Karachi: The Rule of MY Law. New trailer of another blunder!
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Ahmed Mateen
- Posts: 141
- Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:33 pm
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Ahmed Mateen
- Posts: 141
- Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:33 pm
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Karachi: The Rule of MY Law. New trailer of another blunder!
Karachi bleeds, nation weeps
Yesterday Karachi saw the worst political violence in Pakistan in many years; over thirty people were confirmed killed and scores injured in clashes and gunfights between pro-government and opposition groups. Was this unexpected? No.
The arrival in Karachi of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was not taken lightly by President General Pervez Musharraf after the great show of force of the anti-Musharraf forces in Lahore. Until that point the government was only uncomfortable with the CJP’s outings to Rawalpindi and the NWFP. But the Lahore show was unique. It indicated that the movement against General Musharraf was gathering momentum. The reaction of the PMLQ government in Punjab was low-profile, possibly because the Punjab chief minister wanted to avoid a confrontation. Not so, however, with the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) which decided to show its muscle and announced counter rallies against the chief justice.
Some factors are easily discernible and they should inform us of where responsibility for the tragedy lies in Karachi. Reports were already circulating that General Musharraf was girding up to take on the CJP. This was confirmed when the MQM announced its rally on the same day and near the CJP’s venue before the Karachi bar. Up in Islamabad also the government announced to take out a “mammoth rally”. It was clear that the government was trying to counter the movement that has taken hold of the country following the action against the CJP on March 9. The fear of the government was that all the opposition parties would flock to the occasion and make it look like a massive no-confidence vote of the people against the president. The measure of its paranoia could be had from the fact that all approaches to the Sindh High Court were blocked with large containers, a red rag to the charged-up supporters of the CJP. But General Musharraf’s ally, the MQM, had other plans too. The commitment the MQM made to General Musharraf in his “hour of need” can be gauged from the fact that the MQM rally was to be addressed by Mr Altaf Hussain after its climax at Tibet Centre.
The plan of a counter rally by the government in Karachi was a recipe for disaster. The way things were planned could be seen from the way the government leaders, including the Sindh governor, tried to put the blame for the violence on the arrival in Karachi of the CJP. Governor Ishrat-ul Ibad told TV channels that the provincial government had clearly informed the CJP in writing that his arrival could create a law and order situation. “We thought he is a supposedly non-political person and would appreciate our concern.” This is interesting. Why was the provincial government “fearing” a law and order situation and simultaneously eager to go through the exercise of a counter rally? Governor Ibad also said, repeatedly, that the CJP’s legal advisors were politically aligned and were using the CJP to advance political objectives. He indicated that the government was planning to take strict action against those responsible for the current situation. The same line was used by Dr Farooq Sattar and various MQM leaders interviewed on camera. And the same line was taken by General Musharraf when he addressed his lacklustre rally in Islamabad.
But the problem with this line is that the potential for mischief was created by the government which first announced a “political” rally to counter the CJP’s address to the bar and then tried to put the blame on the CJP for having come to Karachi. Nothing happened during any of the CJP’s outings across the country. Why wasn’t he allowed to do the same in Karachi? Clearly, the message was that the government would not give him a free hand to rouse the masses after Lahore.
None of this bodes well for the country. In Islamabad, even as people were dying in Karachi, the government’s rally was being convened through a lot of fanfare and folk dances. As former premier Nawaz Sharif noted from exile correctly: the conflict is being given an ethnic colouring and that is poisonous for the solidarity of the country. It is ironic that the rally in Karachi was titled “In Defence of the Integrity and Honour of the Judiciary” and the one up in Islamabad was called “Istehkam-e Pakistan” rally. Both were in fact indicative of the vertical fault-line that now separates Pakistan and divides it between anti- and pro-Musharraf forces.
The question now is: what course of action is General Musharraf planning to take? The possibility of any compromise to correct the original mistake of removing the CJP has vanished now. The ante has been upped by the government.
Where does General Musharraf go from here? One thing is clear. General Musharraf must realise that his own fortune is linked intrinsically with the solidarity of the country he rules. It would be naïve to think that he could personally survive while the country slides into perdition. There are more cracks and fissures in it today than when he took power in 1999. *
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007513story_13-5-2007_pg3_1
Yesterday Karachi saw the worst political violence in Pakistan in many years; over thirty people were confirmed killed and scores injured in clashes and gunfights between pro-government and opposition groups. Was this unexpected? No.
