Emergency: Martial Law in Disguise

It took me some time to write this blog. There are two main reasons for that. Initially, I was in disbelief about the manner in which the ‘emergency’ was implemented. Yes, like every other Pakistani I did expect an emergency at some point in time. But, the manner in which the judiciary and media were murdered was devastating. Secondly, after realizing that the ugliest crime had been committed by our ruler, I was left with so much to say that it was not enough to just write an article. Therefore, this blog will always remain incomplete in my eyes.

As the title suggests, I do not believe that Pakistan is facing an emergency at the moment. It is clearly a martial law which has been given the name of ‘emergency.’ It is shameful to know that a leader has brought in a martial law against himself. He is the first leader in Pakistan to get a martial law twice in one country. Not only that; in broad daylight our President murdered the judiciary which had finally become independent after 60 years. Then to add on, our people were deprived of information by a complete blackout of media channels all over Pakistan. There is hardly anything left after what Musharraf has done. Uptil a few days back I used to address him as our President, no matter how controversial his title was. Now, he does not deserve this half-hearted respect even.

Straight away, I want to express my support and respect for the eight ‘removed’ judges of the Supreme Court who passed a verdict immediately; declaring the emergency invalid. In addition, they left with stature when they headed back to their residencies like an everyday procedure of the judges. But, on the other hand Musharraf had ofcourse reached a point of no return. He was so blinded in the lust for power that he did not realize that he was helping himself in his demise as a ruler. The ‘emergency’ was indeed a martial law once the constitution was suspended during the course of action. Musharraf used our respectable armed forces to carry out a crime against our nation. He proved that he is a self-centered leader who is only interested in saving his own power. For that he is ready to compromise on anything; even the existence of Pakistan. Yes. I say 'existence' and am forced to use these harsh words. The reason is that, he has completely damaged our sovereignty by acting only on Americans’ consent.

In his speech later during the day, he caused more damage to our country by carrying out various acts of shamelessness. In the speech first, he mentioned that he was tired of the ‘taunts’ he was receiving from various quarters for being so tolerant. Yes, ‘Mr. President' you are a tolerant leader indeed when you tear apart the law of Pakistan for the sake of sitting in your presidency for a few more moments. You are indeed tolerant ‘Mr. President,' when you terminate the basic human rights of a citizen. To further the cause, he made a fool of himself by stating that his case on dual offices kept on lingering and it only created a lot of uncertainty. Therefore, no more patience was possible.

Musharraf, our nation has waited for 60 years for the independence of judiciary. I can say with complete conviction that they could have waited a few more days. But, the whole nation knows that you were not impatient but were arrogant. Your agenda in October 1999 takeover may have been sincere at that point in time. But, during the course of these years your mind wandered to the tunnel of illusions. You started off as a hopeful leader like many before. But, towards the end you became the worst of them. First, you gave up all the cases by the drama of 'national reconciliation ordinance' in which every politician became innocent. At least before, they were innocent till proven guilty. Over time, you may have not dismembered our country but you have done your level best in making it possible.

To further say, Musharraf then said with confidence that he had consulted the international community before he took the drastic measures.

Musharraf, according to your own views our nation was sovereign and no compromise was to be done on this issue. And, you said your strength derived from the people of Pakistan. Then why did you draw your strength from the international community? Our nation was built by our founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who was a true Pakistani. Then why did you consult the international community which has no right on any of the internal affairs of our country?

As if this was not enough to humiliate and sink the hearts of millions of Pakistani, you went even further. You quoted the ‘Great’ Abraham Lincoln of United States of America. Musharraf, you felt that Allama Iqbal and countless other leaders of our country were not worthy enough for their mention in your speech. But do not forget, you once mentioned them immediately after you banned the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar- e-Jhangvi. At that time you were pure leader from the land of the pure; Pakistan. The nation backed you at that point in time and understood your decision. But in your speech, you requested the West for some time so that we can lose whatever little of dignity which was left in our nation. After all at least you realized that 60 years of belief in Pakistan would take some time to diminish amongst the people of Pakistan.

Then the most shameful speech of our history ended with our national anthem being shown on our television screens, and the anthem being sounded at the radio. The flag, which was distinguished with its colors and symbols of faith, unity, and discipline, looked meaningless and torn apart. That moment I, as a Pakistani, was disgraced with humiliation and insult. Our nation was given the most unconvincing reasons for taking away our basic civil liberties.

