Impeaching a Commando

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If past performance of the players in the game is any indicator of the things to come, the Pakistani nation better tighten up their seat belts; for the umpteenth time that is.

By Anwaar Hussain

mush-d.jpg There is no disputing the fact that the Commando in the President House, General (Retired) Musharraf, is the most out of favor man in the country right now. That is why an overwhelming majority of the peoples’ elected representatives has resolved it is time for him to go.

The love story between the Commando and his own self may be an old one but it burst forth on the national calendar on October 12, 1999, when he overthrew Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s democratically-elected government and abrogated the constitution with a real royal disdain. In this love story between the man and his ego since then, Pakistan was made hostage to his whims and wishes with the overt and covert support of toady generals and a set of most devious politicians of Pakistan.

One can say from experience of personal interaction with the man that he does come across as a forthright, competent and well meaning person. But one is at a loss to explain how come such a person has brought himself to such a sorry turn of events. Today he stands upon the gate of the inglorious hall of shame knocking feverishly to be allowed to enter to quickly earn the dubious distinction of being the first president in Pakistan’s 61 year history to be impeached by the country’s parliament. So awful is the mess that he has created for himself that even if the move doesn’t succeed, the commando will still be the first Pakistani president considered bad enough to be publicly charge-sheeted by a large number of popularly-elected lawmakers. The only reason that comes to mind for his not letting go is his obstinate ego.

How has this man who at one time inspired millions of politicians-sick Pakistanis with his refreshingly straightforward style come to such a foul pass? Let us have a look at some of his shenanigans.

From the word go, our commando rubbed elbows with the most tainted of politicians to provide a civilian façade to his ambition of perpetual rule. Towards that end, he held a fraudulent referendum, addressed political rallies in full uniform sporting garlands on his neck, allowed horse-trading and floor crossing, connived schemes like non-party local government elections to keep major political parties out of the power equation and even when he reluctantly agreed to hold elections for assemblies, tasked the intelligence agencies to contrive victory for king’s parties such as the PML-Q.

He then embarked upon taming the judiciary. He fired the unbending Chief Justice of Supreme Court, had him manhandled by ordinary cops and sacked dozens of other independent minded judges. He went on to gag the national media for reporting to the public that at one time after 3rd November, 2007, close to 3500 lawyers languished in prisons, thousands had been beaten and wounded with 1600 of these protesting lawyers treated for injuries and broken bones in Lahore alone. The shameful treatment meted out to the Chief Justice and the protestors was a first even for Pakistan, a country much hardened to callous acts of their rulers of the yore. So brazen were his acts that by and by almost every Pakistani, scribe included, came to realize that the cry of ‘Pakistan first’ was just an attractive mask for his lust for power.

Even his on again off again war on terror was so riddled with fiascos that the end result is most alarming to say the least. Under his watch the Taliban are knocking at the gates. While the Commando was busy playing Russian Roulette with Pakistan, main cities of the Frontier province stand encircled by these long haired, unwashed, medieval God-men. Already in towns and villages across FATA, and in some settled cities as well, men have been ordered to grow fistful length beards. Singing, dancing and listening to music has been banned. Video shops and barber shops have been bombed. In Swat district alone, close to 140 girls’ schools have been burnt. Watching films and painting pictures has been forbidden. Women have been forced into veils and disallowed to visit male doctors even if they are dying. So much for the ‘war on terror’.

Many opportunities came across the commando’s way to go with grace and honour. Now it is too late. From his reported chicaneries, it is quite clear that the little voice in his head is continuing to tell him to go the whole hog. It is said that he is preparing to fight it out till the bitter end, Pakistan be damned.

Reason says that rather than digging his heels in for a fight and banking on the military to bail him out, he should read the writing on the wall and quit immediately with whatever honour he has left. If it was indeed ‘Pakistan first’ as he always proclaimed then he should realize that in this game that he is gritted his teeth to play till the last, the only loser will be the country that he so professed to love. It will do him well to remember that when push comes to shove in this sordid game, his opponents are known to be past masters in the fine art of hitting way below the belt.

