al Caeda from its soil%

There was some chan"e in the attitude of ;ar ai% >e denied reportsre"ardin" stalemate in relations between him and Musharraf% ut this chan"ewas accompanied by worsenin" of security environments in +a.istan,

particularly in the province of * @+%

>avin" ruled out military option and havin" cho.ed all sources of support for the freedom fi"hters, the rulers .ept hopin" for ust solution of the ;ashmir dispute% #n third wee. of May, they sou"ht help from the

platform of O#/ and hoped that #ndia would pay heed to the resolution passed by this most ineffective body on the planet%

!t home, the rulers were .ept busy by the lawyers% They havetemporarily for"otten about numerous problems which remain unresolved,

particularly the volatile situation in tribal areas and aluchistan%

SERVIN! CRUSADERS

+a.istan continued


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lasts dama"ed 1A music shops in Mardan and /harsada on 10 th May%+a.istan !rmy completed fencin" of 20 .ilometer of border near (owara Mandi% The foota"e shown on TD was nothin" more than anapolo"y to fencin"%

&even !f"han soldiers were .illed and five wounded in border clashnear +arachinar on 13 th May three +a.istani soldiers were alsowounded% More than 70 protesters of T*&M were arrested in policecrac.down in &wat and =ir%

On 15 th May, two )& officials and a +a.istani soldier were .illed andtwo !mericans and three +a.istani officials wounded when "unmenopened fire at them soon after a fla" meetin" at Teri Man"al near +arachinar% /urfew was imposed in Tan. after .illin" of two persons%

Three persons were in ured in bomb blast in /haman% ! suicide bomber .illed 28 and wounded 2A in a restaurant in

+eshawar on 18 th May% The restaurant was mana"ed by an ) be. whohad been spyin" for the )& and from where two !f"hans related toMulla =adullah were apprehended in the recent past%

&ix more people were .illed in violence in Tan. on 1< th May% Three!f"han refu"ees were .illed in clash over closure of refu"ee campsnear Cilla !bdullah% Tension mounted as troops on either side movedcloser to the border in Teri Man"al area% Thousands protested in frontof +a.istan 'mbassy in ;abul over .illin"s by +a. !rmy% *!TOas.ed +a.istan to investi"ate the incident of shootin"% *inety T*&Mactivists were released%

On 17 th May, !rmy was called out in Tan. after six people were .illedand 17 wounded% @our !f"han soldiers were .illed and two woundedin border s.irmish near +arachinar three @/ personnel were alsowounded in the encounter% * @+ cabinet blamed the centre for

terrorist attac.s and demanded reversion of @/ platoons% Maulvi @a$ir was pardoned after an accord in which he renounced terrorism and pled"ed loyalty to the "overnment%

Militants .illed )& spy in *orth a iristan on 1A th May% 'i"ht"overnment employees were abducted in Miranshah area% *ext day,militant-s commander, Cari &arfra was arrested near (a..i Marwat%

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Temporary ceasefire held on until 20 th May as ir"a pondered for asolution of border dispute%

On 21 st May, ten oil tan.ers carryin" oil supplies for )& led forceswere destroyed by "unmen near Tor.ham on 21 st May A !f"hanswere arrested% Music shop was bombed in &herpao villa"e%

!rmy troops, supported by armed helicopters, launched an operationon a trainin" camp- in *orth a iristan on 22 nd May four militantswere .illed and two wounded% *ext say, ei"ht "overnment employeeswere freed in *orth a iristan%

&everal roc.ets were fired at @/ @ort in Tan. on 25 th May% The ir"asettled the issue by orderin" that the disputed border post near

+arachinar would remain unoccupied% 18 member peace andcoordination committee resi"ned to protest !rmy operation carried outon 22 nd May without their consent%

Two soldiers were .illed and seven wounded in roadside bombin"near Tan. on 2< th May% *ext day, one person was .illed and twowounded in two blasts in Cuetta% Two explosions occurred in Tan.%&hau.at ! i said Osama is not in +a.istan%