But, this was not enough. It was now the turn of most of the political parties of Pakistan to fail us. Especially the Pakistan Peoples Party, which is the largest political party in Pakistan amongst the voters; who are also just 30 percent of our country. The party illustrated that they also had a lustful dictator who runs their party; Ms. Benazir Bhutto. This act of murder by Musharraf, required the PPP to come out immediately on the streets and condemn the unjust removal of our judges. But, she only looked towards her own personal interest. Even today, she deceives our nation and the opposition parties by playing on both sides of the table. Her party has only one person, which deserves utmost respect for his bravery and courageous display against Musharraf. And that is Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, who proved that he was loyal to his profession rather than his affiliations. He is indeed one leader, who has some sort of real popularity amongst the civil society of the country. But, till today Benazir has not issued a single strong statement in Aitzaz's unjust confinement.

She keeps her party united on weak strings and only looks towards the corridors of power at this crucial juncture. She plays a role of a politician who her respectable father, if alive today, would have opposed till his last breath. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto stood against the intervention of the unjust intervention of the Army in politics. People say, he made a few unwise decisions towards the end of his tenurem which cost him his life. However to my view, one of his unwise decisions was to nominate his selfish daughter to take forward his dynasty. He was not aware of the fact that she would just turn out to be an agent of furthering the American cause. It is a cause which believes in dividing the country of Pakistan. In addition, they plan to create instability in the country which will lead to an imminent action to disarm our nuclear capability. Already, the U.S. senate has discussed the possible ‘emergency plan' to do so.

It is high time that our nation stands up. Yes, we miss the real leaders who will lead our nation. The leaders who are ready to take the bullet of sacrifice for the people of Pakistan. Imran Khan, may be some sort of hope for our country. But, unfortunately he has not been able to be the charismatic and vibrant leader of the people who will roar against the prevailing injustice. Our youth represent nearly 70 percent of our society. But, there is no one at the platform to take them forward. The platform exists in PPP to some extent, but they are missing a leader. A genuine leader exists in PTI (Pakistan Tehrik Insaf) and they may have some sort of platform. But, over the years Imran Khan has not been able to strike the hearts, strongly enough, of the poor people of Pakistan. Pakistan is at a critical juncture where it needs a revolution to clean up this dirt of politicians. MQM, PML-Q and all government alliance parties should be tried for treason. If not the parties, then leaders should be asked to be answerable to the people of Pakistan. Even today, our masses remain silent in terms of their actions. But, I strongly believe that their desire to come out becomes more intense. All they need is a leader to take them forward.

A leader who says ‘I am a leader who does not sit in the lavish surroundings of the Presidency or the PM house. But, I am leader who resides in every heart of you people; the people of Pakistan. So that even if I want to do injustice to our country, I am not able to do so. Because amongst you people I will just be a small drop of bad blood in the heart. Over time new blood, in the form of people, will make sure that the power, to make the heart pump, remains amongst the people; rather than above them. As I said I want to reside in the 160 million hearts of Pakistan. And not in the corridors of power.’

Hypocrisy All Over....

It has been more than a week since one of the saddest events in our history took place. Hundreds of lives were lost, for a cause which they did not even know about. Once again the 'targeted' came out of the trouble unscathed.

Immediately after the event Benazir Bhutto's (BB) letter, written before her arrival, to President Musharraf was brought to notice of the people. It stated the people who she believed were involved in the incident. Her letter stated the possible suspects and also her tough political opponents to be in the coming elections. It seems like even after the massive incident of October 18th, 2007, she has still been able to gather herself for another round of politics. It is believed that the name of Ejaz Shah (Head of Intelligence Bureau), Chowdhary Pervez Elahi and a couple of theres were there. I would like to only mention the stated two names because I believe that ,according to BB, these people are her main target. Firstly, no one can rule out the role of an intelligence agency in carrying out an attack which is meant to be in the 'interest of Pakistan' as they are trained to do so. People like Benazir who have undoubtedly looted the people of Pakistan are surely not in our country's interest. But due to American pressure and a personal interest, once again a leader on his downfall has succumbed to their demands. However, the leader did not realize the effects of striking a deal with 'the country's most corrupt woman' , according to himself, may have a devastating impact on our country. Secondly, the mention of Chowdhary Pervez Elahi is meant to gain political mileage from the blast. BB knows that she can gain the western sympathy or should i say the most powerful vote bank of her party can influence the President to drift away from the current setup headed by the Chowdhary Brothers. There is no way in the world BB that a politician of today's Pakistan can cause such a chaos when the western influence dominates the mindset of our President. The whole backing of MQM was present on the day which was clearly visible as not a single shot was fired to an enemy. The PML(Q) remained silent only on the orders of President Musharraf. There was no agitation until the event actually took place.