It would be naïve to assume that the authors of this feverish drama i.e. the Zardaris, Sharifs, Chaudries and Commandos et al, driven by individual agendas as they are, are educated enough to know the hazards of their actions in the sport they are playing. If past performance of the players in the game is any indicator of the things to come, the Pakistani nation better tighten up their seat belts; for the umpteenth time that is.

It is but plain to see that political pygmies, wittingly or otherwise, have gone into overdrive in preparing a grand catastrophe for Pakistan. This current hyperventilation, poorly defined, conducted with malice and having seeds within it of great peril for Pakistani society, could sire terrible ambiguities for this unfortunate country. The time may not be far when its reckless innovators themselves are dragged in the streets of Pakistan by the hapless citizens of our bizzaro land.

WordWeb online dictionary defines ‘commando’ as a member of a military unit trained as shock troops for hit-and-run raids. In trying to impeach a commando, the Zardari-Nawaz combo better find out who exactly our commando is planning to hit and where he intends to run to?

Pakistan is standing by.

Copyrights: Anwaar Hussain



Comments

19 Responses to “Impeaching a Commando”

  1. Tanzeel on August 9th, 2008 6:28 pm

    Quite a dramatic article and an attempt to malign President throughout The question is “Who is Impeaching Musharraf” , we need to draw a line between Musharraf and the ones who have decided to send him off.

    He has been in office for eight years and indeed he has made some mistakes like everyone, but at least he’s not a crook. He has no foreign bank accounts, no properties abroad, unlike the leaders who are gunning for him. In the 1990s, both Zardari and Sharif faced corruption charges in Pakistan. Zardari served nearly eight years in prison on charges that included paying for a country manor in Britain with illegal gains from Pakistan. Upon Zardari’s return to Pakistan this year after the assassination of his wife, Benazir Bhutto, the corruption charges were dropped as part of an amnesty deal with the Musharraf government.

    It’s also heard that Zardari going to be the next President now what is the choice? It is between President Musharraf and President Zardari. That is the question for 160 million people of Pakistan.

    Frankly speaking this is just an attempt to break ice and to divert attention of People of Pakistan and lawyers. If they sincere coalition had reinstated judges rest of the job they would have done smoothly but they decided to impeach President Why? Because Nawaz Sharif’s top agenda is to get rid of Musharraf because of his personal animosity and Zardari need to remain under NRO for rest of his life.

    In short impeachment is based on insincere spirit and whatever Musharraf does in return would be his constitutional right.

    It’s not like all 160 Million Pakistanis want Musharraf to go still he has support with opposition political parties and Business men. It is also note worthy that there are no corruption charges against him.

    I am afraid how conveniently you have ignored his steps for the betterment of economy, FDI, introduction of democracy on grassroots level, saving grace of A.Q Khan and managing the nation during the worse natural disasters.

    Now I seriously wish President should not have shown mercy to Nawaz and should have dangled him in hijacking case in 1999 when the nation welcomed Musharraf and the Justice Iftekhar was endorsing all legal and illegal acts of ‘The Commando’ until he lost his seat.

    In response to the word EGO you frequently used for the President let me ask you a question. Why the coalition following the same policies of commando but do not want to see him as a President. I believe it’s the other way around. Ego clash is from the coalition (Nawaz Sharif) side otherwise they would not have been following the same policies of President. It has more to do with Personality clash from coalition’s side.

  2. Will Strong on August 9th, 2008 8:01 pm

    Looks like Americans can take a lesson in democracy from Pakistanis from this stand to impeach its dictator just as we here in the U.S. should have long ago done to the Busheviks.

  3. AbdulWahid Osman Belal on August 10th, 2008 6:33 am

    In my humble opinion, the reason behind impeachment seems to be Musharraf’s qadiani links and that of his associates and confidants around who surround him.

    Abdul Wahid Osman Belal

  4. Anwaar on August 10th, 2008 8:08 am

    Tanzeel,

    Thank you for commenting.

