Musharraf, as expected, and about 5 years too late, resigned from his post of Chief of Army Staff. W.H. Auden expressed it so much better than I:
Epitaph on a Tyrant
Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after,
And the poetry he invented was easy to understand;
He knew human folly like the back of his hand,
And was greatly interested in armies and fleets;
When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter,
And when he cried the little children died in the streets.
January 1939
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Propaganda
You may have noticed a decline in my posting over the last week or so. I am currently rather busy both at work and at home which is why I haven't had the time to devote much attention to the news or my blog. Hopefully things will get back on track in another week or so.
In the meantime, if you want to see what kind of propaganda the supporters of our current regime puts out, have a look at this. Basically, it insists that America and India are involved in a joint plot to destroy the Pakistani military. Complicit in this plot are NGOs, liberals, lawyers, politicians, Afghans, the media and academics. I've heard these kinds of arguments countless times in the past couple of months, though not as sophisticated in their presentation as this article.
There's nothing new about these kinds of conspiracy theories. Anyone who is critical of the government has abuse and muck slung at him/her and is accused of being a foreign agent. Women seem to come in for particularly vehement mud-slinging. So Asma Jehangir, the human rights lawyer is said to be a mercenary in foreign pay, Mukhtaran Mai, the woman who was gang-raped by order of a tribal Jirga, is a pawn in the hands of foreigners, and Dr. Shazia Khalid, who was raped by an army captain in Baluchistan, was a liar who was trying to ignite ethnic violence. Rape victims who speak out are seen as unpatriotic troublemakers who are trying to "ruin the image" of the country. Hence, Musharraf's remark that Pakistani women want to be raped so that they can get a Canadian passport.
Now lest we take Musharraf to be an unusually bigoted and patriarchal Islamist, lets remember that he is an "enlightened moderate". Its not Islamic patriarchy that informs his ideas, its plain old nationalist, militarist elitistism - attitudes that are commonly found amongst the secular, rich, western-educated elite, whether male or female. Fascism, after all, is as misogynistic an ideology as they come. Thus a female acquaintance of mine, both an artist and university teacher, and a former resident of New York, was quiet ready to agree with General Musharraf's assessment of why women get themselves raped. For the elite that runs the country, these news items of violent gang-rape and tribal jirgas are far removed from their lives in air-conditioned boardrooms and drawing-rooms and are a cause of minor embarrassment when they hob-nob with their foreign and expatriate friends at cocktail parties. These women should just shut up, they insist, instead of giving the country a bad name.
Contrast this attitude with that of the good folks at the Lal Masjid. One of their most strident and vocal demands, was the demand for justice for rape victims - a call that resonated with many of the poor, who know they can get no recourse from a police and legal system that provides justice primarily to those who are able to grease its wheels with a little money. To these people it is starkly evident that the state will not provide them with any recourse to justice or protection. Of course the Lal Masjid prescription for improving things is flawed in the extreme. But at least they saw that the problem existed. For Musharraf, and much of the rest of the country's ruling elite, the only problem is one of "fixing" the country's "image". Secure in the knowledge that they have the connections and cash to secure justice for themselves, they fail to understand, or if they do understand, fail to care, that things are not so rosy for others.
Why does the media insist, they ask, on reporting these sordid tales of the goings-on in far-flung areas of the country? Why doesn't it focus on the positives of the country? The wonderful investment opportunities a country like Pakistan possesses? The tax-breaks on offer, the burgeoning stock market, the labour wages so low, they are practically free? Here is money for the making.
That's the true Pakistan, isn't it?
Isn't it?
In the meantime, if you want to see what kind of propaganda the supporters of our current regime puts out, have a look at this. Basically, it insists that America and India are involved in a joint plot to destroy the Pakistani military. Complicit in this plot are NGOs, liberals, lawyers, politicians, Afghans, the media and academics. I've heard these kinds of arguments countless times in the past couple of months, though not as sophisticated in their presentation as this article.