Soon after the event, the blame game started with BB coming out in the press. She decided not only to care less about the people who lost their lives, but also to gain as much political drama she can from the incident. Again, using her not so real emotions for her father and brother she tried to create an impression of the late 90's. Unfortunately, she does not realize that things have changed now in Pakistan over the last eight years in this regard. Our people have access to a fairly free media. Once again, I would like reiterate the media is not completely independent even today. So then BB came up with the notion that she wrote a private letter to the President because she does not want to create any political drama. However, while she was on the plane from Dubai to Karachi she thought that Dr. Shahid Masood of 'Meray Mutabiq' of Geo TV was completely a 'private' party to the affair. Therefore, she also mentioned those names to Dr. Shahid Masood. Well BB, I have to say your innocence is fatal.

Meanwhile, the Chowdharys decided not to let any sympathies go towards BB due to the blast. Then, Chowdhary Pervez Elahi came with their favorite line that they will compete with a lot of mettle with BB's party in the elections and the 'people of Pakistan' do not support the looters. It was not for long when an article published in 'The News' told us about the nearly Rs. 55 Billion being written off by the government in favor of the national assembly members representing them. Well if BB's case abroad amounted to US$1.5 billion then their one write-off was around US$1 billion. So should we celebrate as a nation now that our current ministers are at least 30 percent less corrupt than our previous leaders, such as BB. Even though these figures are about just one write-off. Usually corruption details about the government comes after their departure. Therefore, they have already declared around US$1 billion of looting. So we may be reaching a new record after this government leaves.

This is where the hypocrisy comes in extensively in the ruling politics. Today PPP and PML(Q) are fighting against each other on various issues. Both are eager to take each other on; one at the behest of President while the other, at the behest of American support. The same American support which loves our people so much that it offered the FBI support for the blast of October 18th. However, that proposal was rejected by the government because as I stated earlier things may not be right in Musharraf's own camp. Therefore, you cannot carry out a raid in your own house. Especially, when the house is not in order. A similar foreign help was used in investigation the blast of President Musharraf and PM Shaukat Aziz in their respective incidents of terror. But, BB was not given the same warmth and affection because the government strongly believes now that our police force and investigative forces are quite capable of finding the 'real' culprits. All of a sudden, our government again feels a sense of patriotism by not allowing any foreign intervention. Don't we love our government so much? It is indeed working only in the interest of Pakistan.

As time passes by, things continue to intermingle with each other. The judiciary dynamics, along with the PPP-PML(Q) tussle, and ofcourse the Uncle Sam influence are all the perfect ingredients for a chaos in our country. The real people of Pakistan, which amount to the 70 percent poor people, do not care a bit about what happens. I do not blame them as there is no real leader in the country who can mobilize them. To me another dramatic event will take place before the elections which will finally achieve its goal. The goal which will make the President even more weak internally and externally of Pakistan. However, if that does not happen then we may witness one of the dirtiest elections in our country. In either case, for now let us all hope for the best to come for Pakistan. And also let us hope, that someone in our nation is able to gain enough strength to mobilize the masses of Pakistan to bring a real change in our country.

Musharraf's Isolation

Congratulations to all the Pakistanis, especially those who had lost hope in our system. In addition, I would like to extend my heartiest felicitations to Pakistan Tehrik Insaf and their leader, Imran Khan, for their long struggle for the independence of judiciary. I hope that July 20^th, 2007, will mark the beginning of the new era. It has the potential of being an era, where the true people of Pakistan will at least get justice.

This decision is historic in many perspectives. But, there is still a long way to go. Unfortunately in the past, we have believed in many new beginnings every time a historic event has taken place. After receiving overwhelming support from the masses, will Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry deliver? This question can only be answered after a certain passage of time.