    I disagree with due respect.

    You have been a regular reader of TS and know of my opinion on the quality of civilian leadership of Pakistan. But, the answer to bad democracy is more democracy and not a military take over. Pakistan has remained for much of its independent life under military rule and look where we have ended up.

    However well meaning a military General may be as a person, or competent as a professional, he simply has no right or reason to be ruling a country; period. It is as simple as that.

    I hope I have made myself clear.

    Anwaar

  5. Khaled on August 10th, 2008 5:21 pm

    Hi Anwaar

    Interesting article and no doubt the answer to bad democracy is more democracy, but then; do we want to allow likes of Zardari to be the next President of Pakistan? Just imagine what would the stat of affairs be thereafter!

    Just look at what’s happening in the country. Wouldn’t it be naive to consider Musharraf solely responsible for all this?

    Do you really believe that ANY of our current politicians, have what it takes to be a national leader?

    Have a read of the attachment which is yet another perspective.

    Cheers

    KBN

  6. Anwaar on August 10th, 2008 5:21 pm

    Dear Khalid,

    Thank you for commenting. Long time.

    My apologies if I cannot see your viewpoint. For me, being a through and through military man as you know I have been, the matter is extremely simple.

    In the academies and in the units the military is trained in the art of war and not in the art of governing the country. My question is, which war, including the one going on against the fundos in FATA, have we won for this nation that we can stake a claim to govern it too? Moreover, even if we do win a war, winning armies do not go back to take over their own countries. And if we cannot deliver on something that we have been trained for, how can we deliver in a field we have not been trained in.

    Fully 60% of our country’s life time the military has been ruling and only 40% the civilians. Even in the 40% of the time, the military is pervasively lurking in the background. The military has always ensured to drain the very ponds that spawn upright and delivering civilian leadership. By which rule of the book then can the civilians engender a solid leadership in the short spans of rules they get with the military breathing down their necks who can then govern the country in a world class style for 100% of the time. A non-starter really.

    And yes, the answer to bad democracy is more democracy and not a military take over.

    Please tell me if I am way off the mark.

    Anwaar

    PS : I hope you have been reading me regularly. If not please do read ‘My Country Tis of Shams’ and ‘Pakistan a Saga of Misrule’. In the later one I have given the only possible solution that comes to my mind.

  7. Khaled on August 10th, 2008 5:22 pm

    I absolutely understand and agree with your point of view and only wish that we somehow get a sincere leadership who are not self centric.

    Being so far away, when I read the online Pakistani news papers and see the prevalent situation, it makes one worry and resent the fact that likes of Zardari are getting at the helm of affairs in our country which then compels me to take a short term view.

    This then also makes me to conclude that in order to help democracy grow and let it mature in Pakistan, perhaps a 03 year term for the government may be something that should seriously be considered and enforced.

    Regards

    KBN

  8. Shahid Nisar on August 10th, 2008 11:11 pm

    Would this impeachment process have taken place if the media was not free? Would ZA Bhutto been hanged if media was free at that time? I am sure you know the answer.

    It was Musharraf who is responsible for a free media. While I agree that he has made many blunders, none of them are as serious as what the civilian politicians have done during that their time. Just try finding out what Rehman Malik charges for an arms license. Also try finding out what AZ has told different organizations to deposit every month!

    Anwaar, I agree with you that more democracy is the answer to bad democracy. But for how long can we wait? I remember interacting with a politician back in 2005, when you know where I was, and his remark that “good we have have more in our foreign reserves becoz when we come we will have a lot of money”….. and I don’t want to quote any names, I was flabbergasted! At least there is no charge of personal corruption against Musharraf. I still sincerely feel he was the best thing that happened to Pakistan, …. as long as he is not in the hands of sycophants!