On 2Ath May, four security personnel and four militants were .illed in

attac.s and shootouts in Tan. and annu% )& "unship helicopters violated +a. airspace in *orth a iristan on

30 th May% *ext day, 13 people were .illed and two wounded whenarmed men attac.ed the residence of +! ;hyber !"ency near Tan.%

! ournalist was amon" five persons .illed in roadside bombin" in;har on 2 nd Bune% Two !rabs lin.ed to al Caeda were released after four years%

The /rusaders maintained / o7 *053 607 to ensure that their interests were served as hither to fore% *!TO ?eneral &ecretary arrived in#slamabad on 7 th May for tal.s on cooperation- with +a.istan% >e met+resident, +rime Minister and commended increase in number of troops by+a.istan alon" !f"han border%

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Trilateral meetin" on patrollin" of +a. !f"han border was held inCuetta on 9 th May% *ext day, /ohen and ;asuri discussed counter terrorismefforts% !mbassadors on *!TO countries based in ;abul and #slamabad heldmeetin" in #slamabad on 11 th May to sort out the differences- between+a.istan and !f"hanistan%

The ?overnor * @+ and ritish 'nvoy discussed situation in @!T!%') envoys were briefed on 12 th May on +a. !f"han border situation% Twodays later, +a.istan and ); si"ned extradition treaty%

)0@/l ;3 showed interest in +a. !f"han +eace Bir"a% On 3 rd

May, +a. !f"han commission for peace ir"a held a meetin" in ;abul%Taliban re ected +a. !f"han peace ir"a% *ext day, +a.istan and !f"hanistana"reed to hold first meetin" of Boint +eace Bir"a in first wee. of !u"ust inwhich 700 tribal elders, politicians and other influential people would

participate%

The )& welcomed +a. !f"han ir"a% On 31 st May, ;asuri and &pantaa"reed to increase cooperation% *ext day, +a. !f"han Bir"a body held tal.sin #slamabad and both sides pled"ed to do their best to curb terrorism% *oTaliban would be invited to next round at ;abul%

On 2 nd Bune, +a. !f"han ir"a constituted a technical body to finali earran"ements for ?rand Bir"a scheduled to be held in ;abul% Three dayslater, &hau.at ! i visited ;abul, met ;ar ai and said #slamabad and ;abulneeded no umpire to settle disputes% On 7 th Bune, @!T! !lliance re ected+a. !f"han ir"a%

The issue of repatriation of A


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benefactors in ashin"ton and russels also understand #slamabad-s position%-

hat has happened is that ;abul I at least in #slamabad-s assessment I has been seen to be "ivin" considerable leeway and favours to *ew =elhi by allowin" it to set up several consulates and permittin" "roups opposed to+a.istan sanctuary inside its territory% !t the same time, #slamabad must be

prepared to "ive a patient hearin" to ;abul-s alle"ations that Taliban forcesuse +a.istani territory to re"roup and launch attac.s inside !f"hanistan% I< 6:3 7 0 07; 76 :ol > 06 l 0 6 6: 0 37; 3ll 7o6 @ 37 /@l3 ,which often draws in nationalist sentiment and creates an environmentconducive for bilateral relations to worsen%-

6ahimullah Eusuf ai observed4 The fact that T/ 5 ? 3 the lone#slamic country that is member of *!TO and has diplomatic and defenceties with #srael ma.es it < 6l? 0 60@l 6o 6: US 07 36 6 70ll3 to mediate between !f"hanistan and +a.istan, the two countries whichwould determine the success or failure of !merica-s war on terror%-

T/ 5 ? 0l o :0 36 o 7 376 6 37 A


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!fter the border clashes, The *ews wrote, at the moment, it seemsthat all the parties concerned are .eener on blamin" each other rather thanfindin" a solutionF >owever unfortunate these events, +a.istani troopscannot let intruders come frolic.in" into their territory% &uch instances willcontinue to happen if )0@/l 3 7o6 3ll37; 6o 0 6 6037 ; o/7

0l363 07 6 6: @o % @irst, it needs to reali e that it cannotsolve thin"s unilaterally and that it will need t

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