However, the reinstatement of Chief Justice brings to light many new issues to our minds. Firstly, who is responsible for this saga? Even after this decision, it is hard to believe that such a decision has actually been taken. Is it true that after 60 years, the ‘hidden powers’ are no longer powerful to make a decision go the government’s way? The same ‘hidden powers’ that are given the ‘SOS’ signal by the Presidency at the time of a political crisis. If this is true, then may be the whole notion of ‘hidden powers’ being so powerful was just a myth. Or we are so blinded in the cause of being against the recent policies of the government, that we see all circles of the ruling establishment as one unit. This conclusion can be the most genuine example of an oversimplified generalization.

Many may not agree, but it seems like General Pervez Musharraf; believed as the ‘most powerful man’ in Pakistan has been a victim of the same poison which doomed many; the poison of ‘power.’ It may be still true that the ‘hidden powers’, which also include many bureaucrats of our society, have been able to create chaos to benefit their own interest. At this point in time, it may be unclear as to who is the primary beneficiary. But, the prospective candidates are many. When the reference was initiated against the Chief Justice on March 9, 2007, there were many people who were at the forefront while a few of them remained at the background. A couple of outspoken personalities include our Law Minister – Wasi Zafar, and Chief Minister, Sindh – Ghulam Arbab Rahim. It is still clear to my mind the confidence of our Law Minister in stating that another reference is ready for be filed in the court, along with the admission that he played a vital role in creating the dismissed reference. It seems like that his days are numbered, after his exclusion from the round-up by the PM to share the ‘depression’ which haunted their hearts and minds after the July 20^th decision. However, it will be interesting to hear our Chief Minister, when he taunted the judicial system by comparing them to the doctors; who get paid to operate unethically on their patients. Well, God bless our Chief Minister but it is also important to have the blessings of the new Chief Justice; Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Well the Chief Justice has no right to complain about the work he has to do now. There are hopes of millions of Pakistanis attached with this ‘civilian hero.’

Now let us study the people who are indeed powerful in our society. During the whole crisis, Ansar Abbasi kept reminding us of a highly influential person from a powerful institution in Pakistan used to visit the ‘suspended’ Chief Justice’s residence at the middle of the night. At that time the powerful institution was definitely not the judiciary. However, the purpose of the late night meeting was not to threaten the ‘suspended’ CJ with his life. But, it was to reassure him of the decisions which were to be taken. So does that mean the ‘hidden powers’ are still powerful? To me the answer is in the positive. But, the grave part of the whole scenario is that the ‘most powerful man’ in Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, has been isolated.

Rarely has a leader in Pakistan survived, when the ‘hidden powers’ have showed their lack of confidence in him. It is evident that the decision to file the reference was taken by the President and his close aides, rather than the constitutional decision-maker of the country; Shaukat Aziz. But, the close aides assured the President that the decision was in the best interest of him clinching to the reigns of power. In addition, they also assured that any agitation being demonstrated would not be of much strength and force. Then, how did the unanimous decision from the 13-member panel of the SC to re-instate the CJ came about? Therefore, this may not be entirely true that this was a completely independent decision against the ruling establishment; perceived as one unit. In fact, this may be a decision to tailor the future political setup of Pakistan minus the ‘General’ Pervez Musharraf. Maybe the patience within some quarters may have expired due to the prolonged stay of the President in uniform.

The fact that none of the policy-makers of yesterday are with him today, speaks the unsaid story of the fall of a leader. The leader who started off with a team of credible people, such as Javed Jabbar, and Lt. (r) General Moinuddin Haider to name a few, is now amongst a bunch of discredited people. Who can forget the sincere colleagues who assisted the landing of the plane on Oct. 12, 1999, by the name of General Aziz and General Usman. Both of them, were dispatched after a short period of time, due to the unreasonable demand of the American government. This all brings us to the same situation which was experienced by many of our leaders; President Ayub, President Yahya, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and President Zia.

The above mentioned analysis may be false a very large extent. But, if the above mentioned analysis is true then the statement of Benazir Bhutto, which states that after the restoration of the CJ it would be an unpopular decision for the Pakistan Peoples Party to form a deal with President Pervez Musharraf, makes a lot more sense. However, that leaves the President with an option to have Pakistan experience an emergency before the cases of his concern are taken up in the Supreme Court; uniform issue and the re-election of the President.