    SNK

  9. Shelley on August 11th, 2008 5:43 am

    I enjoyed reading ‘Impeaching a Commando’. It is important to look that the reality of present and past history. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Can the machine that is the military in Pakistan co-exist with a civil authority? Will it end up like an immovable object being in the same universe as the irresistible force? Time will tell. Winston Churchill was a war correspondent in the Boer War 1899-1903. Small bands of Boer combatants would make raids behind the British lines with great success in spite of numerical disadvantages and technological inferiority. Churchill himself was captured and held for a time as prisoner by the Commandos. As Prime Minister during WW2 he named his special forces commandos in hopes of doing to the Germans what the Boer did to the British. There is hope that the few with power do not always prevail against the many.

  10. Anwaar on August 11th, 2008 7:38 am

    Sir,

    My response is the same. The answer to bad democracy does not lie in military take overs. If it were so, Pentagon would have taken over long back from the most disastrous civilian administration in US history. Nay, the American military is still in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting the same civilian’s equally disastrous wars, and paying with their blood for it, while at home the common American groans under their muddled reign.

    Let me go to the extent that if we as a citizenry are not capable of ruling ourselves then we have no right to be called a nation. We have to evolve a civilian leadership and let them run this country, the personal qualities of a single general not withstanding. Let the electorate burnish these leaders by repeatedly electing and rejecting them till a new breed of leaders is thrown up. If Pakistan cannot withstand the process, as you imply, then perhaps we have no right to continue as a nation state. Woe be to a country that needs running by Lieutenant Colonels from military’s infantry divisions.

    Finally, why is the man so adamant to be where he is? Can someone please throw some light at it? Does he really think that he is the ultimate indispensable leader there ever was for Pakistan? Like I once wrote, “……his absence from power could never break all the bonds which attach him to Pakistan if he truly loved his country. Posterity still speaks of those who, like him supposedly, have embossed great movements upon the human soul. Why contrive a continued stay in power through overt and covert manipulations and, by default, draw upon himself the scorn of a majority of his countrymen who now see him as an oppressive autocrat?”

    Warm regards,

    Anwaar

  11. Iqbal on August 11th, 2008 11:49 am

    Dear sir,

    I couldn’t agree more with you. Musharraf started off on the right note but as the saying goes, “Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely”. The Pakistani people are going to pay for encouraging a dictator. There is no such thing as a benevolent dictator. One of my respected fellow reader had commented that Musharraf does not have a Swiss bank account. How do we know that? For all we know, he has pillaged just as much as the others. Even the Americans have noted that more than half of 5 billion dollars are still unaccounted. Where did that money go? Musharraf is no angel. If he really has the good of Pakistan in mind, he would have resigned a long time ago - not accumulated power.

  12. Michelle on August 11th, 2008 2:32 pm

    Anwaar: I agree that the ego played an important part in Musharraf’s downfall. Would his book ever have become so popular without his ‘celebrity status’?

    The problem I have with listening to your readers comments is that they appear to come from an isolated part of society that is out of touch with the working class.

    It has been stated here that:

    “It is also note worthy that there are no corruption charges against him is also note worthy that there are no corruption charges against him.”

    Forgive me if I’m wrong here, but do you people ever pay attention to what Pakistan’s Labour Party is shouting? What about the $23.8 billion corruption from privatization under Musharraf? Does anyone here seriously think that Musharraf and/or his family members haven’t benefited from selling off Pakistan piece by piece? Or that he was kept in power by wealthy capitalists that bought up industries and financial institutions at low prices?

    1550 billions Rupees (US$23.84 billion) worth of corruption in Privatization process during 8 years of Musharraf dictatorship has proved to be economic disaster for your country!

    Privatization was justified as “pro worker and pro-people”. The process has been anti-worker and anti-people as the experience has shown in Pakistan and internationally. The result has been that it has promoted unemployment, price hikes, monopolization, low quality, inefficiency and huge profits for the rich. The Musharaf-Shaukat regime earned 2.5 billion Dollars during 2006-2007. The target for the next year was around 3.5 billion Dollars. If the chief justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan had not stopped the privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills Karachi in 2006, the former regime would have sold most of the public institutions at throwaway prices.