There's nothing new about these kinds of conspiracy theories. Anyone who is critical of the government has abuse and muck slung at him/her and is accused of being a foreign agent. Women seem to come in for particularly vehement mud-slinging. So Asma Jehangir, the human rights lawyer is said to be a mercenary in foreign pay, Mukhtaran Mai, the woman who was gang-raped by order of a tribal Jirga, is a pawn in the hands of foreigners, and Dr. Shazia Khalid, who was raped by an army captain in Baluchistan, was a liar who was trying to ignite ethnic violence. Rape victims who speak out are seen as unpatriotic troublemakers who are trying to "ruin the image" of the country. Hence, Musharraf's remark that Pakistani women want to be raped so that they can get a Canadian passport.
Now lest we take Musharraf to be an unusually bigoted and patriarchal Islamist, lets remember that he is an "enlightened moderate". Its not Islamic patriarchy that informs his ideas, its plain old nationalist, militarist elitistism - attitudes that are commonly found amongst the secular, rich, western-educated elite, whether male or female. Fascism, after all, is as misogynistic an ideology as they come. Thus a female acquaintance of mine, both an artist and university teacher, and a former resident of New York, was quiet ready to agree with General Musharraf's assessment of why women get themselves raped. For the elite that runs the country, these news items of violent gang-rape and tribal jirgas are far removed from their lives in air-conditioned boardrooms and drawing-rooms and are a cause of minor embarrassment when they hob-nob with their foreign and expatriate friends at cocktail parties. These women should just shut up, they insist, instead of giving the country a bad name.
Contrast this attitude with that of the good folks at the Lal Masjid. One of their most strident and vocal demands, was the demand for justice for rape victims - a call that resonated with many of the poor, who know they can get no recourse from a police and legal system that provides justice primarily to those who are able to grease its wheels with a little money. To these people it is starkly evident that the state will not provide them with any recourse to justice or protection. Of course the Lal Masjid prescription for improving things is flawed in the extreme. But at least they saw that the problem existed. For Musharraf, and much of the rest of the country's ruling elite, the only problem is one of "fixing" the country's "image". Secure in the knowledge that they have the connections and cash to secure justice for themselves, they fail to understand, or if they do understand, fail to care, that things are not so rosy for others.
Why does the media insist, they ask, on reporting these sordid tales of the goings-on in far-flung areas of the country? Why doesn't it focus on the positives of the country? The wonderful investment opportunities a country like Pakistan possesses? The tax-breaks on offer, the burgeoning stock market, the labour wages so low, they are practically free? Here is money for the making.
That's the true Pakistan, isn't it?
Isn't it?
Sunday, 25 November 2007
Journalists' Arrests: An Inside Account
There is an account of the demonstration and arrests of a group of journalists in Karachi on 20th December here at Red Diary. Here is an excerpt:
It is in turns an outrageous, funny and even uplifting account. Have a read.
There were 27 of us in this van — seven women and 20 men. And boy did we raise hell!!! The van took us on a tour of the entire city, and we kept naarafying all the way. Passersby stopped to gape at us and then joined in the naareybaazi. In short, we conducted a State-sponsored anti-Musharraf rally. AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! Yes, I can’t get over this — this IS funny!!! They took us to the Boat Basin police station, only to realise that it was full. Ditto for Gizri and Darakhshan. They were then told to take us to the Docks police station, but the driver did not know the way (YUP!!! :-D). He took us to the Jackson police station instead, where his bum was kicked, and the correct raasta explained to him by officials concerned. LOL! All this while, we weren’t making life easier for him by continuously naarafying, jeering and heckling. Yes we’re mean.
It is in turns an outrageous, funny and even uplifting account. Have a read.
On Nawaz's Return
I was gearing up for a lengthy post on the much-touted return of Nawaz Sharrif, only to find that the 'Old China Hand' at China Matters has already done a great job in sizing up the situation. I recommend you go read his blog post. In the meantime, I'll go have a cup of tea.
Thursday, 22 November 2007
The Pot Calls the Kettle White...
