Mail Call: Pakistan’s Problem
Readers of our Jan. 21 cover story on Pervez Musharraf's future unanimously blamed him for all of Pakistan's problems. "He destroyed national institutions so he can stay in power," said one. "Discontent is spreading," wrote another. A third opined, "The biggest threat faced by Pakistan is Musharraf."
Pakistan
'
s Unpopular President
I think that "Toward The Dark Ages" would have been a more suitable title for Fareed Zakaria's Jan. 21 cover story "In the Dark Hours." Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf destroyed every institution in the country to remain in power. He didn't even spare the judiciary. Sacked Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan and their companions are still under house arrest. Lawyers' protests are getting stronger every day. Even retired Army generals have been asking for Musharraf's resignation. Bomb blasts are killing innocent people. Basic necessities of life are out of reach for Pakistan's poor people. Questions are being raised about the country's nuclear assets. It's time for America and Europe to review their policies toward Musharraf and listen to the people of Pakistan.
Hasan Raza Gondal
Birmingham, England
For now, it would seem, Pakistan is surrounded by insurmountable odds. We have a serious food shortage (wheat, rice, sugar, cooking oil), an energy crisis, falling gas supplies, social and political chaos, burgeoning sectarian conflict and a quagmire of economic stagnation. As if that weren't crisis enough, suicide bombers have killed more than a thousand people in the course of the last year. As a result of this mayhem, the common man finds himself unwittingly entangled in daily torment. Discontent is spreading while our political leaders have been doing their best to exploit the unrest by playing the blame game.
Mehreen Ali
Peshawar, Pakistan
The biggest threat and problem faced by Pakistan today is Pervez Musharraf. He has managed to make a real fool of policymakers in the West by somehow convincing them that he is their only option in the fight against terrorism. The reality on the ground is that he is completely isolated and has surrounded himself with a handful of ruthless, callous and gluttonous cronies who are happy to tolerate him as long as they have his blessing in looting the country's wealth. Between them, these rogue elements have forced this nuclear state of 160 million people to its knees. Civil society is in revolt. While Musharraf talks endlessly about his imagined economic miracle, the middle classes are forced to queue up for hours outside food shops to buy the most basic necessities—flour, rice, sugar and cooking oil. Musharraf has systematically destroyed the major national institutions that could challenge his authority and his illegitimate rule. The new Army chief needs to be reminded that the armed forces imposed this monster on the nation and it is their moral obligation to take him out, sooner rather than later, to stop the disintegration and collapse of Pakistan.
M. Noman Sheikh
London, England
Western leaders face a dilemma: they cannot openly and publicly talk tough with President Pervez Musharraf because that might push him toward the extremists. Confident as he was of being indispensable, the general has been praising his armed forces and speaking highly of Pakistan's economy and the stability of his rule. Every now and then, the Army has waged limited strikes in the tribal areas but it does not go decisively after the extremists. The Army's efforts have forced the tribes into abandoning their customary anti-establishment stance and come up with offers of a so-called truce just to buy relief from those strikes. Musharraf's recent admission that his Army was not specifically looking for Osama bin Laden speaks volumes about his strategy.
R. K. Sudan
Jammu, India
In his interview with Fareed Zakaria, President Musharraf opines that Benazir Bhutto was "very unpopular with the military, very unpopular." With his own popularity nose-diving to a level that could be termed "most unpopular," Musharraf ought to know that Pakistanis hate the Army today just as much as the people of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) hated the Army during the civil war of 1970.With Musharraf at the helm in what is clearly an illegitimate presidency, Pakistan could well be headed to a situation where it will be the people vs. the Army.
Ghulam Rasool
Karachi, Pakistan
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Member Comments
Posted By: naeem73 @ 03/06/2008 7:23:11 AM
Comment: I have some suggestions for the peace of world.