    According to the spokesperson for the Pakistan Labour Party Farooq Tariq , here are the facts:

    “According to the Privatization Ordinance 2000, the purpose of privatization is Pakistan poverty alleviation and repayments of foreign debts. During 15 years of privatization in Pakistan, these two purposes have not been accomplished. When privatization started in 1991, the foreign debt was 23.323 billion Dollars. Now, in 2008, it has gone up to 45 billion Dollars. While internal debts are on ever increase. Poverty has increased according to all the surveys by government and independent organizations. It is estimated that over 45 percent of Pakistan population lives under poverty line. The national growth of economy during the previous decade (1981-1991) has been on average 6.7 percent. However, during the decade of privatization (1991-2001), it has been reduced to 4.4 percent.”

    “The direct negative impact of privatization has been seen on working class. 600.000 workers has lost their jobs during the 15 years of privatization from the institutions that has been privatized. Most of privatized factories work on contract system. There are no permanent jobs in these factories. Labour patron have been changed the privatization has pushed flood of informal sector. A severe exploitation of workers - particularly women workers - is taking place in informal sector. No labour laws have been imposed in informal sector. According to the report of Public Inquiry Committee of National parliament 2002, there is no clue of 80 billion Rupees earned by Privatization Commission.”

    “The privatization process help create cartels.
    5 large cartels has been established during the last 10 years which has looted the masses on unprecedented level. They are:
    Oil cartel based on 10 oil companies,
    Brokerage cartel based on 4 groups,
    Auto mobile cartel based on 3 companies,
    Sugar cartel based on 24 companies,
    Cement cartel based on 10 companies.”

    “The creation and effective functioning of these cartel has resulted an unprecedented price hike and an incredible profits of the companies associated with these cartel. The privatization process in Pakistan has weakened the trade union movement as well. The membership is on ever decline. The membership of the registered trade unions was 870000 in the early eighties, now in 2007, it has declined to 296250.”

    “Privatization is a political weapon in the hands of the capitalists. It is not just an economic attack but a political attack as well. It stop the growth of social, political and class based consciousness. It reduces the social capital and increase the private capital. Instead of social need, it creates and increase the private greed.”

    “The World Bank, Transparency International and other international institution talks of state corruption but never speak about the corruption involved in privatization process. The stories of corruption during the privatization process are in abundance in every country. But are ignored for political reasons. We are happy to hear the stories of re-nationalization of privatization companies in several Latin American countries. That is the only answer to be followed by all countries.”

    “Privatization in Pakistan must stop otherwise the PPP government will also see the same results of price hike, unemployment and monopolization of economy in Pakistan thus loosing its remaining social basis among the working class of Pakistan. The Anti Privatization Alliance will do its best to stop the path of privatization by launching the movement and exposing the corruption and other irregularities in the process.”

    Wake up people and start paying attention to the effects of bad governance and policy on the masses in Pakistan. They are your people too. The facts above highlight not just greed but MORAL Corruption and those who display such characteristics are not fit to serve the people!….Michelle

  13. A. Malik on August 12th, 2008 12:50 pm

    Dear Anwaar,

    Its the pot calling the kettle black. Poor Pakistanis will have to endure more misgovernment and continuing economic hardships.

    Regards

    A. Malik

  14. Arshad on August 12th, 2008 12:50 pm

    A commando, that never saw any action against enemy,without firing a single shot in the Indo-Pak Wars of 1965 & 1971 as well during Kargil military debacle in 1999.

    His career since PMA as cadet till Chief of the Army is shady and dark !

    He was neither a soldier nor a general !

    A symbol of agony, pain and hatred for the Pakistani nation and the country.