I clearly remember when the President stated, a few weeks back, that he would have tears in his eyes for this nation if the Chief Justice was restored. Well, it may be true that it would have happened. But, the President has so far withheld himself from stating his future course of action, other than accepting the decision. With the current wave of suicide bombings taking place all over the country, it may just be the perfect precedent to impose an emergency in our country. But, whatever the case let us hope that some sort of conspiracy is not being hatched up again to disillusion the people of Pakistan.

'Blinded in Power'

Today, the notion of being 'blinded in power' showed its true colors when the transmission of Geo TV was banned all across Pakistan. It is disheartening to see that a promising man by the name of General Pervez Musharraf, who took over the reigns of power on October 12, 1999, could allow such an act to take place in the 21st century. The promising man informed the nation, at that point in time, that he had to take this action because insanity had prevailed amongst the rulers of the country. His assessment of the situation of the pre-October 12 scenario was so reasonable that most of the Pakistani population stood behind him with full support. And there is no doubt, at least in my mind, that it was the right decision at that point in time. But nearly 8 years ahead, we stand at a similar crossroad again shocked to believe that the same promising man can let all this to occur. The same promising man dismissed the CJ of the country based on the similar insane people of the past who gave an ill advise. The same promising man allowed May 12 to occur. And, the same promising man who promised a free media allowed the blocking of a major news channel in Pakistan.

At the end of it all, one person has emerged as a genuine leader of the people; Imran Khan. The leader whose interview was telecasted moments after the banning of Geo TV all across Pakistan. He may not have the backing of the influential feudal system in Pakistan. He may not have arrangements with different leaders of constituencies in the rural areas. Neither would he know how to make a crowd gather in hundreds of thousands at his call. But, one thing which is crystal clear about this man is his determination. This was evident when the interviewer, Iftikhar Ahmed, raised a question about Sita White's daughter being brought back to Pakistan on June 10 by people who believe in mud-slinging rather than political strategies. That moment may have been the turning point for many people who were watching the show. Why would anyone try to bring a political figure to disrepute by raising concern about someone's personal life? Why would anyone attack a person's weakness to gain political mileage? The answer is simple; to dishearten the very few genuine people of Pakistan. Imran Khan is one of them without any doubt.

When Imran Khan entered politics, he may have had an idea about the allegations which are levelled against an opposition leader. But, when personal allegations are brought forward then it takes more than courage to stand up to your cause. He may have felt the weakest at that moment of the interview. But, he recovered only to be more resolved to do what he has promised to his workers; justice with equality. It is really disheartening to see leaders attacking their opposition in such a way. But, it only further strengthens the resolve to support what is right. For this action of Imran Khan, his respect in the eyes of the people goes to another level. A level which was never imagined until it was realized. For decades, people have avoided the difficult path in politics. But, seeing the determination of this leader it allows us to think about the reality. We have a leader here, who has given up so much to create an equality amongst the people of Pakistan. His statements in the interview were something which were never so openly heard in the media. For this he would easily qualify as the most genuine person in our country.

The nation silently hopes through their prayers and wishes that the man who has stood up against a leader, who was considered to be invincible, will be able to achieve his goals. No one can say with assurity about who will win the case at the courts of Britian. But, it may be true that the case may have already been won in the hearts of the people of Pakistan. More significantly, the people of Karachi who have witnessed the bloodshed over the last decade. We also hope that the promising man, who was mentioned at the beginning of this article, works a way out to once again win the support of the people of Pakistan.

May 12th: 'Organized Chaos'

As you all know by now, at least 30 people have been confirmed dead officially. More than hundred are injured. Unofficial sources claim that more than 57 people have died and around 200 people have been injured on this day of 'organized chaos.' Let us not forget the driver, who was shot because his crime was that he was carrying the injured to the hospital. First of all, I would like to offer my condolences to the victims as we are all related to each other in some way or the other. It is indeed a sad day in our history.

Now, I would like to state my views on this 'organized chaos' which was created today by the ruling party of Karachi. There is no doubt in my mind, that this violence was planned way in advance and was executed to near perfection. Firstly, there were three parties involved who were engaged in violence today. They were the PPI (Punjabi Pakhtun Ittehad), ANP (Awami National Party), and MQM; without whom today was not possible. 11 workers of the MQM party also got killed in this pointless chaos, for whom I condole with their families and friends. It is indeed sad, that our leaders use the poor people of Pakistan to carry out unnecessary operations against their brothers who are also misguided by their leaders. In the year of 2007, this was not thinkable but it happened today as if it was an 'everyday affair.'