US must by all means stop the acts of terrorising the nations by waging unwanted wars and imposing peoples like Musharaf for their interests. Naeem
Posted By: naeem73 @ 03/06/2008 7:21:41 AM
Comment: In my opinion Musharaf is a mere tool to protect US and Jewish interests in the region specially Pakistan. The US backing for Musharaf even after the clear public verdict against Musharaf in the recent elections shows that US are just concerned about their own interests rather than the Pakistan and that Musharaf is their agent in Pakistan. Had US not released the statements of backing Musharaf, he would have run away by now. As the obvious cases that can be filed against Musharaf are enough to bring to justice apart from the chaos, dearness, power problems, law n order situation, devaluation of Rupee, and lots of other social and economical factors that are direct consequences of an individual and that is Musharaf.
In my humble opinion, US must withdraw from meddling the internal matters of other countries especially Pakistan if they wana be real super power, otherwise US must not forget the ending of USSR who were even bigger powers than US can think of being.
There are lots of Musharafs all over the world serving the cause of US interests and suppressing the rights of their countries for their benefit and at the stake of countries integrity and pride. The way Musharaf is lingering on to power calling himself to be indispensable is a sheer US support that encourage him to say so, otherwise a 8 years old kid in Pakistan is saying Musharaf should resign and should not be seen on political scene in Pakistan. Some even say that Bush should accept him as US citizen and give some work in his embezzlement missions.
In my 34 years life i have never seen a power hungry person like Musharaf who has a courage to over look the humiliating columns in The Daily Jang in which columnists very nicely and in a humiliating way show the exit door to Musharaf. but the determination to serve the nation till last breath is a sheer absurdity of Musharaf. If someone does not need ones services how can one impose himself. Once he himself said if he feels that the people of Pakistan do not like him, he shall step down. But after recent elections he does not honor his words. or let us know whom Musharaf call people?? is it people of Pakistan of People of US.
Posted By: shaista @ 03/04/2008 5:18:09 AM
Comment: Pervez Musharraf a dead man now deeply concern & decide to stepping down as president of Pakistan rather than waiting to be forced out by his victorious opponents,
Musharaf is run out of options and had started discussing an exit strategy for himself. One of them thought ???it is now just a matter of days and not months because he would like to make an exit at any cost.
The PPP & PML N coalition government also pledged to reinstate the country???s chief justice and 60 other judges sacked by him in November.
Mr Musharraf have no other options but to quit and in case of power sharing with new parliment, in which his opponents will be close to the two-thirds majority and they think to impeach him and remove him from office.
???He may have made many blunders,where he destroy judiciary,parliment and constitutions just for the sake of his personal office,??? and a possible punishment for him after reinstated the judges which will be a death penalty or life imprisonment
Musharaf close one said that he has no other way but to resigning immediately after the election results were known, but other who want to see him insulted and will to see him disgrace persuaded that his sudden departure could precipitate a crisis.
Behind the scenes, his staff attempted to broker an agreement with PPP chief Asif Zardari, but despite pressure from the United States, which has relied on Mr Musharraf???s support for its war on terror, Mr Zardari refused to strike a deal.
He declined despite also claiming to have been threatened by Mr Musharraf???s allies that the government would revive long-standing corruption charges against him.
???I have seen these jails and this is not something new to me,??? said Mr Zardari. ???I fought all these fake cases instituted against me with courage and never disappointed anyone by asking for a pardon.
???I???m ready to fight it out again, and will never disappoint anyone.???
PPP officials said that any deal with Mr Musharraf would have dented the party???s public support and it was better to try to govern with the help of the other main parties.
???It doesn???t make any sense for us to sink with the dying man,??? said Nisar Khuhro, a senior PPP leader, referring to Mr Musharraf.
Jamil Soomro, a PPP spokesman, said: ???He has betrayed everyone since the very outset and we have no guarantee that he would not betray us once he stabilised his position.???
If Mr Musharraf decides to dig his heels in, the opposition parties plan to remove his constitutional powers to dissolve the assembly.
???I think his game is over but if he was able to survive for any reason, he would be like a dead fish, sitting and rotting the presidency,??? said Khwaja Asif, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League