  15. Pervaiz on August 14th, 2008 12:01 pm

    Dear Anwaar,

    I agree with you. During hard times, a leader is used as an escape goat, and hence the commando ought to be impeached. Also, he should be impeached as he ruled as a dictator. He ought to have misruled as a democratically elected leader as is happening these days. It is a sin to be different; he should be impeached on that count alone. For despite being all powerful, he did not whisk away $ 1.5 billion, nor enriched his kitty in the name of debt reimbursement. He ruled for eight long years to provide an excuse to his successers’ misdeeds and conveniently debit it to the ‘previous government’. Indeed he should be held responsible for the misdeeds of this nation as a whole;why else do we have him as a leader. Yes, he ought to be impeached as this is the verdict of the masses and its leaders; forget the thinking people amongst the masses. Surely, he should be impeached for referring the Chief Justice’s case to the Supreme Council of Justice instead of closing his eyes. Further, he sided with the United States and other Western countries and not with zealots in the ‘war on terror’ after the 9/11, disallowing the self destructing energies go hay wire. It is a crime to be less dirty in a smelly game of politics.

    Yes, you are right when you say that the answer to bad democracy does not lie in military take overs. But sir it does not lie else where either.The democracy, this side of Suez, means misrule by the elite, for the elite.

    The commando needs to be impeached. Although less illustrious, yet he will be in the company of some great people. History tells us that Socrates was made to drink the hemlock of poison by a jury of 1500 judges, Aristotle banished, Hypatia of Alexandria lynched in the streets of Cairo,Mansoor Hallaj put to death, Bruno torched, and scores of others lost in the black hole of history.

    Regards,

    Pervaiz

  16. Shahid N on August 15th, 2008 1:01 am

    Since both the judge and the jury during the impeachment process would be the parliament, I guess Musharraf should not expect any justice from them. Regardless of how much I like him as a forthright, courageous leader, if I were him and if I saw through the sycophants surrounding me, I would, as President Musharraf, do the following:

    - I would accept that I should have resigned after the elections
    - I would accept that I have made mistakes, but at that time I considered those decisions to be in the best interest of the country
    - I would accept the mistake of sacking the judiciary and imposing emergency on Nov 3; I would accept that my biggest mistake was the introduction of NRO.
    - However, as having learnt through my mistakes, I feel I should resign since I have lost the trust of the nation. To partially correct the mistakes that I have made and something that I can redress, I immediately restore the judiciary (say effective 16 Aug) and submit my resignation from the office of the President (wef 17 Aug, a day after the judiciary is restored).

    Anwaar, won’t this be the best parting gift to both Zardari and Nawaz Sharif? There will be a constant sword hanging on their heads for as long as they are in power since the restored CJP had earlier held the NRO in abeyance!

  17. Anwaar on August 15th, 2008 6:46 am

    That would be perfect sir.

    But whatever else happens after Mushy has gone, one thing is sure. The two Coala Bros i.e the ZarNawaz, are going for each others’ throats with a speed that will astound us all. Mark my words.

  18. Shahid Salim on August 15th, 2008 10:24 pm

    Dear Sir,
    As it is taught during FIS Practice makes a man permanent but right supervision makes it perfect Likewise, answer to bad democracy is not more democracy but right democracy. With all due respect to the constitution of this country, i disagree with the criterion of candidature to the house. The criterion laid down in the constitution can be explicit but does not meet the requirements of true representation. As long as true representation of people does not take place it will always remain a bad democracy. I blame Gen Musharaff for two things one he had a chance to set the constitution right, which he did to some extent but the opportunist around him left loop holes. Second is the so called NRO. Despite all the rheotorics of democracy by the world first democracy, well infact it would be right to say democratic dictatorship, i still feel that till the time political rogues are ousted military should keep driving the nation. At least one thing will be there that they will never attempt to break the country. They will think as pakistanis not as pakhtoons, punjabis, sindhis, balochis, muhajirs, etc.
    ciao

  19. Tanzeel on August 17th, 2008 4:17 am

    Here is the beauty of democracy.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEO0QXdqsTM

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYRTGodCME8

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpz5fboIFZw

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Anwaar’s articles appear simultaneously here at Truth Spring and at Soul Vibes in The Pakistan Tribune.


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