The arrival in Karachi of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was not taken lightly by President General Pervez Musharraf after the great show of force of the anti-Musharraf forces in Lahore. Until that point the government was only uncomfortable with the CJP’s outings to Rawalpindi and the NWFP. But the Lahore show was unique. It indicated that the movement against General Musharraf was gathering momentum. The reaction of the PMLQ government in Punjab was low-profile, possibly because the Punjab chief minister wanted to avoid a confrontation. Not so, however, with the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) which decided to show its muscle and announced counter rallies against the chief justice.
Some factors are easily discernible and they should inform us of where responsibility for the tragedy lies in Karachi. Reports were already circulating that General Musharraf was girding up to take on the CJP. This was confirmed when the MQM announced its rally on the same day and near the CJP’s venue before the Karachi bar. Up in Islamabad also the government announced to take out a “mammoth rally”. It was clear that the government was trying to counter the movement that has taken hold of the country following the action against the CJP on March 9. The fear of the government was that all the opposition parties would flock to the occasion and make it look like a massive no-confidence vote of the people against the president. The measure of its paranoia could be had from the fact that all approaches to the Sindh High Court were blocked with large containers, a red rag to the charged-up supporters of the CJP. But General Musharraf’s ally, the MQM, had other plans too. The commitment the MQM made to General Musharraf in his “hour of need” can be gauged from the fact that the MQM rally was to be addressed by Mr Altaf Hussain after its climax at Tibet Centre.
The plan of a counter rally by the government in Karachi was a recipe for disaster. The way things were planned could be seen from the way the government leaders, including the Sindh governor, tried to put the blame for the violence on the arrival in Karachi of the CJP. Governor Ishrat-ul Ibad told TV channels that the provincial government had clearly informed the CJP in writing that his arrival could create a law and order situation. “We thought he is a supposedly non-political person and would appreciate our concern.” This is interesting. Why was the provincial government “fearing” a law and order situation and simultaneously eager to go through the exercise of a counter rally? Governor Ibad also said, repeatedly, that the CJP’s legal advisors were politically aligned and were using the CJP to advance political objectives. He indicated that the government was planning to take strict action against those responsible for the current situation. The same line was used by Dr Farooq Sattar and various MQM leaders interviewed on camera. And the same line was taken by General Musharraf when he addressed his lacklustre rally in Islamabad.
But the problem with this line is that the potential for mischief was created by the government which first announced a “political” rally to counter the CJP’s address to the bar and then tried to put the blame on the CJP for having come to Karachi. Nothing happened during any of the CJP’s outings across the country. Why wasn’t he allowed to do the same in Karachi? Clearly, the message was that the government would not give him a free hand to rouse the masses after Lahore.
None of this bodes well for the country. In Islamabad, even as people were dying in Karachi, the government’s rally was being convened through a lot of fanfare and folk dances. As former premier Nawaz Sharif noted from exile correctly: the conflict is being given an ethnic colouring and that is poisonous for the solidarity of the country. It is ironic that the rally in Karachi was titled “In Defence of the Integrity and Honour of the Judiciary” and the one up in Islamabad was called “Istehkam-e Pakistan” rally. Both were in fact indicative of the vertical fault-line that now separates Pakistan and divides it between anti- and pro-Musharraf forces.
The question now is: what course of action is General Musharraf planning to take? The possibility of any compromise to correct the original mistake of removing the CJP has vanished now. The ante has been upped by the government.
Where does General Musharraf go from here? One thing is clear. General Musharraf must realise that his own fortune is linked intrinsically with the solidarity of the country he rules. It would be naïve to think that he could personally survive while the country slides into perdition. There are more cracks and fissures in it today than when he took power in 1999. *
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007513story_13-5-2007_pg3_1
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Sidqi
- Posts: 417
- Joined: Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:12 am
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Karachi: The Rule of MY Law. New trailer of another blunder!
A good thinker like yourself shouold be above personal prejudices but remain an analyst.
Two words will be appropriate for the region. Greed of Power, which is making leaders evil and poor as lawless.
Sidqi. ca
Two words will be appropriate for the region. Greed of Power, which is making leaders evil and poor as lawless.
Sidqi. ca
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Mohammed Rafi
Karachi: The Rule of MY Law. New trailer of another blunder!
Rally or no rally. Cj or no Cj. Benazir or Nawaz. Who fired the first shot ? These are all irrelevant as precious lives have been lost. Who is going to bring them back ? The common man is suffering. The society is being ruled by goons who have no respect for human life.
As a migrant I am confused about the viabilty of Pakistan's creation.
Mohammed Rafi, Karachi
As a migrant I am confused about the viabilty of Pakistan's creation.
Mohammed Rafi, Karachi