It is sad to see that all this chaos had the approval of the most powerful man in Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf. We, as a nation, have always had hopes attached with this person. But today, he has not only failed us but showed us our worst nightmare; which happened a decade back. Again, the youth of Karachi were armed and told to kill anyone who they deemed against them. One night before the violence, 1000 plus containers were brought in to Shara-e-Faisal and everything was organized to make it impossible for Iftikhar Chowdhry to proceed. Then when one of the darkest morning arrived, it was bloodshed at the streets of Karachi. After the whole drama, the governor claims that it was the opposition. Not only this, they say that opposition people continuously attacked them first. Is it that the governor thinks that we are watching a soap opera? Or maybe, he thinks that we are just not sane enough to understand anything anymore? What benefit did the 'opposition' get by attacking Aaj TV? Why would the 'opposition' attack the institution which is clearly turning against the government over the last few weeks?

Now let me illustrate the real story. If someone was following the Aaj TV they would have seen that in the morning the channel showed some footages of ANP workers being injured and shot at. In the interview of the victims, they said that it was the MQM which attacked them with bullets. This was the turnaround. ANP workers which were few in numbers were not able to sustain for long. Within an hour, more reinforcements of the MQM party arrived and started shooting at the new enemy, Aaj TV. MQM is known to have the most organized media monitoring team amongst all the political parties in Pakistan. The footage of the injured ANP worker initiated the onslaught which was not meant to be. For hours their office was attacked with no signs of Rangers or law enforcement agencies. After nearly 5 hours of discriminatory firing a vehicle of Rangers came only to leave the area. All calls for help by the Bureau Chief, Mr. Talat Hussain, went to despair. He was not aware that he was just a victim of the 'organized chaos' which was planned way before. The federal government had given a free-hand to the ruling party in Karachi to do what they do best; create terror.

The party which had gained credibility and sympathy for their work over the last few years in Karachi lost everything in one go. There is no doubt that MQM worked well to regain the trust of the people of Karachi when they started developing Karachi at such a rapid pace. But, today that sympathy is not only lost but it has brought back the terror in Karachi'ites.

After all this, came the rally of Mr. Musharraf which was nothing but a shocker. How could a person with so much will and determination become so weak? The President addressed a bunch of less than hundred thousand people, who were paid guests, with the most un-purposeful speech ever made. How can he support the idea of talking to people who did not even know the reason for being there? If there was ever a literal example of the notion 'power corrupts' then the President's rally was it. The Chowdhary Brothers Inc. once again blind-folded their leader into the dark well. After all, they are experienced in this since the Supreme court attack in Nawaz Sharif's government.

The way I see it is that, President Musharraf has got limited options. I think that he will eventually move into negotiations with the biggest political party in Pakistan, PPP. But, this will happen only if the Supreme Court shows its strength in the coming weeks. There is a strong belief that the President is still wary of two top judges in the SC. As we all know, more than 70 percent of the top judiciary is against the man who promised so much. I believe that if the Supreme Court keeps its nerve and makes it all the way, then this will go a long way in establishing a system in Pakistan. A system which will also keep these political parties in control which only come forward to achieve their own interests.

Lastly, if the above statements hold true then I believe that one more round of chaos will engulf Karachi in the coming years. But this time the difference will be that it will be final 'cleanup' of those who believe in 'organized chaos.' I am sure that PPP will not repeat its mistakes by leaving the top leadership and killing the brain-washed workers below. The workers below just carry out the orders of their leaders. This leader claims that the people who went against him in the past will face a slow death. But, he forgets that if our agencies are most uncomfortable with someone, then it is him. The same person, who resides in London and is still not able to come back to the city which he rules. Now, this is what i would refer as the 'hollow power.' Let us hope that whatever the case, one day soon the masses of Pakistan which include the Mohajirs, Memons, Sindhis, Pathans, Punjabis and Balochis, and all others are able to come together to bring a real change in the country. If around 20,000 people attended the MQM rally in Karachi and around 80,000 attended the rally in Islamabad then I am sure that it does not even represent 0.1 percent of our country. So all we need is just 1 percent of Pakistan to come out and silence the short-sighted leaders. And like any other Pakistani, I have that unrealized hope.