"US President George W Bush said on Tuesday that President General Pervez Musharraf was a man of his word and truly believed in democracy." Thanks for that endorsement. Now I can sit back and relax. Its okay - Bush has reassured me about Musharraf's intentions and we know that Bush never lies.
"President General Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday introduced a set of seven constitutional amendments to give legal cover to his act of holding the constitution in abeyance, imposing emergency rule and issuing the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) on November 3." By now the constitution has been given so many face lifts in the space of a few years that, much like Michael Jackson's nose, it is now little but the fragile, crumbling structure perched atop an emaciated edifice no one believes in anymore. Why not dump it altogether?
In an article that claims that the opposition is falling into Musharraf's trap by taking part in upcoming elections, the News also gives "Full marks to our independent chief election commissioner, who in order to facilitate the government agenda [extended the deadline for Presidential candidates] to withdraw candidature but only few days to file the nomination papers" for parliamentary elections. Its great having an independent chief election commissioner.
Meanwhile speculation is rife that Musharraf's recent trip to Saudi Arabia was to discuss the rehabilitation of that other dinosaur of the previous decade's corrupt politics, Nawaz Sharif. Opinions seem to differ over whether or not Musharraf has consented to Nawaz's return, or whether negotiations are ongoing. However, Nawaz Sharif has announced he will soon be returning to Pakistan... again.
Its hardly worth mentioning that the newly assembled Supreme Court has now dismissed the final petition against Musharraf's candidature as President. I wonder if the CJ felt even a little sheepish at parroting the words dismissing the case before a world that knew they had been scripted in the Presidential house? Disgusting.
And as this article notes that while some media channels were shut down, "some private Pakistani news channels, including a channel owned by one of Musharraf's new ministers and another owned by his son's father-in-law, have been allowed back on the air during the emergency". Coincidence? No.
An article in the Daily Times, citing analysts at the London-based think tank, Chatam House observes that "Fragmented, outflanked by young militants and politically compromised, Pakistan’s mainstream Islamist leaders have only a side role to play in the crisis engulfing the country, analysts say." It goes on to predict a poor showing for the Islamists in upcoming elections. Now, my first observation on this article is that it is belaboring the obvious. The second is that it fails to draw the proper conclusion. The mullah establishment is deeply connected to the military establishment and depends upon it for its sustenance. Musharraf's government was promoting the mullahs to gain control of the provincial legislatures in Baluchistan and NWFP and for several years continued, foolishly, to believe that the mullahs would allow them to keep a handle on the militants - something they spectacularly failed to do. Once the sponsorship of the military is gone, they will subside to their rightful place on the fringes of Pakistani politics.
Perhaps I should say 'If the sponsorship of the military is gone'...
There has been much talk of a proposal floating around in America to arm the tribes of the NWFP against the Taliban. As this blogger notes, while discussing the plan, the idea is rubbish.
But the news also seems to be floating around that the U.S. will put in $350 million in training and rearm the Frontier Constubulary (FC) for a renewed campaign in Waziristan. It would seem as if this money is necessary because the previous $10 billion the U.S. government has provided Pakistan has gone against more immediate priorities in the war on terror, such as the threat of Al-Qaeda submarines attacking our ships, Al-Qaeda bombers bombing our cities, Al-Qaeda jamming our radar, Al-Qaeda stealing our nukes, and the lack of Barbecue restaurants in Islamabad. On a more serious note, training and arming the FC is a much better idea than training and arming the tribes. The FC is more likely to listen to the government about who to use their new weapons upon, and as the current heavy fighting between tribes from different sectarian groups in Parachinar the last few days shows, more weapons is not what they need at the moment. The country is still plagued by the effects of the last time the Tribes were armed and trained against the communists. I think we have learned our lesson on that issue by now.
"President General Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday introduced a set of seven constitutional amendments to give legal cover to his act of holding the constitution in abeyance, imposing emergency rule and issuing the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) on November 3." By now the constitution has been given so many face lifts in the space of a few years that, much like Michael Jackson's nose, it is now little but the fragile, crumbling structure perched atop an emaciated edifice no one believes in anymore. Why not dump it altogether?
