tony mitra
10-02-2007, 05:39 PM
There is an election coming up this month in Pakistan. There is speculation if President Musharraf, who is an unelected head of the army that appointed himself to the post of the President, might stand for election.
Meanwhile, one of the two leaders of two democratic parties have been denied entry into Pakistan to stand for the election. The other leader, Ms Benajir Bhutto is being allowed to come.
There is speculation that some deal might have been struck between Bhutto and Musharraf on power sharing, whereby she might become the Prime Minister, again, while Musharraf goes back to being the president, this time with the “legitimacy” of an election.
The question being asked by many, is if he would continue to be the head of the army or not, while he stands for the election.
The problem in Pakistan is, no matter what happens in elections, the army has pretty much always had a stranglehold on political power. IN that sense, unless the power of the army is modified such that it becomes a permanent servant of the elected Government, and not its ruler, nothing much might change
Meanwhile, there are talks in the western circles, that Pakistan is slowly entering into some sort of an emergency.
To complicate matters, its largest landmasses are controlled by unruly private militia controlled by various ethnic tribes that do not agree to the rule of the Center, either civilian or military.
As if that was not enough, there is a strong support within the nation for Islamic fundamentalists, who are now in a pitched battle against Musharraf, and wants to convert the nation to strict Islamic law and mode of existence.
Moreover, the west, and Afghanistan, accuses Pakistan of sheltering Al Qaeda and Taleban forces, and India accuses it of funding and supporting cross border terrorists that harm India.
And to cap it off, Pakistan holds missiles and nuclear arsenal, which could land in the hands of unsavory parties, should the nation degenerate into chaos.
So, what is Musharraf, or anybody else, to do?
Any comments?
Meanwhile, one of the two leaders of two democratic parties have been denied entry into Pakistan to stand for the election. The other leader, Ms Benajir Bhutto is being allowed to come.
There is speculation that some deal might have been struck between Bhutto and Musharraf on power sharing, whereby she might become the Prime Minister, again, while Musharraf goes back to being the president, this time with the “legitimacy” of an election.
The question being asked by many, is if he would continue to be the head of the army or not, while he stands for the election.
The problem in Pakistan is, no matter what happens in elections, the army has pretty much always had a stranglehold on political power. IN that sense, unless the power of the army is modified such that it becomes a permanent servant of the elected Government, and not its ruler, nothing much might change
Meanwhile, there are talks in the western circles, that Pakistan is slowly entering into some sort of an emergency.
To complicate matters, its largest landmasses are controlled by unruly private militia controlled by various ethnic tribes that do not agree to the rule of the Center, either civilian or military.
As if that was not enough, there is a strong support within the nation for Islamic fundamentalists, who are now in a pitched battle against Musharraf, and wants to convert the nation to strict Islamic law and mode of existence.
Moreover, the west, and Afghanistan, accuses Pakistan of sheltering Al Qaeda and Taleban forces, and India accuses it of funding and supporting cross border terrorists that harm India.
And to cap it off, Pakistan holds missiles and nuclear arsenal, which could land in the hands of unsavory parties, should the nation degenerate into chaos.
So, what is Musharraf, or anybody else, to do?
Any comments?