Another Turnaround

As you all know by now, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has made an un-speculative move by suspending the Supreme Judicial Council's proceedings. It seems like the 'lunch that raised eyebrows' has taken its toll. The opposition seems to be pleased by this unprecedented move but it should also be cautious at the same time. Could this be a move by the government to show the 'independence' of the judiciary before setting up the final verdict against the Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry? Well, only the coming days can tell us the real story.

The other significant development which has occurred is that the hearing will be taking place on daily basis. This may reflect the government's desire to soon get over with the judicial crisis so that there is enough time to campaign effectively for the upcoming elections. This is a positive move for the ruling circles as they would be able to get some sort of breathing space. In fact, if you look at the overall picture, the glass can be viewed as half-full by both the sides; government and opposition. The next few days will be crucial in deciding the fate of not only Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, but also of the evolution of the new-born Pakistan Peoples Party. Benazir Bhutto has taken a very unconventional stance in the last few weeks with regards to her relationship with General Pervez Musharraf. It may be possible that the long awaited honeymoon trip with the General is about to start. This time for the next 10 years, as the President seems to be re-elected comfortably from the current assemblies.

To my view, Pakistan Peoples Party is playing a do or die match in the political arena as they are left with the choice of either losing it all for the next years. As a part of that package, I believe that many Pakistan Peoples Party workers will be disappointed as they have been the ones who have been truly struggling for democracy in Pakistan. This is because the leader of party, Benazir, has been outside the country for quite some time without any real hardships. Therefore, if BB decides to hold back Mr. Makhdoom Amin Faheem for the empth time from becoming the PM then she might be instigating a silent elections within her party. Hence, it is better for BB herself, and the PPP to join hands with the all powerful Musharraf to help him bring a change in the country. As stated earlier in my articles, I strongly believe that we need Musharraf's presence for the progress of Pakistan. But, at the same time I also believe that is high time he changes his team which is right now just a bunch of politicians who are united on one agenda; 'Kursi' - Power.

As a result of all this, the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. are experiencing their most nervous moments since the removal of Nawaz Sharif. They may not be liking the whole idea of sharing power with another party. That too which has been known for its liberal policies which one way or the other coincide with the President's ideology as well. Before, the Chowdhary Brothers Inc. may have had to use less brains to outmanoeuvre the MMA. But, this time the game will be a bit tough as the PPP senior hierarchy is equipped with immense intellectual capabilities. Whatever the case, the next few weeks will be able to project a clearer image for the future of Pakistan. Let us hope that the President makes the right moves. And, for that to happen he will have to interact less with the ruling party members.

Musharraf's 'In'dependent Judicial System

Corruption Perceptions Index 2006 - Total of 160 Countries Transparency International , www.transparency.org.

It has finally happened. The grey areas have been removed, and everything has become black & white. President Musharraf has done just enough to lose whatever sympathy he had with the people who still believed that he was a credible man. In fact, he has gone a step further by unconstitutionally removing the Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, without a judicial inquiry recommendation.

I still await President's next appearance on media regarding this issue in which he will state his reasons for the removal. Once again, we 'the people of Pakistan' will not understand the bold vision of our President. Hats off to our President for re-asserting the notion which states that there is a 'law of the jungle' in Pakistan. In addition, we are so blessed that our leader showed no hesitation in removing our Chief Justice when he was involved in using excess protocol, and for appointing his son in FIA without merit. Today's generation of Pakistan should be called the 'golden generation.' After all, even the least corrupt countries like Finland have not been blessed enough to witness such bold initiatives by its leader.

Let us see how the government will manage the affairs in the coming days. The trial conducted by the Supreme Judicial Council starts today. In a country where 'sifarish' (a term used for using influence of power to get work done) is a norm, if not part of the culture, the panel should not take that as a serious offense. Moreover, if protocol is such a big issue in our country then it means that it must be Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry, and not Musharraf, who sits in the Mercedes S-500 V12 surrounded with a 6-7 car convoy while moving in and out from President's House. It seems like our people are not even wise enough to know that President Musharraf drives his own car without any security to anywhere he visits. I really have no hope for these people of Pakistan who have always disappointed me in times like these.

To conclude after all the sarcasm, I hope that Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry, still the constitutional Chief Justice of Pakistan, holds his ground because more than a personality is at stake here. This may be the reason why lawyers for all provincial benches have showed solidarity with Mr. Iftikhar. The end result of the inquiry may not be to our liking but one thing is undisputed; March 9th was one of the saddest days in our judicial history.