In an article that claims that the opposition is falling into Musharraf's trap by taking part in upcoming elections, the News also gives "Full marks to our independent chief election commissioner, who in order to facilitate the government agenda [extended the deadline for Presidential candidates] to withdraw candidature but only few days to file the nomination papers" for parliamentary elections. Its great having an independent chief election commissioner.
Meanwhile speculation is rife that Musharraf's recent trip to Saudi Arabia was to discuss the rehabilitation of that other dinosaur of the previous decade's corrupt politics, Nawaz Sharif. Opinions seem to differ over whether or not Musharraf has consented to Nawaz's return, or whether negotiations are ongoing. However, Nawaz Sharif has announced he will soon be returning to Pakistan... again.
Its hardly worth mentioning that the newly assembled Supreme Court has now dismissed the final petition against Musharraf's candidature as President. I wonder if the CJ felt even a little sheepish at parroting the words dismissing the case before a world that knew they had been scripted in the Presidential house? Disgusting.
And as this article notes that while some media channels were shut down, "some private Pakistani news channels, including a channel owned by one of Musharraf's new ministers and another owned by his son's father-in-law, have been allowed back on the air during the emergency". Coincidence? No.
An article in the Daily Times, citing analysts at the London-based think tank, Chatam House observes that "Fragmented, outflanked by young militants and politically compromised, Pakistan’s mainstream Islamist leaders have only a side role to play in the crisis engulfing the country, analysts say." It goes on to predict a poor showing for the Islamists in upcoming elections. Now, my first observation on this article is that it is belaboring the obvious. The second is that it fails to draw the proper conclusion. The mullah establishment is deeply connected to the military establishment and depends upon it for its sustenance. Musharraf's government was promoting the mullahs to gain control of the provincial legislatures in Baluchistan and NWFP and for several years continued, foolishly, to believe that the mullahs would allow them to keep a handle on the militants - something they spectacularly failed to do. Once the sponsorship of the military is gone, they will subside to their rightful place on the fringes of Pakistani politics.
Perhaps I should say 'If the sponsorship of the military is gone'...
There has been much talk of a proposal floating around in America to arm the tribes of the NWFP against the Taliban. As this blogger notes, while discussing the plan, the idea is rubbish.
But the news also seems to be floating around that the U.S. will put in $350 million in training and rearm the Frontier Constubulary (FC) for a renewed campaign in Waziristan. It would seem as if this money is necessary because the previous $10 billion the U.S. government has provided Pakistan has gone against more immediate priorities in the war on terror, such as the threat of Al-Qaeda submarines attacking our ships, Al-Qaeda bombers bombing our cities, Al-Qaeda jamming our radar, Al-Qaeda stealing our nukes, and the lack of Barbecue restaurants in Islamabad. On a more serious note, training and arming the FC is a much better idea than training and arming the tribes. The FC is more likely to listen to the government about who to use their new weapons upon, and as the current heavy fighting between tribes from different sectarian groups in Parachinar the last few days shows, more weapons is not what they need at the moment. The country is still plagued by the effects of the last time the Tribes were armed and trained against the communists. I think we have learned our lesson on that issue by now.
Monday, 19 November 2007
Bibi, Kayani, Sharif, Mush and Bush: Round and Round They Go...
Over the weekend the recently engineered deal between Musharraf and Bhutto seemed to fall apart - apparently because Bhutto had taken to gleeful grandstanding while the anti-Emergency agitation was at its peak. Musharraf, a man with a legendary stubborn streak that does not respond well to pressure tactics, shoved right back. The deal brokered by the United States in an attempt to engineer a political solution to Musharraf's domestic woes and counter internal criticism that the Bush government was pandering to dictators while touting its "freedom agenda" elsewhere in the Muslim world was apparently under threat of collapsing altogether.
But it was essential to cobble some kind of deal together. Hence, the following sequence of events...
13th Nov: General Kayani's name starts being dropped in the American press as "a man widely admired within the Pakistani military and by members of Pakistani civil society." I'm not certain which members of Pakistani civil society they are talking about.
