‘It’s Just the Beginning’

Why should Pakistanis take you seriously when your party is small and you are your party's only member of parliament?
My party has the fastest-growing vote bank in Pakistan. My own personal ratings are very high. If there were a direct presidential election I'd probably do well. But if we fight this next election this party will become a force. The reason people supported [the deposed Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry] is because he defied the dictator. People looked upon him as genuine opposition to Musharraf. Similarly, my vote bank is increasing simply because people perceive me as someone who is not going to compromise. For 11 years I've been saying there can be no democracy or prosperity without an independent justice system. My Movement for Justice is based on an independent judiciary. Suddenly all the lawyers [who were] supporting Chaudhry adopted me, welcomed me with garlands and took me on their shoulders. That's how the party has taken off. We will do well in the next election. And we will become a player in the next assembly and a national party.

Are you frustrated by the Bush administration's seemingly continued solid support for Musharraf?
George Bush is creating anti-Americanism in Pakistan. How else can Pakistanis feel when Bush is backing one man who has destroyed our Supreme Court, every institution in the country, is sitting with the biggest crooks and criminals in the country, and presiding over our most corrupt government, according to Transparency International. Militancy and radicalization in Pakistan are increasing at such a phenomenal rate now that we actually think that our future is at stake. All thanks to Musharraf. And for this one man, Bush is going to sacrifice 160 million Pakistanis as if they were sheep? He is worse than the shah of Iran. If he succeeds in imposing Musharraf for another five years, who is going to take up the space? The mosques and the militants. They are spreading.

What's your solution for extremism and terrorism?
Terrorism is our biggest concern. It's so big that our country is likely to implode. Musharraf is perceived as a pro-American, anti-Islam man on an American mission. So what you are seeing in [the tribal territories of] Waziristan and [neighboring] Swat is that people are siding with the other side against the Pakistan Army. Pakistani soldiers are dying, and no one is mourning them. The Pakistan Army must be withdrawn from the tribal area and negotiations opened with the people. It's not too late. The aerial bombing is just driving more people to support the other side. It's not a winnable war and there's no end in sight.

But hasn't Musharraf tried peace deals with the militants before?
Fundamentalism in Pakistan is a lot easier to deal with if there is a genuine democratic government, and not one that is perceived as a stooge of the Bush administration. The minute people realize that the government does not have a foreign agenda they will listen. The Americans are making a mistake. They think Musharraf is the solution because the army under his control. But how long can he keep the army under control the way the army is taking such a beating. They are giving up without a fight. I think it's a matter of time before the army rebels against him. It's unsustainable.

© 2007