14th Nov: An article in the NYT, citing unnamed administration officials, says that the United States is looking at other options in Pakistan. The article not so casually name drops General Kayani.
14th Nov (Night-time) : Musharraf immediately amends the PCO to remove the power to lift the Emergency from the post of Military chief to that of President. It looks like transferring power from himself to himself. But it highlights and suggests a fear of the next Military Chief (Kayani) when he himself retires and becomes a civilian President.
15th Nov: State Department says that Negroponte will be going to Pakistan to "get Pakistan back on the road to constitutional democratic rule."
15th Nov (Night-time): The detention order for house-arrest of Benazir Bhutto is lifted hours before Negroponte arrives.
15th Nov: Analysts debate whether the United States is actually switching to support Kayani, or whether these leaks are orchestrated by the anti-Musharaf group in the Republican administration that has formed around Zalmay Khalizdad, trying to build pressure on the Bush administration to stop supporting Musharraf and switch to another power configuration in Pakistan.
16th Nov: Negroponte arrives in Pakistan for talks. He shuttles between various officials, meeting Musharraf and Kayani (twice) and talks to Benazir Bhutto as well.
16th Nov (Night-time): Nawaz Sharif calls on BB to "clarify her position" with regards to talks with Musharraf.
17th Nov: After a meeting with Negroponte, Musharraf agrees that all parties will be able to take part in elections, but that the Emergency will have to stay for the time being. Afterwards he flies to Karachi. Rumours of a prospective meeting between BB and Negroponte are dashed when BB also leaves for Karachi. Negroponte ignores a request for a meeting with lawyers.
17th or 18th Nov: Musharraf meets Benazir on Saturday night or Sunday.
18th Nov: Negroponte issues a statement from Pakistan calling for: elections, removal of uniform, release of political detainees and lifting of curbs on the media. No mention of the judiciary. In a pointed remark to BB, he calls for an end to political 'brinkmanship'.
18th Nov: Benazir gives an interview to CNN where she softens her stance and states that Musharraf is an honest man, and that she is 'waiting for' Musharraf to respond to Negroponte's message from Washington. She also says she was 'satisfied' by the U.S.'s message to Musharraf.
18th Nov: After the announcement that Musharraf intends to visit Saudi Arabia, speculation is rife that Nawaz Sharif may finally be willing to meet with Musharraf, something he apparently has refused to do previously.
19th Nov: In an article in the LA Times that boldly states that Musharraf resisted U.S. calls to end the Emergency is buried this little statement: "U.S. officials in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity out of deference to Negroponte's diplomatic efforts, said that although Musharraf didn't make any commitments Saturday, they believed he might in time yield."
19th Nov: Supreme Court kicks out 5 of 6 challenges to Musharraf's election as President. The case filed by the PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim is withdrawn voluntarily, underlining the de-escalation in the war of words between Bhutto and Musharraf.
And so the road to Musharraf's assuming the Presidency, removing his uniform, and reforming some kind of modus operandi with the PPP has been cleared, thanks to the efforts of the United States. What's interesting is that in an interview with a reporter for the Sunday Times, Musharraf's Attorney General had also threatened to revoke the NRO that granted Bhutto immunity from corruption charges. This was, obviously, reported on Sunday (18th Nov) but the article doesn't specify when in the previous week he made this threat. I'm guessing around the 15th, when BB was still in captivity.
Whats interesting is that in the same article, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain claims that the immunity for Bhutto is a ploy to divide the opposition. I reckon the PML(Q) will continue to campaign on an anti-Bhutto agenda, presenting her as a depraved, corrupt agent of America (not far wrong), out to destroy Islam and Pakistan, with the only hope being the PML(Q). Having said that, if Nawaz were to return, that would be a serious blow to the PML(Q). Much of Punjab is united in its dislike of Bhutto, but in a fair fight, the PML(N) may still give Q a run for its money.
But it was essential to cobble some kind of deal together. Hence, the following sequence of events...
13th Nov: General Kayani's name starts being dropped in the American press as "a man widely admired within the Pakistani military and by members of Pakistani civil society." I'm not certain which members of Pakistani civil society they are talking about.
14th Nov: An article in the NYT, citing unnamed administration officials, says that the United States is looking at other options in Pakistan. The article not so casually name drops General Kayani.
14th Nov (Night-time) : Musharraf immediately amends the PCO to remove the power to lift the Emergency from the post of Military chief to that of President. It looks like transferring power from himself to himself. But it highlights and suggests a fear of the next Military Chief (Kayani) when he himself retires and becomes a civilian President.
15th Nov: State Department says that Negroponte will be going to Pakistan to "get Pakistan back on the road to constitutional democratic rule."
15th Nov (Night-time): The detention order for house-arrest of Benazir Bhutto is lifted hours before Negroponte arrives.
15th Nov: Analysts debate whether the United States is actually switching to support Kayani, or whether these leaks are orchestrated by the anti-Musharaf group in the Republican administration that has formed around Zalmay Khalizdad, trying to build pressure on the Bush administration to stop supporting Musharraf and switch to another power configuration in Pakistan.
16th Nov: Negroponte arrives in Pakistan for talks. He shuttles between various officials, meeting Musharraf and Kayani (twice) and talks to Benazir Bhutto as well.
16th Nov (Night-time): Nawaz Sharif calls on BB to "clarify her position" with regards to talks with Musharraf.
17th Nov: After a meeting with Negroponte, Musharraf agrees that all parties will be able to take part in elections, but that the Emergency will have to stay for the time being. Afterwards he flies to Karachi. Rumours of a prospective meeting between BB and Negroponte are dashed when BB also leaves for Karachi. Negroponte ignores a request for a meeting with lawyers.
17th or 18th Nov: Musharraf meets Benazir on Saturday night or Sunday.
18th Nov: Negroponte issues a statement from Pakistan calling for: elections, removal of uniform, release of political detainees and lifting of curbs on the media. No mention of the judiciary. In a pointed remark to BB, he calls for an end to political 'brinkmanship'.
18th Nov: Benazir gives an interview to CNN where she softens her stance and states that Musharraf is an honest man, and that she is 'waiting for' Musharraf to respond to Negroponte's message from Washington. She also says she was 'satisfied' by the U.S.'s message to Musharraf.
18th Nov: After the announcement that Musharraf intends to visit Saudi Arabia, speculation is rife that Nawaz Sharif may finally be willing to meet with Musharraf, something he apparently has refused to do previously.
19th Nov: In an article in the LA Times that boldly states that Musharraf resisted U.S. calls to end the Emergency is buried this little statement: "U.S. officials in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity out of deference to Negroponte's diplomatic efforts, said that although Musharraf didn't make any commitments Saturday, they believed he might in time yield."
19th Nov: Supreme Court kicks out 5 of 6 challenges to Musharraf's election as President. The case filed by the PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim is withdrawn voluntarily, underlining the de-escalation in the war of words between Bhutto and Musharraf.
And so the road to Musharraf's assuming the Presidency, removing his uniform, and reforming some kind of modus operandi with the PPP has been cleared, thanks to the efforts of the United States. What's interesting is that in an interview with a reporter for the Sunday Times, Musharraf's Attorney General had also threatened to revoke the NRO that granted Bhutto immunity from corruption charges. This was, obviously, reported on Sunday (18th Nov) but the article doesn't specify when in the previous week he made this threat. I'm guessing around the 15th, when BB was still in captivity.
Whats interesting is that in the same article, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain claims that the immunity for Bhutto is a ploy to divide the opposition. I reckon the PML(Q) will continue to campaign on an anti-Bhutto agenda, presenting her as a depraved, corrupt agent of America (not far wrong), out to destroy Islam and Pakistan, with the only hope being the PML(Q). Having said that, if Nawaz were to return, that would be a serious blow to the PML(Q). Much of Punjab is united in its dislike of Bhutto, but in a fair fight, the PML(N) may still give Q a run for its money.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
